President Bush met with a group of Jewish educators to highlight his support for school choice. Meeting Tuesday with 13 rabbis and Jewish educational administrators, Bush touted his support for school vouchers and other initiatives that aid parochial education. The conversation also touched on foreign policy and efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. “He certainly wasn’t challenged, but he was asked questions that dealt with educational issues,” one participant told JTA. The event came before the White House’s annual Chanukah party Tuesday night. In previous years, Bush has met with Jewish political leaders and rabbis, but this year he chose educators to promote his efforts for school choice, a White House official said. At a candlelighting event after the meeting, Bush said, “As educators who dedicate themselves to teaching the faith and to teaching, they are fulfilling the true lesson of Hanukkah every day of the year. Just as the Maccabees reclaimed their holy temple, these teachers help ensure that Jewish traditions are passed from generation to generation.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
