Propose Court Action on Religious Teaching in the Public Schools

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Active support of the movement for the erection of a new synagogue and social center in Jerusalem was decided upon Monday by the 400 delegates to the convention of the United Synagogue of American and the 300 representatives of the Women’s League of the organization which are in convention here. The proposed project will cost $500,000.

A resolution was adopted at Monday’s session supporting court action, if necessary, to rest the right, under the Constitution, to teach religion in any form in the public schools of the United States. A committee to confer with the leaders of the Seventh Day Adventists regarding the adoption of a five-day week was decided upon. Much attention was given to the problem of college students. The erection of Jewish students homes in college towns was urged by the women.

Division of the country into seven districts for administrative purposes was decided upon and also the employment of a field secretary at a salary of $5,000 a year to carry on the work.

Monday night a joint banquet of both men and women was held, the principal speakers being Dr. Israel Herbert Levinthal, of the Brooklyn Jewish Center; Rabbi Max D. Klein, of Philadelphia, and Prof. Louis Ginsberg of the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York. Dr. Cyrus Adler of Philadelphia, was toastmaster.

Monday’s sessions of the Fourteenth Annual Convention of the United Synagogue of American were taken up by several committee meetings of the Executive Council and a meeting of the Women’s League of the organization.

Discussions in the committee meetings were led by Rabbi Morris Silverman of Hartford, Conn. Rabbi Abraham H. Herzman of Detroit, Mich., who spoke on college students and Rabbi Max Drob of New York, whose subject was: One Jewish Child In Six Receives a Religious Education. A great increase in traditional Judaism through the work and activities of the United Synagogue of American was reported at the opening sessions.