The Commission of Justice and Peace of the Central Conference of American Rabbis concluded a three-day meeting here last night with the adoption of a statement criticizing the “undemocratic methods” of Congressional investigators, the Smith Act which makes it a crime to teach or advocate the overthrow of the government, the McCarran Internal Security Act, the removal of wage and price controls and the imposition of loyalty oaths on teachers.
The meeting, which was attended by 150 rabbis representing 500 congregations, stated: “We believe that the national security of our country is rooted in the individual freedom of its citizens. We reject the concept that there is any incompatibility between freedom and security, and that individual freedom must be curtailed in the interest of national security.”
On the subject of education, the statement said: “We are opposed to the imposition of loyalty oaths on teachers. While we recognize that Communists are not fit teachers for our children, we are convinced that the danger to our democratic freedom of uninhibited witch hunts and spurious investigations is even greater than that of a few Communist teachers. All freedom involves risks.”
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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.
