Religious Controversy Arises out of Proposal to Read the Ten Commandments in New York Public Schools

A religious controversy arose out of the discussion at a public hearing held by a special committee of the Board of Education on the proposal that the Ten Commandments be read in the New York public schools.

The proposal submitted by representatives of the Protestant, Jewish and Catholic faiths provided that the Decalogue be read to the pupils of the public schools once a week by the Principal or designated teacher.

The resolution was introduced, they said, with the idea that the proper grounding of the child in the Mosaic law will help to check the crime wave and do away with brigandage.

Dr. Joseph Silverman, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Emanu-El, appeared in opposition to the resolution.

Rabbi Silverman declared that to teach the Decalogue was to inaugurate teaching of Judaism in the schools, because “the Commandments are part of the Jewish creed.” There was immediate opposition to his continuing his speech, and when he said, “We have the Messiah and you have other gods, and the Christian God is not the Jewish God,” a heated argument started. When he added, “You can’t teach Jesus if you teach Jehovah,” Dr. Charles W. Roeder, pastor of the Flatlands Reformed Church declared, “I protest; this is an insult to us.”

Arthur S. Somers, one of the four members of the board on the committee, heatedly backed up Dr. Roeder with a similar declaration, adding:

“I hope Rabbi Silverman will not say again we worship other gods. I worship but one God and recognize the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

Then followed a general argument participated in by Catholics, Protestants, Jews, atheists, Freethinkers, Ethical Culturists, Security Leaguers and others. Miss McCormick insisted the rabbi should sit down because he had “said enough.” Rabbi Silverman said he wanted “fair play.” He declared.

“You won’t put an end to crime by teaching little children the Ten Commandments. They are not gunmen or hold-up men. The crime wave needs a Theodore Roosevelt at the head of the city police. The mailed fist is the only thing the gunmen understand.”

Miss Helen P. McCormick, president of the Catholic Big Sisters of Brooklyn, asked that the rabbi be not permitted to continue, but he went on:

“If you teach Judaism in the schools you must also teach Mohammedanism, atheism. Christianity, Buddhism and all other religions. This is a dangerous proceeding, to teach a code of ethics based on theology.” Then he started to read the Commandments.

“We know the Decalogue,” Dr. Roeder told the rabbi.

“That’s it, you don’t know them,” the rabbi said. “What you all here want to do is to drive the teaching of evolution out of the schools.”

Mrs. Margaret McAleenan, Chairman of the committee, interrupted the remainder of the speech by telling the rabbi his time was up, and while still protesting his right to read the Commandments, he sat down. Later, however, he was allowed to read both versions of the Decalogue, one from Exodus and the other from Deuteronomy. Order had been restored when Frederick Boyd Stevenson of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” rose to speak. He threw the meeting again into confusion when he declared:

“There should be no objection to this resolution except by pagans and infidels.”

“We object; we’re neither pagans nor infidels,” was shouted from all over the room, and Joseph T. Griffin, Principal of Public School No. 114, on Oliver Street, rose and objected to the remark. He also said he was against the reading of the Commandments in school–that it should be done in the homes of the children.

Mrs. Granilla Black, of the National Security League, objected to the resolution because of the Commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”

“When your country is invaded,” she said, “the invader must be killed.”

Others who spoke were Miss Martha Byrne, who brought a message of support for the resolution from Nathan Straus, Jr.; Miss Helen P. McCormick, who read a letter of indorsement from Bishop Molloy of Brooklyn; Charles Smith, President, American Association for Advancement of Atheism; Mrs. Harry Palmer, Joseph Lewis, Free Thinkers’ Society, and his wife and the Rev. A. Wakefield Slaten.

The committee will report back to the board at its next meeting, when a decision will be reached.

“The Ten Commandments are a part of the Bible and permission to read the Decalogue in the public schools either includes or paves the way for the right to read the entire Bible in the public schools,” Dr. Louis Wolsey, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, declared to the “Jewish Daily Bulletin.”

The synagogue can never concede the right of a state that separates religion and the state to teach religion in the public schools. Neither will the mere reading of the Decalogue or, for that matter, any other great moral literature, make a moral being out of the pupil. We do not object to the teaching of morals in the public school. We would rather encourage it, but the religious sanction for morals must be the solicitude and the exclusive right of home and church,” he stated.

SURVEY OF JEWISH COMMUNAL NEEDS OF NEW YORK TO BE MADE

A communal survey of the present and future requirements of the Jews in greater New York will be undertaken by an impartial commission, it was announced by Judge Otto A. Rosalsky, following a conference called by Judge Rosalsky, Frederick Brown, Louis Marshall, Mitchell May, Reuben Sadowsky, Israel Unterberg and Felix M. Warburg.

There are 473 Jewish communal organizations in the five boroughs and these agencies spend annually $14,000,000. The commission will endeavor to evaluate for the first time the philanthropic and other communal endeavors of the Jewish communities and to determine what trend social service is to take in the local field.

The formal opening of the new quarters of the Hebrew school in Peabody, Mass., was celebrated in the presence of members of Jewish organizations throughout the state, as well as representatives of the local Jewish community.