Religious Instruction Issue Discussed at Atlanta Meeting

The question of “released time” from public schools for religious instruction, which started today in New York, was discussed yesterday at a meeting of the American Association for Jewish Education, one of the ten meetings arranged by national organizations at the Biltmore Hotel in connection with the general assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

Prof. Horace M. Kallen asserted that to grant the church coercive powers over children was “to exercise undemocratic methods which will eventually destroy the essential American principle of separation of church and State.” James Marshall, president of the New York City Board of Education, said the rights of all citizens had to be protected regardless of faith.

Consensus of reports from local communities was that Jews should cooperate on an interfaith basis wherever the “released time” plan has become law or public policy, but they prefer the “dismissed time” plan, in which the public schools do not check on the attendance of pupils at the church schools. The discussion emphasized the need for Jewish community leaders to develop common programs wherever “released time” plans are introduced or considered.

Establishment of an institute to formulate proposals for restoration of Jewish rights and reconstruction of Jewish life after the war was announced by Dr. Maurice L. Perlzweig, chairman of the British section of the World Jewish Congress, at a meeting of the American Jewish Congress.

The institute, with headquarters in New York, will investigate the causes of the collapse of Jewish emancipation in Europe and will prepare a program, including reparation of losses suffered by Jews since 1933 and development of colonization and immigration plans to settle the refugee problem.

“The institute is needed now,” he said, “to develop our own concept of the new world order as far as the Jews are concerned. If we wait until the war is over, even the democratic powers might harden their concept of the new world order into a shape which it might be beyond human power to remodel. This would be disastrous.”

At the American ORT Federation meeting, Alexander Halpern, chairman of the London ORT, stressed the need for expansion of training centers in England. Dr. David Lvovitch, vice-president of the World ORT Union, said: “The results the ORT achieved in 1940 in training more than 12,000 men and women in productive skill, despite unprecedented instability, is compelling proof of the present need for reconstructive, as well as remedial aid, so vitally essential to Europe’s Jews.”

At the National Council of Jewish Women meeting, President Mrs. Maurice Goldman, of San Francisco, stressed that her organization “strives to teach understanding of the American way of life and inspire new immigrants with appreciation of and responsibility to a democracy.”

Sidney Hollander, reelected president of the Council, in his closing speech to the assembly Sunday night, warned Jewish communities against losing sight of responsibilities on the home front in preparing to defend democracy from attack from without. He urged continued attention to those served by local Jewish welfare agencies and the importance of meeting the social-economic needs of the entire community as well.

One of the major questions at the general assembly was the problem of budgeting by local community funds for national and overseas causes. A proposal for a national budgeting advisory service was approved by the board of directors after being submitted by Jacob Blaustein, as chairman of the Committee on National Budgeting Proposals. It will be submitted to a referendum of the local groups together with a majority report of the committee favoring its adoption and a minority report in opposition.