A petition signed by 5,000 residents of this suburban community, calling for a referendum on making mandatory recitation of the “Regents” prayer in all classrooms in the school district, was rejected last night by the Plainedge Board of Education. The vote was five to two.
The prayer recommended by the New York State Board of Regents also is the subject of a suit brought by a parents group against the Herrick, L. I., Board of Education. The Nassau County Supreme court sanctioned use of the prayer. The decision has been appealed by the parents to the Appellate Division.
The board majority said after the vote that at its next meeting on December 10 it would propose a moment of silent meditation at the opening of the school day in place of the prayer, the text of which is: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on Thee, and we beg Thy blessing upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country.”
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.
