Four Minneapolis-Saint Paul rabbis have called upon the Jewish community to approach public school authorities with an appeal to include units and courses on Jewish history and culture in curricular in public schools and at the University of Minnesota. The rabbis pointed out that educators are reorganizing social study programs with a view toward introducing instruction about the Negro, Indian and other minority groups.
The rabbis making the appeal were Kassel Abelson, Arnold Goodman, Moses Sachs and Bernard Raskas. Their petition was addressed to the Minnesota Board of Rabbis, Minneapolis Federation of Jewish Service, Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation League.
“At present the Jew is the invisible man in world and American history,” they declared. “The tremendous accomplishments and contributions of our people to modern civilization are ignored or credited to the national culture of the country in which these Jews lived.” In appealing for curricula about Jewish contributions to world and American history, the rabbis acknowledged that they recognized the principle of church-state separation and did not want Judaism taught as a religion in public schools.
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