Jews of this city are protesting against the plan of the local board of education to introduce religious education in the public schools. A request that the city board of education reconsider its action in permitting religious instruction to be given school children during school hours was drawn up at the meeting of the board of education of the Hebrew Institute last week, and plans started for a mass-meeting of protest, in which representatives of the Christian population of Waterbury are expected to join.
“We Jews do not want to make a Jewish issue of it,” declared Rabbi Moses D. Sheinkopf of the Beth Israel and Shearith Israel synagogues. “We feel it is a matter of general public interest and for the general public to settle. We know that many Christians as well as Jews feel as we do about it.
“The action of the board of education providing that the public schools should give time and opportunity for outside religious instruction is to be greatly regretted. I cannot say anything definite as to the steps the Jews will take to defeat it, but I am sure that the Waterbury Jewish community is strongly opposed to it.”
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