Opposition to the proposed regulation for the reading of the Ten Commandments in the public schools of New York was voiced by the Executive Committee of the Jewish Council of Greater New York.
The following resolution is to be forwarded to the Board of Education:
“The Jewish Council of Greater New York wishes to register its disapproval of the proposal to require the reading of the Ten Commandments in the public schools of New York.
“The reading of the Decalogue in the public schools would mean the introduction of religious instruction in the schools, to which we are unalterably opposed. Such a procedure would constitute a dangerous precedent that would pave the way for further attempts by one religious sect or another to foster religious training in the public schools and thus lead to regrettable divisions and strife in our community.
“The public schools are the training ground for our future American citizens of all religions and their usefulness could not but be impaired were they to become involved in religious controversy and conflict. While realizing that the Decalogue is the foundation of our religion and recognizing the necessity for thorough religious training for children, we are of the opinion that such training is a matter that should be the concern of the parents, the home, and the religious school, but that it is entirely out of harmony with the spirit of American institutions to include it in the curriculum of the public school.”
This resolution voices the attitude of about 300 Jewish organizations of New York which are represented by delegates in the Jewish Council. Dr. Mordecai Saltes is president of the Council.
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.
