The Jewish Community Relations Council has called on the Pennsylvania State Senate to reject a bill passed by the House of Representatives that would grant state funds to parochial schools. The JCRC contended that the bill, sponsored by Rep. Martin P. Mullen and 51 other House members, violated both the Federal and State Constitutions and would endanger the voluntary structure of parochial schools. It commended Gov. Shafer’s announced intention to veto the measure if it reaches his desk.
The JCRC said, “While we are sympathetic to the urgent need for financial support of religiously-controlled schools, we believe that the Constitution requires–and wisdom dictates–that such support be voluntarily contributed by those committed to the support of such institutions, rather than by all citizens compelled by law to provide such support.” The JCRC noted that the Jewish community “has long recognized the validity and in fact, the value, of privately-supported, religiously-oriented schools” in “fostering and preserving religious commitment and the pluralistic character of the American society.”
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.
