The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-24
REVOLT OF JEWISH PUPILS.
ANTI-CHRESTMAS STRIKE rs on
TINE CARDS FOR TODAY.
Rabbi Drachman Explains the Objections
% the Hebrews and suggests That
similar Exercises Might Be Held
on the Day Before Thank sgiyinE.

~ Uhe HcbreWs ana suggests That
similar Exercises Might Bs Held
on the Day Before Thanksgiving
Some uneasiness il felt among the mem.
bers OF the Board OF Education in regard
60 the annual Christmas celebration to
be held in the public schools to-day. Jews
representing the orthodox and reformed
synagogues have come forward with q
protest against the custom, saying that
IT should be discontinued on the ground
that 1t is an introduction Of sectarianism
into the schools.
While there has been for several years
more or less criticism from Jews against
this custom, the matter has never taken
the form OF an open agitation until this
year. The rabbits Of the various ~synagogues
have appealed to their congregations to
keep their children away from the cele-
brations at the schools to-day. Jewish
newspapers have issued similar calls.
This course probably will be followed
in many families and the children will
suffer dement's for their absence. The
plan OF the rabbisa and other Jews Interested
IN the agitation is to ave the children
attend school as usual to-day, but To leave
when the Christmas entertainment begins.
Thus their standing will not be affected.
The agitation was started at Christmas
time u year ~ when a principal of a school
In the Brownsville section made an address
ON Christianity on the afternoon before
Christmas. As q result a large delegation
OF Jews complained to the Board of Edu-
cation and the principal was reprimanded.
The Jews appealed to the board at that
time 70 order the entire Christmas cele-
orations discontinued. but we're put Of.
One OF those prominent in bringing these
facts to the attention Of the Boa I'd OF Edu-
cation was DIR. Bernard DrsohmAn Of the
East Slxty-seventh street synagogue. DIR.
Drachman said yesterday that he and HIS
Fellow oomplainsnts were told to bring
the matter TO the attention Of the COM
lnlttee on elementary education in Decem-
her this year. On December II there
appeared before the Board OF Education
twenty-five prominent Jews led by a COM
mittee consisting Of DR.. Drachman, DR..
Samuel Schulman Of the Bethel Syna-
gogne' Dr. II. Pereira Mendss, president
OF the Union OF Orthodox Hebrew Congre-
cations; Albert Lucas, secretary Of the
union, and Prof. Joseph NJ. Ascher OF the
Hebrew Theological Seminary.
Inc committee was told that the matter
YOU'D DE brought to the attention Of the
board or Education at It's next meeting,
which was held last Wednesday afternoon.
For some reason the board decided not to
act on the matter. II was learned, how
ever, yesterday that word had been sent
TO all schools telling the teachers TO use
thelr own discretion in the matter Of the
entertainment but TO refrain from singing
songs or Introducing other matter that
would be likely 20 make the affair appear
religious.
Members of the Board of Education
oppose our request said DIR. Drachman, |
and say there il nothing Of religious sig |
nlflCanpp in fha an arfa inVnonfa FIha yar,, |
theme and spirit of the occasion IL svm-
Dolical IN every sense with the Christmas
oelebratIorf and therefore ~antagonistic to
our belief. We have found that the custom
was becoming worse and that attempts
We're being made in some schools TO teach
christianity 10 our children We Jews
have no objection 10 Christians celebrating
as they do, but why introduce it into the
public schools, where religion is not sup
posed to enter? The celebrating of Chris
tlanlty In the public schools would tend to
thar Christianity is the religion Of
the State and this is not the case.
MY child attends a public school and her
teacher il a Jewish young woman. just
The same, this teacher has to decorate a
christmas tree and hold a Christmas oele-
bratlon on the day before that holiday.
She explains that it h the custom and that
the principal of the school orders the en-
tertainment held. Now, why cannot this '
same entertainment be changed to the
10y bhk III - uO L
sectarian differences on that day. The
of the United Stat es issues
proclamation on all oreeds to give thanks,
ind jew and Gentle do 30. II, as the mem
DerS OF the Board OF Educa ton and the
ieachers say, the children look forward
10 the day, why not change 1t 10 some date
'uch as before Thanksgiving, and then all
'ects could join In enthusiastically"
Dr. Drachman said that neither he nor
his associates in the movement had done
tn 0enr aAa AnaT Ill ~.
10 anything that would appear sensational.
de- said that he hoped the motives of the
Jews would not be misconstrued, but that
he case would appeal to all fair minded
as one in which they were right
n insisting that religion be excluded from
he schools unless taught in all its forms and
)eliefs.
Abraham Stern. the chairman of the
on elementary education, said
hat, although a Jew himself, he thought
the agitation was wrong and that, no
laTm could come to the Jewish children
the entertainments. Mr.. Stern
rontends that they are not religious in
ny sense, but merely a gathering of the
hildren before they start their midwinter
Mr.. Stern said that the main
so far advanced against the
ustom was that a Christmas tree was
in the schools and that that was
thoroughly symbolical of the Nazarene.
ar. Stern regards a Christmas tree as
imply a pretty setting for the ohildren's
,resents.
DR.. Drachman and Others on the COM ,
1itee OF Jews took the matter of the Christ
las tree to Coadiutor Bishop Greer Of the
diocese OF New York for an
fficial opinion. Bishop Greer replied that
tree was quite symbolical and hat It
anne in as part Of the celebration OF the
of the Saviour when the Germans
'ere converted to Christianity.
GROJND FOR INDIANS