The Phoenix Jewish news., 1960-07-29
A Tale of Two Schools

rhis editorial originally broadcast radio % station 5
KBUZ Sherwood r. Gordon and is pub
ished herew with his permission.
Several weeks ago. as some of listeners will re-
call we broadcast an editorial critcizng West Phoenix
HIGH School and leaders of it's PTA. Our criticism
directed at plans being made by the parents Tor grad
uationnght party to be held at Comeback Inn Tor the
seniors The point of the whole thing that Camel
back Inn maintains policy of discrimination toward
certain racial and religious mnOtles during its regular
win te r season. For purposes of the commencement
party however, the inn willing to accept jewish
students and any other mnorltes that might be repre-
sented in the West High graduating class But tins
would be concessiOn-the same KIND OF concession
which the friendly management of Camelback as 1t
chooses to call itself makes when it accommodates con-
ventions during the slack off-season months.
We called it moral issue We said West High should
not give public sanction to this kind of bgotry But the
parents group sponsoring the party did not see 1t as
moral issue. Nor, presume, did the faculty Nor ap-
parenty, did the majority OF the students, al
though in fairness recall that certain student lead
ers shared feeling and the principal expressed his
personal objection to the party at Camelback
All this recapitulaton by way to prelude to some
thing would like to report to you now For sequel
to the West High-Camelback Inn incident has to
our attention. and think provides an interesting
contrast At another high school in the valley the ques
ton of whether not to hold party at Camelback Inn
came up at about time. The group involved was
a music group and the teacher in charge knew nothing
about Camelbacks discriminatory policies until two OF
were Jews They didn't object to the party at Camel
back. They just said that in good conscience, ~
couldn't go the party because they did not want to be
accepted sufferance at place which would not ac-
cept them on their own merits
The teacher thereupon announced to the whole group
that 'we are not welcome at Cameback." He didn't
say that 1.-TWO of members not welcome He
said eve are not welcome" And he put it to vote.
Should they go to Comeback for their party should
mt they? The vote against going to Cameback.
One of the parents then went to work and arranged
for the party to be held at another resort which does
not discriminate, and the party was duly held.
We're not going to disclose the of the school or
of the music teacher involved in this incident He and
his students not advised ahead Of time that
going to tell about it. They didn't do what they
did for glory and this little tribute probably would
embarraSs them.
But think the contrast with what happened at
West High is pretty obvious At West High there
no parental faculty guidance in behalf of what
right. Indeed the PTA leaders themselves blind
to what right They said they moral issue in
it. Small wonder then that the majority of the students
failed the moral issue But at the other school
there adult guidance. teacher faced up to the
moral issue spelled it out for his students and the
youngsters did the right thing. 1t proved something
we've long felt to be true Given the chance given d
rection good example and sound leadership, young
sters usually will do the right thing.