Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-01-09
Jews Protest
On Religion in
Public Schools
Council Here Asks
Ban on Practices
And Observunces
BY HARRIET GRIFFITHS
Star Staff Writer

| IL OCWloIl community
Council of Greater Washing
ton has asked Washington
area school boards to prohibit
religious observances and
practices in the public schools.
Identical letters to the heads
of seven boards from council
president Richard K. Lyon re-
quested that each board:
"Promulgate a policy that
clearly prohibits the conduct
of religious holiday observances
and other religious practices
under public school auspices,
whether sectarian or non-sec-
tartan, whether on or off school
premises, and whether optional
or compulsory"
While the letter did not
specify these, a council spokes-
man said the proposed ban was
meant to include recitation of
the Lords Prayer, reading from
the Bible, "theologically-ori-
ented" decorations for holidays
and holy days, use of religious
symbols, religious baccalaureate
services and group recitation
of grace before and after meals.
The letter listed these "ad-
verse effects" of public school
religious observances and
practices: "(D Serious damage
to the educational process in
public schools; 90 major
hindrance to authentic religion
and meaningful religious edu-
cation; and 90 unconstitu-
tional violation of the tradi-
tional American principles of
separation of church and State
and of religious freedom"
Point Up Differences
The communication said
such observances Subject all
children to divisive influences,
personal embarrassment and
psychological confusion"
Children of majority re-
ligions are conditioned by such
school observances to perceive
the children of other religions
as somehow odd non-con-
formists who depart from a
dominant school imposed
norm, rather than as just
children who are fellow-Ameri-
cans in a common American
school," it said.
Upon children of minority
religions these public school
religious practices and OBJ
servances impose the cruel
choice between either isolatingt
themselves from their class
mates by non-participation, or
violating their religious con-
science and going counter to
the religious instruction of
their parents and spiritual
leaders"
Formal Education
Council enrolment surveys
show, the board chairmen were
advised, that "about IS per
cent of our Jewish children in
the Greater Washington area
receive a formal Jewish re-
ligious education in our syna-
gogue schools and other Jewish
schools"
Public schools have no bust
ness getting into the field of
religious education or indoc-
trination, the letter asserted,
charging that what these pub
lie school religious observances
and practices add up to is a
watered-down anemic, empty
kind OF rel1gloSlty.
Last month, the Supreme
Court agreed to consider the
constitutionality of the recita-
ton of a daily prayer in New
York public schools. Parents of
nine school children in New
Hyde Park have contended the
offering of prayer in schools
violates the principle Of separa-
ton of church and state.
ID. C. Rule Quoted
Generally in the Washing
ton area, the offering Of pray
ers in public schools has been
left up to individual schools,
but a rule of the District
Board of Education reads: |
Opening exercises shall in
clude the salute to the flag,
a reading from the Bible with
out note or comment, and the
Lords Prayer" School officers
say no child is compelled to
participate in such exercises
against his religious con-
victionS.
The council is a voluntary
association counting lit jew
IiSh organizations, synagogues
and institutions. Its work in
cludes the field of interfaith
and intergroup relations, the
coordination and planning of
Jewish religious education, re-
ligious television programming,
program services to adult or
CARNATIONS and community
planning and social studies.