Friday, October 18, 1963—THE DETROIT JEWISH NE WS- 14
Colorado, West Hartford Advised
Against Bible-Reading in Schools
DENVER (JTA)—State Attor-
ney General Duke W. Dunbar
has advised Colorado State Edu-
cation Commissioner Byron Hans-
ford that school teachers in this
state may no longer read the
Bible to their classes, and must
conform with the United States
Supreme Court's decision ban-
ning Bible reading in public
schools. The opinion was given
by the Attorney General in re-
sponse to a request for a ruling
on whether a teacher may read
any version of the Bible to public
school pupils without comment,
and whether such reading may
or may not be required by a
school board.
"Group Bible reading," Dun-
bar ruled, "and prayer, as a de-
votional exercise or ritual in
the public schools of Colorado,
may no longer be conducted,
whether or not they are per-
mitted or required by school
boards, administrators or teach-
ers, and whether or not the
pupils engage in the practices."
The Attorney General pointed
out, however, that the Supreme
Court's decision, in his opinion,
"imposes no ironclad limitations
upon the mention of God, refer-
ence to the Bible or teaching
about religion in the public
schools. Nor is there any re-
straint upon unorganized, pri-
vate or personal prayer or Bible
reading by pupils during free
moments of the day." It was also
believed that the teaching of
the Bible as literature will be
permitted.
Gov. John A. Love, it was
learned, also had been asked by
county officials to investigate
whether Bible reading would be
allowed in public schools under
certain circumstances. The Gov-
ernor replied: "I don't know
how strong my feelings are
about this. I believe the churches
of Colorado are doing a good
job of teaching religious educa-
tion—and I say this as a church
and family man."
Jewish Communities in Central America Reported Progressing
MEXICO CITY, (JTA)—
Many small Jewish communi-
ties throughout Central Ameri-
WEST HARTFORD, C o n n. ca and the Caribbean area have
(JTA)—The chairman of the made significant progress in
West Hartford Board of Educa- the last 18 months, since the
tion praised the members of his formation of the Rabbinical
board for deciding, after lengthy Union of Central America and
debate at two successive meet- the Caribbean Region, and the
ings, to ban the recitation of the simultaneous establishment of
Lord's Prayer and Bible reading the Central Conference of Jew-
in the local public schools.
ish Communities covering the
In an interview with the Con- same countries, it was report-
necticut Jewish Ledger, the ed here by. Rabbi A. M. Hersh-
board head, Willis G. Parsons, berg, president of the two or-
Jr., stated that the action was a ganizations.
"duty" imposed on the Board
The organizations, formed at
by last summer's. Supreme Court
ruling on these issues.
By a vote of 5-2, the Board
adopted the following rule: "Em-
ployees of the West Hartford
school system shall not conduct
or authorize students to conduct
prayers or other devotional ex-
Warning against the injection
ercises on school premises dur- of "anti-Semitism and smear tac-
ing school hours." Other rules tics" in forthcoming political
adopted by the board permit campaigns, the Anti-Defamation
periods of "silent meditation" League of Bnai Brith called Sen-
at the discretion of teachers or ator Barry Goldwater a probable
principals.
target for professional bigots
Parsons pointed out that some and "placard-bearing nuts."
practices were not covered by
The prognosis, based on the
the board's resolution. These whisper campaigns and overt
"peripheral" programs, he said, scurrility of past election years,
concern hymn singing, which was made by Bruce Felknor, ex-
some persons consider "cultural" ecutive director of the Fair
rather than devotional, and ob- Practices Committee.
servance of certain holidays in
Felknor said that although the
classrooms.
prospective Republican Presi-
Parsons, however, was firm dential candidate is an Episco-
on banning prayers and Bible palian, the fact that his grand-
reading. He said he believed father was Jewish "is more than
most persons would accept the enough for the anti-Semite."
board's ruling on these issues Pointing out that anti-Semites
because "the feeling is that re- are "undeterred by logic," Felk-
ligious training of children nor recalled attacks on General
should be left to church, syna- "Ike" Eisenhower in the 1952
gogue or home, rather than to campaigns because of his Jewish-
sounding nickname. He added
the schools."
that the issue of "Goldwater's
Jewishness" will bring "placard-
U.S. Nazis Jailed
bearing nuts" to San Francisco's
in Row at University
Cow Palace next July "handing
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Four- out crudely printed tracts in
teen men and a girl, all but streets and hotel lobbies, and de-
one identified by the police as facing banners and posters."
members of the American Nazi
The ADL also predicted "sly
party, were arrested when they and vicious attempts" to falsely
stirred up a row at a civil attribute anti-Semitism to men
rights panel discussion at whose public and private lives
American University here.
show no trace of it.
Goldwater Called
Probable Target
of Anti-Semites
a conference in Panama in Jan-
uary, 1962, established its reg-
ional headquarters in Mexico
City and is now planning a
second all-region conference to
be held at Bogota, Colombia
next winter. Despite the pro-
gress in the last 18 months,
however, Rabbi Hershberg de-
clared there is still a shortage
of rabbis and other Jewish ec-
clesiastical personnel. He ap-
pealed to young rabbis in the
United States and other coun-
tries to take posts in the region
to help revive and strengthen
the Jewish communities.
In Guatemala, which he visit-
ed recently, Rabbi Hershberg
reported, the three separate
communities—Sephardim, Ger-
man Jews and Polish Jews—
have united to bring a rabbi
congregation now has the serv-
ices of Rabbi S. Karelitz, for-
merly of Windsor, Canada.
Progress has also been made
in the smaller Jewish commun-
ities in the Mexican interior,
the report showed. However,
applications for rabbis, said
Rabbi Hershberg, have come
in from Surinam, Dutch Gui-
ana, the Dutch West Indies,
Curacao, Aruba, Quito, Ecua-
dor, and Tijuana, Mexico.
The report noted that there
is great interest among the
Jews in the entire region in
"The Voice of Jerusalem," a
periodical published at the cen-
tral headquarters here. The
periodical is issued in Spanish
and Yiddish here, and is trans-
lated into Hebrew in Israel.
Satisfaction was expressed in
into their area. The newly ar- the report also with the pro-
rived spiritual leader is Rabbi gress made by the Rabbinical
Hirsch Zelikovitch, formerly of Court established • here for the
Costa Rica. The Guatemalan entire region, as well as by the
community has also appointed new Central American Yeshi-
a ritual slaughterer (schochet). vah.• •
The latter will visit occasion
ally the communities of El
Salvador and Honduras. Addi-
tionally, a "kashruth bank," a
depository for kosher meats has
been established in Guatemala
City to serve the communities
in the very small Jewish set-
tlements in nearby countries.
In Colombia, Rabbi H. Goets-
man, who formerly' served a
congregation in Puerto Rico,
has arrived to take over the
spiritual leadership of the
Ashkenazic community of Bo-
gota. In Venezuela, the Jewish
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THE COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO ATTEND THE
Beth Yehudah Schools Dinner
SUNDAY EVENING
NOVEMBER 10th, 1963
t LOBO HALL
v\
Cocktails at 6:00 p.m.
Guest Speaker-
Senator
Abraham
Proceeds for mainte-
nance of complete 12
grade Day School
providing religious
Ribicoff
and general educa-
Formerly Governor of
Connecticut a n d Secre- tion for rich and poor
tary of Health, Educa- alike.
tion and Welfare.
Contributions
Guest Artist
$50 per person
Cantor
Chaim E.
FOR
RESERVATIONS
PLEASE PHONE
JUDGE
Nathan J.
Kaufman
Dinner Chairman
WE 1-0203
Herstik
World's youngest Cantor
acclaimed in New York's
Town Hall and in Mont-
real where he conducted
the High Holiday Serv-
ices.