OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE!

Primary Election on August 4.

In Michigan, religious conflict
has pointed to the Bloomfield
Hills schools, where a long-
standing debate over Christmas
celebration could resurface.
The debate in Bloomfield Hills
schools started at the end of 1988
• when a group called Taxpayers
- Organization To Restore Cul-
tural Heritage first surfaced at
a board of education meeting.
Members of the now-defunct
TORCH, which included former
= :Gov. George Romney, asked the
board to pass a resolution advo-
, eating the celebration of Christ-
mas in the schools.
• The resolution failed, and
TORCH eventually fizzled. But
the debate hasn't gone away.
''`, The past two school board elec-
tions brought candidates who
called for prayer at school. None
of these candidates won positions
'on the board.
Views on separation of church
and state are mixed among na-
_T)tional and local Jewish leaders.
Most believe prayer belongs in
the home, synagogue or church.
"For the government to in-
- "'crude into religious practices
through organized school prayer
constitutes a clear and present
---,danger to Americans of all
faiths," said Samuel Rabinove,
national legal director of the
American Jewish Committee.
"The drive to inject religion
__into the public schools reflects a
• powerful religio-cultural back-
lash against what are perceived
to be the excesses of liberalism
;-land secular humanism," he
added.
The Jewish Community Coup-
cil of Metropolitan Detroit
preaches the dangers associat-
ed with any form of prayer in
school.
"School-age children, even
those in high school, are ex-
( tremely sensitive to group pre&
sure to conform," said JCCouncil
Vice President Howard Wallach.
"I worry that a child who choos-
es not to participate in a school-
sponsored prayer due to differing
beliefs, or a lack of religious be-
liefs, will feel left out or ostra-
cized."
Rabbi Dannel Schwartz of
'
Temple Shir Shalom recently
spoke to graduating students be-
fore commencement at Wayne
State University Medical School.
; Since he is a firm believer in sep-
aration of church and state, he
• did not mention the word God.
The Supreme Court opinion
excludes public-funded institu-
• _, tions other than K-12. Wedne-
day's ruling was limited to public
elementary and secondary
schools.
A separate series of High
Court rulings does not require
as strict a separation between
church and state at public col-
• leges and universities.
Still, Rabbi Schwartz said a
prayer at the beginning of a

—

-

-

Every U.S. citizen has a responsibility to par-
ticipate in the future of our country by voting
on August 4. Michigan will be holding a
statewide primary that day.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO TAKE PART

In order to vote in the Primary,
you must register to vote by July 7

You can register at any Secretary of State office,
county, city, or township clerk office.

* * * * * * * *

If you want more information about candidates and their
views, attend the free community wide forum at 7:00 p.m.
on July 21 at Adat Shalom Synagogue, 29901 Middlebelt
in Farmington Hills. Candidates for the 11th congressional
district, and the 39th and 40th state legislative districts, will
answer your questions about the issues facing all of us.

-

This message is presented as a public service by The Jewish News.

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

9

