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from page 37
because the system doesn't work in
our best interest."
Throughout the ages, Jews have
considered the loss of our Torah her-
itage to be even more severe than the
loss of life. Similarly, American sol-
diers, throughout the years, have sac-
rificed their lives, so that we may
enjoy the freedoms we now have.
School choice is both a civil right and
a core religious issue that affects our
very existence as Jews. Unfortunately,
it is a right that has fallen by the way-
side through the '60s, '70s, '80s and
'90s.
This is why the forthcoming elec-
tions in November is so crucial. As
is well known, the major power bro-
kers of the Democratic Party are the
teachers' unions, whose members
comprised the greatest single block
of votes at the Democratic conven-
tion. These unions are strongly
opposed to inviting any competition
to the public system, and will not
allow school choice. With the
Democrats in power, school choice
can only be a pipe dream, while the
Republican Party has placed school
choice in its platform.
Mayor Schundler puts it very sim-
ply when he says, "We believe parents
possess a human right — a human
right which the just government is
bound to respect — to be able to
direct the moral education of their
children."
Now it is up to us to make democ-
racy work for the common good of all
our citizens. ❑
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from page 37
Significantly, the primary funding for
Proposal 1 has come from the Grand
Rapids-based DeVos [Amway co-found-
ing] family, which has contributed more
than $1 million, and the Catholic
Church, which has given $740,000
since last January. Is it a mere coinci-
dence that the Catholic Church has
announced major construction plans for
many new schools in anticipation of
Proposal 1 becoming law? We think
not.
What is obvious, however, is that a
second system of schools will cost tax-
payers more than they are paying.
Furthermore, vouchers will subsidize
private and religious schools that are
not required to: report on curriculum,
finances or student performance; open
the door to government intervention
in religious schools; or guarantee
admission to every child, since those
schools can pick and choose who to
admit on the basis of race, religion,
ability or income.
The most dangerous parts of Pro-
posal 1 are buried in the confusing
and misleading ballot language,
designed to appear as an innocuous
educational reform. For example, Pro-
posal 1 includes an unnecessary
requirement for testing all teachers,
even though Michigan teachers are
already tested for initial certification
and must be re-certified every five
years. In fact, nothing in Proposal 1 is
explained very well.
Urban Uncertainty
But the biggest deception by vouch-
er supporters is their insistence that
Proposal 1 will somehow help chil-
dren in urban districts, who current-
ly attend the most under-funded
schools. Since transportation and
guaranteed admission are not part of
the proposal, will children in urban
districts have any real choice? More-
over, what will happen to students
who are not picked by a private
school or who choose to stay in
their neighborhood schools?
The organizations comprising the
JCAV do the daily work of ensuring
Jewish continuity: caring about
those most in need, preserving
democratic ideals that include civil
rights for all, and providing the
best-quality educational choices for
future generations.
Proposal 1 flies in the face of
what Judaism teaches. Though some
in our community falsely believe
that a voucher system will ensure
continuity, Rabbi Michael
Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom
put it best, "The real source of Jew-
ish continuity is in Jewish homes,
with Jewish families who provide
their children with sound values, the
love of Jewish traditions and the
desire to improve our world."
The real intent of Proposal 1 is to
have public taxpayers' money direct-
ly subsidize private and religious
schools. With fewer than 2,500 Jew-
ish students in day schools, Jewish
tax dollars will primarily be funding
Christian schools if Proposal 1
becomes law. This will hurt not just
our Jewish children, but also all
other children; therefore, we urge a
vote of "No" on Proposal 1 this
November.
❑