Jewish Community Relations Council, Boston, Massachusetts |
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Tensions ONE CMP THE sanest voices that cornea to us in the field of inter-group relations is very often that of Rabbi /\rthur Gilbert of the Anti-Defamation Leeague. Recently we received" a copy of a speech delivered by the Raboi in Detroit at a Church-State seminar and it seemed to us especially impressive. Rabbi Gilbert expressed the view that the present negative and legalistic approach to the role of "eligior. in American life was creating new tensions rather thon '.asing those already existing Tins is an extreme!v good point. Thai fact is >..«'. SiMttf pt-opit who themselv**- have ve-r*- «rtro«K *^H|dous <-!wrotii'">t>K find U-irrr.JKjJves taking positions that seem anti-religious on the school question, or the Christmas creche, or released time, a posture that does not in fact reflect their personal religious concerns. Aa a result, these who take the opposite 'josi- tion then denounce their etforta as one more concession to secularism, to the decline in spiritual values and moral strength. This situation ia a familiar one and, although Rabbi Gilbert applied it to his own people. Catholics can recogni7*e it in their own history. Thus, for example, a * generation and more ago when the American public school was essentially and in fact a Protpstjuit s<*liool, Catholics protested against, the religious flavor of these schools which they considered offensive to tho religious commitments of their children. They managed in fact to sec- ulariZA the schools and remove religion from education. .Surely this was against their own hask principlea. but the social ■itu:. tion forced them into it. To -ompen- s.i." in s.ime measure Catholics then built t*wn own parochial schools, bu; even now, despite considerable efforts, the public schools remain largely seeuletr In climate. The present attitude against re- lea*.^ time in some portions of the community ha* -loi'iething of the same effect. Unless they get religious training - some religious training -- m released time classes many children in our country will g.'t none at al). Those then who oppose it, put themselves in the unha.ipy posture of seeming to support secularism or evot* anti-religion. To be sure, then* are not to motivated .is Catholics were not so motivated i< gt-.-er^'ion igo but th., (.-..i.r.elU.;'.,, itJii'P-se-i-.-. K'iii ;:.oi.- .'. Kem so. What to do about ail of this? Perhaps the Catholics in times passed should have sought not to remove religion but to give it a wider representation by including religion for Catholics and others as w<*l] as Protestants. If this had been possible the secularist nature <~>f much public school eduoation. where it exists, might have been eliminated. For the Jews in our time, the same kind of choice must be made. Instead of removing released time, since it is Constitutional, an effort to understand through friendly communication the total community picture will ease tensions all around. Something like this Rabbi Gilbert wisely suggests. We have always maintained, in these! column.*' and elsewhere, that the social | factors in community relations were j vastly more irritating than the theological ones. No one has t-ver said thru1 pluralism was eoso to live bv; it has very special problems of its owr.. Rut we must be prcjiaved to f«<<* :hem boldly ...id wisely. The irer.ic suggestions of Rabbi; Gilbert, however, can be a helpful ^*nde' for ai! of us. P.LPT t)£C. I'(
Object Description
Collection Name | Jewish Community Relations Council, Boston, Massachusetts |
Collection Number | I-123 |
Dates | 1960; 1961; 1962; 1963; 1964; 1965 |
Box Number | 175 |
Folder Number | 06 |
Subjects |
Antisemitism Civil Rights Social Justice World War II |
Rights | User has an obligation to determine copyright or other use restrictions prior to publication or distribution. Please contact the archives at reference@ajhsboston.org or 617-226-1245 for more information. |
Source | American Jewish Historical Society-New England Archives, New England Historic Genealogical Society |
Description
Collection Name | Jewish Community Relations Council, Boston, Massachusetts |
Collection Number | I-123 |
Dates | 1960; 1961; 1962; 1963; 1964; 1965 |
Box Number | 175 |
Folder Number | 06 |
Subjects |
Antisemitism Civil Rights Social Justice World War II |
Description |
Activities Rabbis and Rabbinical Organizations Gilbert, Arthur |
Rights | User has an obligation to determine copyright or other use restrictions prior to publication or distribution. Please contact the archives at reference@ajhsboston.org or 617-226-1245 for more information. |
Transcript | Tensions ONE CMP THE sanest voices that cornea to us in the field of inter-group relations is very often that of Rabbi /\rthur Gilbert of the Anti-Defamation Leeague. Recently we received" a copy of a speech delivered by the Raboi in Detroit at a Church-State seminar and it seemed to us especially impressive. Rabbi Gilbert expressed the view that the present negative and legalistic approach to the role of "eligior. in American life was creating new tensions rather thon '.asing those already existing Tins is an extreme!v good point. Thai fact is >..«'. SiMttf pt-opit who themselv**- have ve-r*- «rtro«K *^H|dous <-!wrotii'">t>K find U-irrr.JKjJves taking positions that seem anti-religious on the school question, or the Christmas creche, or released time, a posture that does not in fact reflect their personal religious concerns. Aa a result, these who take the opposite 'josi- tion then denounce their etforta as one more concession to secularism, to the decline in spiritual values and moral strength. This situation ia a familiar one and, although Rabbi Gilbert applied it to his own people. Catholics can recogni7*e it in their own history. Thus, for example, a * generation and more ago when the American public school was essentially and in fact a Protpstjuit s<*liool, Catholics protested against, the religious flavor of these schools which they considered offensive to tho religious commitments of their children. They managed in fact to sec- ulariZA the schools and remove religion from education. .Surely this was against their own hask principlea. but the social ■itu:. tion forced them into it. To -ompen- s.i." in s.ime measure Catholics then built t*wn own parochial schools, bu; even now, despite considerable efforts, the public schools remain largely seeuletr In climate. The present attitude against re- lea*.^ time in some portions of the community ha* -loi'iething of the same effect. Unless they get religious training - some religious training -- m released time classes many children in our country will g.'t none at al). Those then who oppose it, put themselves in the unha.ipy posture of seeming to support secularism or evot* anti-religion. To be sure, then* are not to motivated .is Catholics were not so motivated i< gt-.-er^'ion igo but th., (.-..i.r.elU.;'.,, itJii'P-se-i-.-. K'iii ;:.oi.- .'. Kem so. What to do about ail of this? Perhaps the Catholics in times passed should have sought not to remove religion but to give it a wider representation by including religion for Catholics and others as w<*l] as Protestants. If this had been possible the secularist nature <~>f much public school eduoation. where it exists, might have been eliminated. For the Jews in our time, the same kind of choice must be made. Instead of removing released time, since it is Constitutional, an effort to understand through friendly communication the total community picture will ease tensions all around. Something like this Rabbi Gilbert wisely suggests. We have always maintained, in these! column.*' and elsewhere, that the social | factors in community relations were j vastly more irritating than the theological ones. No one has t-ver said thru1 pluralism was eoso to live bv; it has very special problems of its owr.. Rut we must be prcjiaved to f«<<* :hem boldly ...id wisely. The irer.ic suggestions of Rabbi; Gilbert, however, can be a helpful ^*nde' for ai! of us. P.LPT t)£C. I'( |
Source | American Jewish Historical Society-New England Archives, New England Historic Genealogical Society |
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