Day Adventists and others in safeguarding the rights of religious minorities in the matter of Sabbath observance. III. That the Committee on Church and State hereafter be so constituted as to contain a representative for each state and territory in the Union, if possible. IV. That the incoming Tract Committee be instructed to have prepared a tract on the subject, "The Separation of Church and State-A Fundamental American Principle". V. That in view of the constant efforts being made to christianize this government, the incoming Executive Board consider the advisability of having a paper prepared for the next convention on the subject, "Is this a Christian Country?" Respectfully submitted, DAVID PHILIPSON, Chairman. MOSES P. JACOBSON, MORRIS NEWFIELD, CHARLES S. LEVI, HENRY COHEN, LEON HARRISON, J. H. LANDAU, EUGENE MANNHEIMER, S. SCHWARTZ, JONAH B. WISE. The report was received and taken up seriatim. Recommendations I-V were adopted. In connection with Recommendation IV the suggestion was offered that every member of the Conference be addressed by the Committee on Church and State and be invited to report all infractions of the principle of the separation of Church and State to the Chairman of the Committee. The report was adopted as a whole. The report of the special Committee on Ethical Instruction in the Public Schools was presented by the Chairman, Rabbi Philipson. REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ETHICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS To the President and Members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis: GENTLEMEN: Your special Committee on Ethical Instruction in the Public Schools, to which were referred the various resolutions bearing upon the subject of ethical instruction in the public schools, presented at the St. Paul and Baltimore conventions, with instructions to frame a set of resolutions that shall adequately express the position of the Conference upon this important subject, begs leave to offer the following resolution for adoption by the Conference: Whereas, It is the sense of this Conference that ethics derives its ultimate sanction from religion, and Whereas, The Conference believes that the public schools should be kept free from sectarianism, Be it, therefore, Resolved, That the ethical interpretation should be stressed in all school instruction and that the ethical purpose in all school activities be kept constantly in view. Respectfully submitted, DAVID PHILIPSON, The report was received. Rabbi Wise-There can be no question that we must insist upon the exclusion of the Bible from the public school, and wherever there is danger of ethical instruction being coupled with such instruction in Bible or religion, we must insist upon its exclusion also. Yet we must never lose sight of the fact that it is a poor and negative and barren victory that we Jews enjoy in thus keeping the Bible out of the public school. There is something to be said upon the other side. Eminent authorities believe that it is possible to regard such Biblical selections as the twenty-third Psalm as the priceless possessions of English literature, which might therefore well be coupled with ethical instruction in the public school without violating the principle for which we stand. At any rate, I feel that it would be a grievous mistake to have it appear that in five minutes, or even in five days, this Conference took action protesting that there shall be no more direct moral or ethical instruction in the public school. Rabbi Kohler-In the first place, I wish to say that I regard the expression, "free from sectarianism", in the report as very injudicious. I believe that we should use the word "secular" instead of "sectarian". Many Christians who want the Bible and prayers introduced into the public schools still affirm that they are nonsectarian Christians. In other words, "nonsec tarian" does not really express the idea and purpose we have in mind. But in the second place, I wish to say that the previous speaker has touched upon the larger aspect of this problem. I have always opposed the introduction of the Bible into the public schools. Yet it can not be gainsaid that in the natural order of things school children must have ethical instruction in some form or other. The time must come, sooner or later, when the public school teachers will be able to teach ethics as divine inspiration, regardless of denominational differences, because religion itself is in man. A negative attitude on this question is not enough for us to take. I therefore feel that we are not yet in a position to adopt the resolution presented in the report now before us, but should go slowly and endeavor to give expression to something more positive. Rabbi Landman-There is a strong movement on foot in this country to teach ethics in the public school entirely without the use of the Bible and in strictly nonsectarian manner. During the past year Mr. Frederick J. Gould, of the "Moral Education League", an eminent English authority on nonsectarian moral instruction, successfully demonstrated his method of teaching morals entirely without Bible or creed. Even the strongest advocates of the introduction of the Bible into the public school claim that they urge this, not to promote Christianity, but merely to teach ethics. We are opposed only to sectarianism in the public school. For this reason alone we also oppose the reading of the Bible in the public school. But if it be really possible to teach ethics absolutely without Bible and without creed, then surely we should welcome this, and should at least go slowly and inquire into the matter carefully before taking definite action. It was moved and carried that the Executive Board be instructed to arrange for a report at the next convention of the Conference which shall deal with the subject of ethical instruction in the public school in all its aspects and shall include a study of the relation between religion and ethics. The report of the Committee on Dependents, Defectives and Delinquents, presented at the Sunday evening session of the Conference, was taken up. Recommendations I-IV were adopted. The report was adopted as a whole. The Executive Board was, by motion, given discretionary power to publish in whole or in part the proceedings of the Conference. A rising vote of thanks was extended to Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Brown for their courtesy in putting the steamer "Sappho" at the disposal of the Conference, and thus making possible the holding of this session under such unique and enjoyable conditions. The Conference adjourned to reconvene at 8:00 p. m. MONDAY EVENING. The Conference reassembled at 8:00 p. m. in the vestry of Temple Beth El. The recommendations presented by Rabbi Goldstein at the close of his round table discussion on Sunday evening were, upon motion, referred to the Committee on Social and Religious Union. It was moved and seconded that the personnel of the Commission on Social Justice shall be the same as that of the Committee on Synagog and Industrial Relations, and shall consist of ten members. Carried. The report of the Committee on Religious Work in Universities was, in the absence of the Chairman, Rabbi Berkowitz, read by the Corresponding Secretary. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS WORK IN UNIVERSITIES. To the President and Members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis: DEAR COLLEAGUES: On behalf of the Committee on Religious Work in Universities I beg leave to report that a study of our records reveals that this important subject was first brought to the attention of the Conference in a resolution presented at the Milwaukee Convention in 1896 by Drs. L. Grossmann, S. Schulman and E. G. Hirsch. Nothing was done, however until the Indianapolis session in 1906, when a Committee, of which Rabbi Dr. Louis Grossmann was Chairman, offered a report. The recommendation was then made that members of the Conference extend aid to existing literary societies and other students' organizations, to guide and assist them in attaining Jewish culture. It was further recommended that the Conference undertake the collection of data as to Jewish work being done by Jewish students at the higher institutions of learning. In 1908, a Committee, of which Rabbi M. J. Gries was Chairman, reported that efforts had been made to secure the data needed as a basis for the work of the Conference in this field of endeavor. The Committee was able to obtain information of student organizations at but five Universities, viz.: Harvard, Chicago University, University of Illinois at Champaign, University of Minnesota at St. Paul, and at Yale College. The Committee commended the steps being taken by the U. A. H. C. at that time, to interest students, and also urged the Rabbis to establish friendly social relations with Jewish students, organize study circles among them, and win their interest in Sabbath School and social settlement work, thus to foster Jewish self-respect and stimulate enthusiasm for our cause and insure Synagog attendance. In 1909 at the New York City Convention the whole subject received a further impulse through the report and recommendations made by the Committee of which Rabbi Edward N. Calisch was Chairman. To the societies previously cited were added those at Cornell, Columbia, and Ann Arbor, Mich. Work among students by local Rabbis was reported from Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, San Francisco, Providence, R. I., Philadelphia and Princeton. The practical recommendations were reenacted calling upon the Rabbis to visit, organize and address students, and wherever congregations existed at university centers to invite students to attend services. At the Baltimore Convention in 1912 the Committee, of which Dr. Calisch was Chairman, offered the fullest and most thorough presentation which the subject had received, and the Conference entered more thoroughly into the consideration and discussion of the theme. The Committee gave a far more hopeful record than any previously reported, declaring that nearly fifty percent of the members of the Conference had responded to inquiries sent out, and setting forth the conclusion that "the case of the Jewish students at the various higher institutions of learning is not as deplorable from a religious standpoint as has been generally assumed". Ten "Menorah Societies" were then reported, and also an encouraging response on the part of students to participate in social service work. The labors of the U. A. H. C. through the Synagog and School Extension Department were commended and likewise the extension work of the Hebrew Union College and the summer courses at Universities instituted by the Jewish Chautauqua Society. This discussion crystallized the distinctive duty and function of the Conference as distinguished from that of all other efforts among students. |