A response from Rabbi Glasner which appeared in the CALIFORNIA JEWISH PRESS--AN INDEPENDENT PAPER Los Angeles, February 1, 1967
"It is most deplorable that the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation-Council of Greater Loa Angeles and the Board of Rabbis chose to embark upon a policy which infringes upon the equal rights of a segment of our Jewish community.
This has been evidenced by the recent statement of January 13, 1967, in which the CRC and the Jewish Federation Council and the Board of Rabbis state their position concerning the Released Time Religious Instruction Program with particular emphasis that only they can speak for the "Organized Jewish Community."
It continues: "A little better than a year ago, Rabbi Levy , advised Father Hugh Clear, Chairman of the Los Angeles Interfaith Committee on Released Time Religious Instruction, that: "We have been under the impression that this matter has been settled insofar as the organized Jewish community is concerned. since we have gone on record many times opposing participation in the Released Time project of the public schools system in Los Angeles."
The position taken by the CRC and the Board of Rabbis is tantamount to a denial of the equal rights guaranteed to all under the Constitution of the United States.
"In our opinion this is a serious development In our free society when an organization makes the attempt to regiment the thinking of the Jewish community and to say that we are the only ones who have the right to speak for the Jewish community and no others can raise their voice because they differ and are different."
We believe that it is time to remind the CRC of the Jewish Federation-Council and the Board of Rabbis that the position they are taking Is alien to the American and Jewish way of life.
It might be well to refresh our memories as to the words of Thomas Jefferson: "That the minority possess their equal right which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression."
It seems to be a paradoxical phenomena that those who constantly speak for civil rights are violating the rights of the minority within the minority and say we are the masters of the Jewish community and consequently Released Time, for example, is out.
The Jewish Federation-Council tries to conceal their untenable position by referring to bigness and numbers of organizations that they represent. We are not arguing the point of their bigness, but we just want to remind them that their bigness can not discourage the minority in pursuing those goals which we believe are right and just. On the other hand, we don't expect them to abandon the objectives which they believe to be right and just.
We take exception to the statement made by the Community Relations Committee and the Bureau of Jewish Education that they will continue to provide Jewish education throughout Greater Los Angeles.
The fact is that neither the Board of Rabbis nor the Bureau of Jewish Education or the CRC for the Jewish Federation-Council was able to provide Jewish education for the 80 children who were enrolled in the Released Time Program in the Laurel School and in other districts.
Too many children hove been forgotten and abandoned by the Board of Rabbis and the Jewish Federation-Council to justify their opposition against the Released Time Religious Instruction Program.