Dec. 9, 1994
Controversy rattles Jews as creche returns to public park
Baby Jesus returned to his traditional spot in a San Jose park last weekend after a short sabbatical, calming the uproar of many Christians but leaving some Jews feeling unnerved if not a little betrayed.
The controversy occurred during the eight days of Hanukkah, a time when Jews often celebrate religious freedom.
On the weekend after Thanksgiving, the nonprofit Christmas in the Park assembled its annual winter extravaganza on city property. However, out of a new sensitivity to non-Christians, the group placed one display — the manger scene, or creche — across the street in front of St. Joseph’s Cathedral. But after caving into the howls of protest, the board returned the creche to the park on Dec. 3.
“Very honestly, I was relieved because somehow or the other, the Jewish community is perceived as having some part in” the creche’s removal, said Lil Silberstein, executive director of the Santa Clara county region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. “I just didn’t want it to continue.”
Dec. 11, 1964
School dept. renews plea for interreligious understanding
Once more we are grateful to Dr. Howard Spears, superintendent of schools, and to his human relations director, Dr. William L. Cobb, for a forthright directive to principals and teachers in San Francisco schools, aimed at avoiding tensions over Christmas observances.
The holiday period is always a delicate one for Jewish parents rightfully disturbed over the purely religious observances on classrooms, especially during the Yuletide season.
For several years, Dr. Spears has advised school authorities to carefully avoid such observances as would offend or embarrass non-Christians. This year wise words of caution again are expressed in a statement appearing in the department’s bulletin over the signature of Dr. Cobb. It reads:
“In our preparation for the Christmas season in the schools, we should follow the usual procedure by remembering that neither all our pupils nor all our staff members may be of the same religious faith. In view of this, for obvious reasons, we should continue to be selective in our presentations. Neither children nor school personnel should be required to violate their conscience because of participation or exposure to programs and displays which are sectarian to the point of making them feel embarrassingly set apart from others.”
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