The ongoing debate concerning religion in the public schools is revived nearly every December. However, a recent discussion in Castro Valley overlooked Christmas parties and decorations entirely and homed in on the issues of books, proselytization and the relationship between the Parent-Teacher Association and the school.
Twice a year the PTA of Independent Elementary, a public school in Castro Valley, sponsors a book fair to raise money for its library. At the request of a few parents, last fall’s fair included some new additions — books about Christmas and Christian morals, provided by vendor Scholastic Book Fairs.
The PTA is debating their inclusion in future fairs. Joining the discussion is the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Greater East Bay.
“Obviously there are people who want more religion in the schools,” said Riva Gambert, associate director of the JCRC. “I won’t say it’s an agenda, but they want their children to more fully experience religion in the classrooms. They don’t see the difficulties or problems that arise when that occurs.”
Independent Elementary’s principal Robin Olivier pulled the religious books from the fall book sale for one day, until she received legal advice from the Castro Valley Unified School District.
Since that time, the attorneys have advised that because the fair is sponsored by the PTA rather than the school, the inclusion of religious books does not violate church-state separation.
Meanwhile, the PTA is developing a plan to include greater representation of more religions and cultures in future sales. But a number of parents don’t want any sectarian books included in the fair.
“Personally, I’m against bringing in other religious books,” said Leonard Levin, a Jewish parent of two boys at Independent Elementary.
Levin visited Scholastic to review the religious books included in the fair. The company maintains two book-fair lists — one for religious schools and one for public schools. Public schools may request religious texts, as the Castro Valley school’s PTA has done.
The books “are not about Christmas,” Levin said. “They’re about life, moral situations that segue into what Christ taught.
“There are similar books about Jewish theology and what the Torah teaches. I don’t want these books in the fair either. Just keep them all out.”
Levin said he is in favor of including cultural and historic books in the fair, and books about comparative religion. But “when you get into belief systems, I’m against it.”
Gambert added: “There are many books that deal with values that are appropriate. There are books for middle-school students about the Holocaust. And there are books about family and [generic] values like sharing for the elementary schools.”
Meanwhile, Levin contends the debate is a civil rights issue and “if there is no legal basis to keep these books out of the schools, there are other routes to be considered.”
Levin has spoken to the state PTA about decertifying the Castro Valley branch. He has discussed holding alternative book fairs with different vendors. He has even considered working with the Alameda County public library to set up Jewish studies collections in its branches.
“I think the best way to handle this situation is to improve the understanding” between groups, Levin said.
Gambert agreed.
“This is not so much an example of prejudice as it is a lack of understanding of how kids can be made to feel they are on the periphery. Situations like this are mostly about a lack of knowledge or sensitivity rather than malice,” she said.
The questions raised by the book fair “create a situation for a community to look at itself and better assess the emotional needs of its children,” Gambert said. “It’s also an opportunity for people to be aware that there is an organized Jewish community that offers help and guidance.”
The JCRC has asked to be a resource for future book sales. It has also offered to do joint programming and teacher training in the district.
Independent’s principal Olivier “was receptive to meeting with the Jewish community,” Gambert said.
Discussions will continue after winter break.