Is being a Jew a matter of bloodline or religious practice? The UK’s new Supreme Court is debating the subject this week, in a case that could have a wider impact on faith schools
There is a fascinating and profound appeals court case happening, centering on the issue of how you define someones religion. This case is specifically about the Jewish community in regard to school admission policy, but potentially has a far reaching application into all faith schools.
Times:-
Today it would seem that the entire British Jewish community is in the Supreme Court. To be precise, the United Synagogue (the mainstream Orthodox body), the Board of Deputies (the representative body of the Jewish community), a North West London comprehensive school, JFS and the representatives of a child known as ‘M’. Not to mention the Equality & Human Rights Commission, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families and the British Humanist Association. All are involved in an appeal to be heard over three days by no less than nine Supreme Court Judges. It would appear to be a big deal and, in a sense, it is.
This case began originally because a Chief Rabbi turned down a child of a believing, practicing Jewish family, for admission into a Jewish school, because the Chief Rabbi did not accept the child’s Jewish status as the mother isn’t biologically Jewish, but practices Judaism.
In this instance the crux of the issue is whether religion is based on descent or conversion. Another issue is how do you define faith and how do you prove that you are sufficiently ‘religious’ for a faith school to accept your child’s admission.
I personally know of Vicars that suddenly see an influx of new families into church, around a certain time of the year and after a short period they are handed the school admissions form, for them to sign that the child is appropriately ‘religious’!
Good luck with this one Supreme Court! Rather you than me!
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October 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
It is bad enough that we brain wash our children into a religion at school and even worse that it is funded by the state, in Britain but this is racial test is of another order. Reminds me of a scene out of the TV series ‘Heimat’, when Paul has to trawl through his family history to prove his Aryan lineage to get into NAZI Germany!
If, being a Jew is a matter of race then obviously it is a racist religion and the state should have absolutely nothing to do the with the funding of Jewish schools.