Our Jewish tradition teaches that faith should be a matter of בְּחִירָה חָפשִׁית (bechirah chofshit, free choice). The Jewish experience of being strangers, both in the land of Egypt and in strange lands throughout our history, compels us to work for the freedom of all to practice their faith without government influence.
Amidst several efforts to undermine Church-State separation in public schools, the Ohio legislature is currently considering a bill to allow chaplains to serve as school counselors without obtaining the necessary training or certification. Installing chaplains in public schools threatens students’ religious freedom and is not a viable solution to addressing the need for increased mental health resources.
We can act on our values of religious freedom by respecting Ohio students of faiths: tell your state legislator to oppose HB 531 today.
Background
HB 531 would allow chaplains as to provide support, services, and programs for students. It also would mandate that all local school districts vote on whether to allow chaplains.
Allowing chaplains to provide mental health care without licensure risks significant harm to student well-being. School counselors and other support staff must complete professional training and certification to ensure that they can implement school counseling and other programs to deliver services that support students’ academic, career, social, and emotional development. By contrast, chaplains are trained as religious leaders to provide religious services and spiritual care and do not necessarily possess this same academic and professional training.
Installing chaplains in public schools also violates students’ and families’ religious freedom. Chaplains may engage in proselytization, and students may feel pressured to meet with chaplains whose religious beliefs conflict with their own. School chaplain bills will create unsafe environments for many students, especially religious minorities – including Jews – and LGBTQ+ students who historically face discrimination on the basis of religion. Public school students deserve to learn in secular environment free from religious coercion, but school chaplain bills endanger this right.
All students—regardless of their religion—have the right to receive services free from religious proselytization. Urge your state lawmakers to oppose bills that install chaplains in public schools.
Jewish Values
Our Jewish tradition teaches that faith should be a matter of בְּחִירָה חָפשִׁית (bechirah chofshit, free choice). The Jewish historical experience as “strangers in a strange land,” often suffering from persecution as a religious minority, informs our support for a separation of religion and state in the United States. The First Amendment made the United States the refuge of choice for Jews and others throughout the world when faced with persecution and oppression in countries without equivalent guarantees. American Jews have enjoyed the constitutionally-protected freedom to exercise religion and to organize communal lives under equal protection of the law. As members of a religious minority whose history is so dominated by oppression, we are especially sensitive to any effort to weaken the safeguards of pluralism and minority expression.
For more information
Visit the RAC-OH website, or contact RAC-OH Organizer Jacob Kraus-Preminger.
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