Scholastic Library Publishing has informed Agudath Israel of America that it will change what the Orthodox organization called a “deeply misleading” passage in a school textbook published under Scholastic’s “Children’s Press” imprint.  The passage had been called to Agudath Israel’s attention by an alert librarian at “Chevy’s Library” in Brooklyn’s Bais Yaakov Academy, Mrs. Adena Katz.

Referring to the state of Israel, the text, “Enchantment of the World” (second series), includes the following statement: “But some ultra-Orthodox Jews want to limit the definition of who actually qualifies [for automatic citizenship as a Jew, under the country’s Law of Return”].  They believe that Reform and Conservative Jews are not really Jews at all because they are not strict in their observance of all the religious laws.”

In a straightforward letter to Scholastic, Agudath Israel director of public affairs Rabbi Avi Shafran characterized the contention that Orthodox Jews reject other Jews’ Jewishness because of their less-strict level, or even complete lack, of observance as “utterly untrue.”

“This, I am sure you realize, is no minor matter,” Rabbi Shafran wrote. “Texts like ‘Enchantment of the World’ are not only expected to be accurate but help mold attitudes in young minds.  The assertion that Orthodox Jews somehow question the Jewishness of other Jews is both false and prejudicial.  And so I hope you will take immediate steps to rectify the situation. “

Scholastic researched the issue and conceded that the sentences in question were indeed misleading, and offered an amended paragraph for Agudath Israel’s approval, which it received.

Scholastic’s Vice President for Corporate Communications, Kyle Good, explained that, although the publisher had relied on “a high-ranking member of American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprises” for the original formulation, Scholastic would reprint the book using the new version of the passage, which made clear that only non-halachic conversion, not lack of observance, is the subject of the “Law of Return” controversy.
 
“Our process for reprinting will include destroying the current inventory of books,” Ms. Good wrote Agudath Israel, “working with our customer service team to answer questions from customers who have already purchased the book, and replacing their current copies when the new reprints are available… in April.”

Rabbi Shafran expressed appreciation for what he called “Scholastic’s laudable willingness to admit an error” and expressed the hope that “the too long-lived canard of Orthodox rejection of other Jews will one day soon be laid permanently to rest.”