JERUSALEM, Dec 26, 01 (CWNews.com) - A Jewish school on Tuesday expressed regret for holding a public burning of a copy of the New Testament, saying the event was a demonstration for students against Christian proselytizing efforts.
A spokeswoman for Orot, a public school in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem, said a teacher held the outdoor book-burning for his sixth-grade class in early December, destroying a Bible a missionary gave to a pupil. "We regret that this incident occurred," spokesman Jordana Klein said. "The intentions were not to criticize Christianity, but only to tell these Jewish boys that they don't have to listen to the missionaries." Klein said Orot pupils were regularly targeted by "aggressive" Christian missionaries living in the Jewish state.
The principal of the school had been summoned by Israel's Education Ministry for a disciplinary hearing. "This is a grave matter and the ministry condemns book-burning of any kind," a spokesman said. The school later said that if a child comes to school with a Bible given to him by missionaries, officials will tell him to take it home so his parents can decide what to do with it.
Proselytizing children is a criminal offense in Israel.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
26. desember 2001