Religion textbook canned after Jewish ‘myths’ found
A RELIGIOUS studies textbook has been pulled from shelves in NSW, after serious issues were raised about the content of a chapter on Judaism.
NAOMI LEVIN
A RELIGIOUS studies textbook has been pulled from shelves in New South Wales, after serious issues were raised about the content of a chapter on Judaism.
The book, Cambridge Studies of Religion Stage 6, published recently by Cambridge University Press, has been immediately withdrawn from sale, according to the publisher’s executive director, Mark O’Neil.
“Cambridge University Press has recognised the concerns that have been expressed about interpretations within the book, and in response will seek the advice of an independent expert in Judaism,” O’Neil said.
“We will make a decision on whether to reissue the book following this additional review process. We are treating these concerns with the utmost seriousness.”
Complaints were raised initially by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD), after a teacher at a prominent NSW Jewish school alerted the JBD to the book’s content.
The textbook, which has already been distributed to around 5000 HSC students, claims Jewish people spread the blood of lambs on doorposts on Pesach, blames modern conflicts on “reactions of other groups to the Jewish people”, and says polygamy is “commonly practised” in Israel. It also brushes over the Holocaust and contains a number of factual mistakes.
JBD CEO Vic Alhadeff expressed his concerns to one of the book’s authors and indicated that some parts of the chapter on Judaism could potentially form the basis for a legal claim of racial vilification in NSW.
“Some of the statements could perpetuate myths and inaccurate stereotypes about Judaism and the Jewish people and fuel anti-Semitism,” Alhadeff said.
After the publisher announced its intention to pull the book pending an investigation, Alhadeff offered JBD’s assistance to rewrite the chapter on Judaism.
“We applaud the publishers for their responsible approach to this issue and for recognising that the continued sale of this textbook was untenable, given the extent and severity of the problems within it,” he said.
A religious studies teacher at one of Melbourne’s Jewish schools said he was not aware of any similar cases in Victoria.
He said the curriculum differs in the two states and religious studies in Victoria is less structured than in NSW. This results in many Jewish schools producing and relying on their own material, rather than published textbooks.
Earlier report
Race-hate text book in NSW schools