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.
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�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.�