Belarus Prosecutor Objects To Jewish Holiday Celebration In School

The European Jewish Press reported yesterday that a Jewish music teacher in Belarus has been threatened with prosecution if she again goes beyond teaching her young public school students about Jewish traditions, and instead continues to organize holiday celebrations for them. Lyudmila Izakson-Bolotovskaya, the director of Alef, was supposed to be teaching a class on Jewish culture and traditions to 12 Jewish children at Mogilev's state-run Kindergarten No. 72. She is accused of "illegal and deliberate dissemination of religious dogma to young children, which could cause considerable harm to their world view, rights and legal interests." Belarussian Public Prosecutor Sergei Kopytov said Izakson-Bolotovskaya said the teacher's conduct violates the country's 2002 Religion Law which prohibits activity by religious organizations in educational institutions. Belarus is attempting to limit religious activity to existing houses of worship. (See prior related posting.)