FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ORTHODOX UNION APPLAUDS WHITE HOUSE FAITH-BASED SUMMIT

Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA) – the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – applauded the Bush Administration’s convening of a special summit on inner-city children and faith-based schools.

During President Bush’s 2008 State of the Union Address, the President announced his intent to convene a White House summit to highlight the lack of educational options for low-income urban students and the necessity to preserve educational alternatives. This summit fulfills the President’s commitment to addressing the many benefits of faith-based schools by bringing together educators, clergy, philanthropists, and business leaders. This summit’s positive perspective on faith-based schools serves to highlight the integral role that faith-based schools play within communities while addressing the continued needs and required public policy solutions.

Nathan J. Diament, director of public policy for the UOJCA and an attendee of the summit stated:

We welcome President Bush’s decision to make faith-based schools a continued part of his agenda. In the last year of the Bush Administration, he continues to recognize how crucial faith-based institutions are to the public good. This summit, which focuses on the role faith-based education positively serves the community, is an appropriate addition to the President’s positive legacy on faith-based providers.

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