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October 15, 1999/5 Cheshvan 5760, Vol. 52, No. 7
Local Jewish schools may reap increased donations
CHRIS GARIFO
Staff Writer
Local Jewish day schools expect to reap the benefits of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision not to hear a challenge of an Arizona Supreme Court ruling that upheld a law allowing state residents up to a $500 tax credit for donations to groups that offer scholarships to students attending private schools, including religious ones.
Chabad Tuition Organization Inc. has already experienced an upsurge in donations since the court's Oct. 4 decision, said Lynne Wellish, special projects director for Phoenix Preparatory High School, whose students receive scholarships from the organization.
"Now that the law's been upheld, we expect to see more donations," Wellish said on Wednesday, Oct. 13.
Wellish said that while school officials were pleased by the court's action, or in this case inaction, they weren't surprised, since the credit "was upheld two times before" by Arizona courts.
The 1997 law establishing the credit had been challenged on the grounds that it violated the principle of the separation of church and state, as well as the Arizona Constitution's prohibition against spending public money on "any religious worship, exercise or instruction," but Arizona courts rejected those arguments.
Under the law, up to $500 can be deducted from the amount a taxpayer owes the state in a given year, for money donated to an authorized organization that provides scholarships to students attending private schools.
Rabbi Harris Cooperman, Phoenix Hebrew Academy principal, said on Wednesday, Oct. 13, that donations to the Cheder Scholarship Organization, which provides scholarships for the school and the Tucson Hebrew Academy, have been coming in "pretty steadily."
Cooperman said he expects an upsurge in donations due to increased awareness of the tax credit and its benefits to students, the schools and individual taxpayers.
"The future of this thing, once it becomes more public and people understand its benefits, is that more people are going to jump on board," Cooperman predicted.
Cooperman said he was pleased with the court's decision "because it removed any type of legal hurdle that might challenge this, and we felt that it was something that would encourage more people to become aware of it."
Fred Zeidman, assistant executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, said that prior to the court's decision there had been some concern over the future of the Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund - a joint venture involving the federation, the King David School, the Solel Pardes School, the Tri-City Jewish Community Center Day School and the proposed Jewish Community High School - but the court now "pretty much cleared the path" for the fund, which began its fund-raising campaign a couple of weeks ago. Zeidman said he was not ready to announce any numbers yet, but the fund had received "a good response."
Marc Lieberman, local Anti-Defamation League board president, said the ADL did not support the Supreme Court challenge because "we felt it was a sure loser."
"We were content to lose at the Arizona Supreme Court because we felt, at least nationally, it wouldn't give (other states) the green light to move forward," Lieberman said. "At this time, (the U.S. Supreme Court's action) might have been the best thing. I'm just sorry the issue was brought to their attention."
Arizona Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Eleanor Eisenberg said she was disappointed by the high court's decision and "we are considering our options." A representative of the Arizona Education Association, which spearheaded the lawsuit, had a similar response.
Mary Kay Haviland, AEA director of government relations, said supporters of the tax credit would be wrong to construe the court's decision as approval of the credit.
"All they did was not hear the case," Haviland said.
Haviland added that supporters of school vouchers - such as presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has proposed a three-year demonstration school voucher program for economically disadvantaged children - may see the court's decision "as a positive step and may push harder. ... We'll just have to wait and see what happens."
Staff members in McCain's Senate office and with his presidential campaign were unavailable for comment.
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