Don't think that the ADL speaks for the majority of the Jewish community. In my view, the ADL served its purpose in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. I don't believe it is necessary at this point, and it has become so liberal that it has lost touch with where the majority of Jews are politically today.
I am Jewish and I can't figure out why the ADL thinks that school vouchers might not be good for the Jews. The ADL has become the Jewish ACLU.
I think vouchers are great for the country and will lead to superior education for all.
I'll venture a guess here... According to the relevant mentality at issue, there is some fear that some voucher funds will end up sending kids to Christian religious schools with "extreme" theological points of view. Keep in mind that some denominations entertain the idea that Jews cannot attain Heaven due to their lack of recognition of Jesus. That's guess #1. No. 2 would be a traditional uneasiness with the Catholic Church, the largest school-based denomination. There is not an anti-Jewish theological ideology active in mainstream Catholic circles, but memories die hard. No. 3 would be that, to the extent that it appears Christians will benefit, this triggers anxiety that Jews will be marginalized. This may be irrational, but that seems to be part of this mentality. That Jewish schools (and their students) would also benefit and that even Jewish students who attend non-Jewish private schools would benefit does not seem to enter the discussion. Obviously, of course, not all Jews are paralyzed by such anxieties and don't view American Christians with such suspicion.
They are probably well aware that vouchers would in fact be good for Jews. But groups like ADL, Rainbow/PUSH, et al. thrive on the problems of the groups they claim to support; things that are good for Jews are in many cases bad for the ADL, and must thus be opposed on that basis.
No, but when you ponder THEIR beliefs, and then go look at the percentage of the Jewish vote given to candidates who mirror those beliefs, and THEN you see that even in our post-9/11 world, they're content to continue in lock-step right down the same path...
"It don't take a weatherman to see the wind is blowin' the same ol' way."
I'm not Jewish, but I studied Hebrew for 10 years at a Jewish school, where I learned of the important Jewish principal that no child should be deprived of a Jewish education because of inability to pay. (This school practiced what it preached, too.) Has the ADL ever heard of this principal?
I think there was an article in the WSJ in the past month or two about the growing popularity of Jewish day schools.