The United States Supreme Court yesterday refused to rule on a Massachusetts state law barring adoptions involving children and foster parents of different religions.
The court refused to consider a ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Court turning down a plea from a Jewish couple, Rouben and Sylvia Goldman, who wanted to adopt a set of twins born to a Catholic mother. The mother had consented to the adoption and had agreed that the children should be raised in the Jewish faith. The Massachusetts courts held that the mother’s consent was irrelevant and the state supreme court ruled that the Massachusetts law barring such adoptions did not violate the Federal Constitution.
The Goldman couple was joined in its legal fight by the American Jewish Congress. The argument presented by Leo Pfeffer, attorney for the Goldmans, was that the Massachusetts law violated the First Amendment to the Federal Constitution, which protects the free exercise of religion.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
