Professor Michael Helfand, "The Case Against Yeshivas and the Future of Religious Liberty" -- Tablet Magazine

February 13, 2019 | Professor Michael A. Helfand's article, "The Case Against Yeshivas and the Future of Religious Liberty," has been published in Tablet magazine.  The article examines the ongoing battles between New York's ultra-orthodox Jewish community and the New York State Education Department over yeshiva educational standards.

Excerpt from "The Case Against Yeshivas and the Future of Religious Liberty"

Legal challenges working their way through the courts pit the deeply felt instinct to protect the welfare of children against the uniquely American devotion to protecting religious liberty that inspired the country's founding. So far, New York state has ruled to preserve the right to religious practice in areas ranging from schools to dietary laws. But that precedent is being slowly reversed in court cases and legal arguments that hinge on reinterpreting some of the constitution's foundational precepts and will have far-reaching consequences both for religious communities and broader attitudes towards the freedoms to which they're entitled.