New York, NY, June 13, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today joined with more than a dozen national Jewish agencies in expressing "profound hurt" over a revised Presbyterian Church (USA) statement on "Vigilance against anti-Jewish ideas and bias," saying the revised text "is infused with the very bias that the original statement condemned."

The revised document replaces one released by the PCUSA only last month that offered significant improvements in Presbyterian-Jewish relations.  It was released in advance of the biennial 2008 Presbyterian Church General Assembly, which opens June 21 in San Jose, California.  The assembly will debate resolutions dealing with its policies towards Israel, among other issues.

"We are deeply distressed by the revisions made to the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s recent statement," said the statement from Jewish organizations.  "The revised statement is infused with the very bias that the original statement condemned."

"We are disappointed that after taking steps toward better relations, the church has rescinded many of the positive statements it made about rooting out anti-Jewish invective.  It is even more disturbing that this occurs after Jewish groups had warmly welcomed the original statement, and only days before the church's upcoming biennial."

The statement is co-signed by the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, B'nai B'rith International, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Hadassah, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, The Rabbinical Assembly, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Union for Reform Judaism, Women's League for Conservative Judaism and Women of Reform Judaism.