"These cases too often turn into the sons of light versus the sons of darkness," said Mark Stern, a lawyer fo the American Jewish Congress (AJC).

Mr. Stern was referring to the so-called "Satan Suit," in which three Pound Ridge families sued the Bedford Central School District alleging that some of its classes and activities regarding respect for the. earth and foreign cultures amount to an unconstitutional endorsement of foreign religions.

Mr. Stern, who is ail Orthodox Jew, filed a brief in support of the three Roman Catholic families oil behalf of the AJC in the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York last week. He said that the core of the controversy revolved around the fine line between learning about foreign cultures and religions and doing thing's in accordance with them that might violate one's. own religious beliefs.

"The school district would never force a child to dissect a frog in biology class if he or she was uncomfortable with doing that," he said . "Yet they refused to excuse the children involved in this case from participating in ceremonies and exercises that they found objectionable for religious reasons."

Bruce Dennis, Bedford schools superintendent, said that what was permissible in the schools in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding would be determined by the appellate court. "Mr. Stern wasn't in the classroom. I am perfectly happy to have the judge decide," Dr. Dennis said. .

"We're not trying to inculcate foreign religions or practices. We’re, just trying to make the subject matter interesting - and not just a boring recitation of facts or a droning pedagogical exercise," Dr. Dennis said.

Mr. Stern acknowledged that Dr. Dennis had chastised him after the court arguments last week, reportedly saying that Dr. Dennis was embarrassed as a Jew that the AJC would support an attack on academic freedom.

"He thought that we were defending the toleration of ignorance and supporting a retreat into insularity. We're not for retreating into the ghetto and disparaging other religions," Mr. Stern said. "We believe in encouraging the study of other religions and cultures."

"But we don't believe that the schools have the right to shove tolerance down people's throats by making children do things that they are not comfortable with doing," he said.

The three objections raised to Bedford Central's curriculum that have so far been upheld by a federal court, involve the sale and use of "worry dolls," the making of likenesses of a Hindu god by fourth graders and Earth Day ceremonies at Fox Lane High School that seemed too much like religious rituals.

The school district's attorney, Warren Richmond, stated that if the exercises were considered in their context, it would be clear that the school district was not trying to promote or endorse any religion. He characterized the district's efforts as "just good academics in a mullticultural society."

Mr. Stern said that Jewish law specifically forbids the making of images of foreign gods. He suggested that fourth graders for whom that exercise was objectionable should have been allowed to make something else in the Indian culture other than the god Ganesha.

He criticized Bedford Central for not following the president's guidelines on religion that have been endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the People for the American Way, the National Council of Churches, the National Evangelical Society and other religious organizations.

"Instead of seeing the parents' objections as trying to impose their own religious dogma, the school district should have just compromised," Mr. Stern said, before saying that attorneys for both sides may have helped to cause the impasse.

A decision by the appellate court is expected this summer.