In a new legal battle, three Jewish families in Louisiana have joined a group of nine families challenging a state law that mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. The lawsuit, filed by organizations including Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, argues that the law violates the First Amendment of the Constitution.

The complaint specifically states that the law infringes on the rights of individuals by approving and prescribing one particular version of the Ten Commandments, which many people do not subscribe to. This violates the constitutional prohibition on establishing an official religion and prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

The case gains support from a precedent set by the US Supreme Court in 1980. During that ruling, the court declared a similar Kentucky state law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms as unconstitutional. However, advocates for the law see an opportunity to overturn this ruling, especially with a conservative majority on the court.

Similar bills proposing the display of the Ten Commandments in schools have recently been introduced in Texas, Utah, and Oklahoma, although none have been passed yet. In Louisiana, the Republican governor, Jeff Landry, was the first to sign such a law, stating that it reflects his values as a Catholic.

Jewish families have been at the forefront of religious liberty lawsuits against conservative state legislation. Rabbis in various states have challenged restrictions on abortion, arguing that these laws are based on Christianity and violate the principle of separating church and state.

The lawsuit argues that the version of the Ten Commandments prescribed by the Louisiana law is a Christian version and does not align with the Jewish tradition. Different Jewish denominations and Christians number the commandments differently, and the version mandated by the law omits parts of the commandments that are significant in Judaism.

The display of the Ten Commandments in public spaces has been a subject of controversy for decades. While the Ten Commandments have been donated as replicas for public institutions since the 1940s, lawsuits challenging their constitutionality have been filed. It is unclear how many of these replicas remain in place today.

The plaintiffs of the lawsuit do not view the Ten Commandments as a universal set of divine morals. They argue that the displays pressure their children to adopt the state's preferred religious doctrine and suppress their own religious backgrounds and views. They also express concern about their children being one of the few Jewish students in class and feeling pressured to suppress their Jewish identity.

In addition to these concerns, the plaintiffs oppose the law because it violates Jewish tenets that oppose proselytizing and it spells out the word "God," which goes against their religious beliefs.

The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications regarding the separation of church and state and the rights of religious minorities in public schools. As the case progresses, it will be closely watched by legal experts and advocates on both sides of the argument.