Local Response to the Election

The definition of the cultural mainstream changed forever when our country elected its first African-American president. It’s broader and more inclusive than ever before, and that’s a very good thing for the Jewish community. For the last century, Jews sought success in American life by concealing our ethnic differences. We are now discovering that in order to thrive as a community, we must celebrate our uniqueness and affirm what makes us distinctive. In a country that values every color of the rainbow and affirms each creed, Jewish pride is just one more addition to a rainbow whose appearance has been long overdue.

Rabbi Allen Selis
Head of School
The Solomon Schechter Day School of St. Louis

Dare to Be Different – A Response to Parkway

Last night (Oct. 28), Solomon Schechter Day School of St. Louis partnered with B’nai Amoona and Shaare Shalom religious schools in offering a program to support diversity and promote strong Jewish identity among Jewish Middle School students in St. Louis. Nearly 100 students and 45 parents attended this workshop, which included adult and student activities.

The program, Dare to be Different, offered children a glimpse into the various kinds of discrimination that other groups have experienced in American history, including the reality of anti-Semitism.

The program began as students broke into small groups to explore the experiences of several different minorities, including incidents of prejudice or intolerance that they have faced. Many students were surprised to learn that classified advertisements for employment in the 1860s sometimes declared “No Irish Need Apply” or that Chinese immigrants faced violent attacks in Los Angeles and Tacoma.

The reality of anti-Semitism in America was brought home by video clips from the 1947 film “Gentleman’s Agreement” as well as more recent photos of graffiti left on Jewish community sites.

The program closed with a brief set of exercises to empower children and offer them concrete ways of responding to discrimination of any kind.

While the student program took place, adults broke into a parent forum, led by Rabbi Allen Selis, headmaster of the Solomon Schechter Day School.

At the parent forum, Rabbi Selis praised the Parkway administration for responding promptly and effectively to the “Hit a Jew” incident, with support from the St. Louis office of the Anti Defamation League. Parents expressed a strong desire to see the community more coordinated in supporting diversity in the schools, a stance that St. Louis ADL Director Karen Aroesty praised.

Rabbi Mark Fasman of Congregation Shaare Zedek affirmed the community’s desire to build and strengthen our children’s Jewish identities as a way of enabling our next generation to be more secure and better equipped to engage their peers in an increasingly diverse world.

Following the program, Rabbi Selis praised Michael Raileanu of Shaare Shalom and Jennifer Newfeld of B’nai Amoona for their creativity and openness to working in partnership. “In moments like this, our entire community must stand together. I’m so pleased we have the leadership to make that happen.”

Rabbi Allen Selis - Head of School
The Solomon Schechter Day School of St. Louis

We’re All Victims

Rabbi Allen Selis, Head of School
The Solomon Schechter Day School of St. Louis

I asked a difficult question at the end of my third-period Rabbinics class at Solomon Schechter today (Oct. 23, 2008). “How many of you heard the news?” and “What should we do about it?” In response to the first question, every student but one raised their hands to say, “Yes, we heard about ‘hit a Jew day’ at Parkway.”

I was stunned—not just about how fast my students had learned what had happened, but how much detail they had. Some had younger friends at Parkway. Others described which subgroup had started the idea for this unofficial prank in the midst of Parkway’s spirit week...how it got out of hand…and who they knew that it might impact.

In response to “What should we do about it?” there were no hands raised. My students were confused, angry and wholly unsure about what to make of this incident, or how to respond. One of my most thoughtful students came up to me, upset at the suggestion that our entire middle school would gather to discuss the matter. “We’ve talked about anti-Semitism before. Again? Why?” My answer to her is the same answer that I offer our entire community. We need desperately to speak about this incident.

Here is why.

While the victims of harassment at Parkway West Middle School were identified and in some cases bullied for being Jews, I don’t see this as an affront to Jews alone. I view this as an attack on community, an attack on diversity…but at the same time, an important opportunity for us to learn a critical lesson.

If you are an adolescent, the most frightening message of “hit a Jew day” is that it’s not safe – or okay -- to be different from your peers. We live at a time and in a culture that celebrates individuality, but just as often punishes dissenters. Our kids feel pressure to look alike, to sound alike and to act alike. How else could such a senseless and offensive act of intimidation take place?

We, as Jews, are not the only ones in this society who proudly claim the right to be different, and to express our difference with pride. We are joined by people from many diverse backgrounds who insist that you may be a respected member of your school and community as a Muslim, as an immigrant from another country, as a person of color or a person whose sexual orientation is different from others. We celebrate the richness that those differences add to our society. And yet, difference still inspires both fear and a relentless, irrational need to make outsiders of those whose voices, whose faith, whose skin color is unique. This week was an attack on all of those potential outsiders—not just the small percentage of students who are Jewish.

Part of the journey from childhood to maturity involves learning to focus on the needs of others more than just ourselves. This includes a commitment to hear different points of view and to appreciate people whose beliefs, whose lifestyles and whose deepest values might be different from our own.

Children…schools…even entire communities…face the challenge of learning this lesson. They succeed when courageous leaders defend the right to be different. When individuals model this acceptance and respect in their own conduct. And when our public institutions are held accountable to such high standards.

On behalf of every child in St. Louis who deserves the right to be different, it’s time for us all to talk about the real victims of “hit a Jew day,” because they are all of us.

Rabbi Allen Selis, Head of School
The Solomon Schechter Day School of St. Louis