Boston suburb residents voice anti-Semitism concerns to mayor
June 16, 2016With increased anti-Semitic activity across New England, Jewish and Israeli residents of Newton, Massachusetts, met with Mayor Setti Warren to voice their concerns regarding incidents in the town’s school system.
The forum, attended by about 150 people, was organized to discuss several acts of anti-Semitic vandalism at a Newton school that had gone unreported in late February, and to devise a plan to address the “ignorance and hate” behind the acts and “anti-Israel bias” in the local public school curriculum.
According to the New England Anti-Defamation League, there have been 61 anti-Semitic incidents in various states in New England in 2015, and 56 since the start of 2016.
Opening the conversation, Israeli American Council (IAC) co-chair Ilan Segev had a simple message for Mayor Warren regarding anti-Semitism: “Never again.”
“We are concerned here in Newton, because this is not just a single event, not just a sporadic kid spraying graffiti in a bathroom. It happens on the basketball court, it happens in the classroom, it happens everywhere,” said Segev, who accused Newton school officials of “sweeping [anti-Semitism] under the rug.”
The Jewish population in Newton is estimated at roughly 28,000, about one-third of the total population.
Mayor Warren, who was introduced by Segev as “a true friend of Israel, and a true friend of our community,” called anti-Semitism “an attack and a scourge against the Jewish people,”
Warren, who traveled to Israel three times in the past four years, spoke of the steps he has taken in response to recent anti-Jewish hate incidents.
In response to demands for “transparency” and “accountability” in the school district’s curriculum, Warren said that while he is one of nine members of the School Committee, it is the Superintendent who is responsible for the curriculum.
Similar posts
-
Timeline of the Gaza Strip Since 1906
June 3, 20241906: A line is drawn between Egypt, ruled de facto by Britain, and the rest of the Ottoman Em...
-
Israel Is Held To A Higher Standard Than Any Country
April 25, 2024In the intricate tapestry of global affairs, one nation stands out for enduring scrutiny and condem...
-
Israel Has The Most Moral Military In The World
April 10, 2024In the heart of a region often riddled with conflict, Israel stands out not only for its technologi...
-
The Resilience of the Israeli People
April 2, 2024Visitors from around the world have seen Hamas's October 7th Massacre's destruction in southern Isr...
-
Israel: Small Size, Big Impact
March 21, 2024Nestled along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is a land of immense historical sig...
-
Israelis Are Fighting For Their Lives
February 21, 2024By Jonathan S. Tobin The world looks a lot different from Kibbutz Kfar Aza than it does in the U...
-
Over 2 Million Arabs Live In Israel
January 23, 2024In the complex landscape of the Middle East, where diverse cultures and identities intersect, Israe...
-
'Fauda' Star Idan Amedi Injured Fighting in Gaza
January 8, 2024Despite the severity of his injuries, Amedi's father assured Israeli news channels that his life is...