Two teachers have been expelled from a Los Angeles-area charter school housed in a synagogue after giving a lesson to first graders about the “genocide in Palestine,” according to school officials.
Teachers were kicked out of classrooms, but not fired, at the Citizens of the World Charter School, which has classrooms at the Adat Ari El synagogue in the San Fernando Valley, KTLA reported.
Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei told reporters at a news conference Friday that tensions at the school first arose after “certain teachers” contacted the school’s principal about Israeli flags being raised on campus following the surprise attack. of Hamas on October 7 against Israel.
“I know this is the time to keep your community close, and maybe the flags are intended for that, but do you know how long they will be up?” Principal Hye-Won Gehring emailed Schuldenrei after teachers asked when they would be removed.
Citizens of the World Charter School holds classes at Adat Ari El Synagogue.KTLA5
Schuldenfrei said he found the email offensive and compared it to asking Americans to remove American flags after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Gehring later apologized, he said.
She later learned that the same teachers who complained about the flags had taught a “human rights” lesson to first graders at the school and had posted information about it online.
“After the lesson, one of the teachers proudly shared on Instagram, and I quote, ‘LOL, but today I gave a lesson about the genocide in Palestine with my first graders…’” Schuldenfrie said. “The teacher continued to boast: ‘My favorite was a boy who said, ‘What if they gave the land back to Palestine and found another place to live?’
The teacher added a heart emoji at the end of the post, he added.
One of the teachers allegedly bragged about the lesson on social media. Dmitry Pistrov – stock.adobe.com
“The world needs to know that anyone who calls for the eradication of Israel is expressing a pernicious form of anti-Semitism, a denial of the right of Jews to live in our ancestral homeland,” Schuldenfrie continued. “The heart emoji… is a perverse punctuation, disguising hate under the guise of love.”
CWC Executive Director Melissa Kaplan apologized and promised the school would fully investigate the incident.
“CWC unequivocally condemns the posts by our staff members on social media, including the use of the word “genocide” to describe the situation in Israel. [response to the attack]”Kaplan said in a statement. “CWC unequivocally condemns the disturbing suggestion that Jews should leave the region, and we unequivocally condemn any lesson that creates prejudice or fear among our students.”
Gehring apologized again on Friday and announced that he would be taking a two-week leave of absence to complete his sensitivity training.
The incident has been traumatizing for the local Jewish community, Schuldenfrie said, but added that it is “encouraging to see Citizens of the World take these first steps” and he hoped this could be a “teaching moment.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn