Three Village schools to make curriculum, programming changes to address antisemitism in the classroom
Rabbi Aaron Benson, of the North Shore Jewish Center, advocated for not only curriculum changes, but also a zero tolerance policy for antisemitism.
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Community members attended a Three Village school board meeting Wednesday armed with questions about recent antisemitic incidents in the district and what will be done to correct this behavior.
This comes after the Superintendent Kevin Scanlon sent a letter to the community on Friday about recent antisemitic incidents, calling them more than isolated.
Jennifer Goldschmidt, of East Setauket, says she’s trying to figure out how to explain what happened to her children in the district.
"I'm very happy it's being addressed, but I want to see them actually take action,” she said.
During Wednesday night’s meeting, Scanlon said the incident happened at a "middle" level school.
He said it did not involve acts of violence or threats, but says it involved speech, sensitive acts or remarks.
Scanlon went on to say the district has plans to update its curriculum and ramp up ongoing staff training.
"Try to educate them and teach them that what they're saying is actually hurtful and what they're saying is wrong, and why it's wrong, and where does it stem from," said Goldschmidt.
Rabbi Aaron Benson, of the North Shore Jewish Center, advocated for not only curriculum changes, but also a zero tolerance policy for antisemitism.
"The effort needs to be put into a policy that ensures that no such comments would be made,” he said.
Administration officials acknowledged this is an ongoing effort to address these issues.
Rabbi Joshua Gray, of Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, expressed optimism after hearing the district’s moves to address this behavior.
"I feel confident that this will be an environment that tackles hatred in whatever form it shows itself in,” he said.
The superintendent says a Holocaust survivor will meet with Ward Melville 10th graders next month.
The administration says it has spoken with a Westchester County Holocaust center and the Anti-Defamation League.
