Skip to main content

Community Letter to BUSD Board of Education

295 Comments

S
Steve Cohn
2 years ago

Please protect our children. Jews have faced bigotry and hatred many times before in our history. Don't let it happen here!

D
Deborah Russell
2 years ago

My daughter is in preschool in Berkeley and I’m still considering whether we want to stay in Berkeley for her public school education. Your response to this concern will definitely impact our decision!

S
Steve LaMond
2 years ago

I recently read about the events at BUSD and the school board, leadership and teachers should be ashamed of themselves. The pandering and the misinformation sets Berkeley and Berkeley schools back 100 years!

B
Barukh Schwadron
2 years ago

Caring for all is a far more important lesson from a school than oppressing some to display one's values.

A
Angela Bialostozky
2 years ago

I am very concerned about these issues Please take acción

K
Kyle McCulloch
2 years ago

Every student’s sense of safety and inclusion is critical, and I hope we can demonstrate a zero tolerance policy for any behavior that demeans, degrades, or makes a student feel unsafe.

M
Maya Cantor
2 years ago

This is horrible that an organization that is supposed to keep all students safe does not do that for a minority - Jewish students. I am shocked and shaken from the thought that kids are being targeted and school looks the other way. Shame on you. Their blood and tormented soul is on your hands!

O
Oshrat Shira Yechzkia
2 years ago

We wishing blessing to all Jews around. The world

J
Jonathan L Gelbard
2 years ago

It is particularly devastating for our community to be experiencing this scary time after we have stood strong with African Americans by promoting Black Lives Matter (many of us have or had those signs in our front yard), against Trump's Muslim Ban, against Trump's deportation of immigrants and separation of migrant families, etc. And we still will do the same - because that's who we are. Now we ask that you please stand strong against anti-semitism as you would want us to do if YOU were the victim - and we would. Thank you!

I
Itamar Landau
2 years ago

Don't allow our students' education to be hijacked by radical ideologues and their anti-Israel agenda. It is not grounded in fact but in a biased view of history that denies the connection of the Jewish people to its ancestral homeland and distorts the story of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict to create a 1-dimensional narrative of oppressor and oppressed. Leave the radical agendas out of the classroom and out of the School Board. Let's focus on keeping all Berkeley students safe and well-educated.

M
Melita Silberstein
2 years ago Featured

My daughter graduated from BHS last year and was already feeling a tone of antisemitism even before this fall. I cannot believe in berkeley of all places the intolerance that is not only ignored but condoned. This needs to change NOW.

A
Anonymous
2 years ago

Jewish children should be protected from hate and hateful language the same as we try to protect all children from all groups from hate and hateful language. I’m sad that Jews as a group and Jewish culture has not been properly represented in BUSD ethnic studies, and diversity topics. Anecdotally, in kindergarten I noticed that there were books about all different ethnic groups, but none about Jews. When I tried to bring a book for the class library (cultural - not religious) the teacher accepted it, but did not put it out. I believe she did that purposefully. I am a father of 2 daughters that have gone through the Berkeley school system. I love Berkeley schools, but non-recognition of Jewish identity has been a blind spot. I should have spoken up sooner, but I am speaking up now.

E
Esther Brass- Chorin
2 years ago

BUSD cares about its students but needs to be more proactive to not allow hate speech nor hateful action. I am appalled to hear of the comments Jewish students are enduring

A
Ashley
2 years ago

This is the first time that the government has been able to get a hold of the public about the issue

A
Anonymous
2 years ago

So much have said and nothing was done I want to see you start doing your part with the Jewish community support

A
Anonymous
2 years ago

What is going on with the world? How can you stand on the side and do nothing ?!

M
michelle solano
2 years ago

Time to stand for Israel

J
Juliet Gardner
2 years ago

I am the parent of a Jewish 4th grader in a Berkeley Public School.

P
Professor Ren fiss
2 years ago

Educators should have a moral compass and ethical framework that can distinguish terrorism from "resistance." They should model complex understanding, critical thinking and deep historical knowledge of one of the most complicated regions in the world. They should refrain from following blind political ideology like lemmings. Most importantly the should refrain from engaging in and teaching hate speech and racist ideology. Teachers should not be proselytizing their own political beliefs. nor should they be teaching students to be antisemites. Clearly, there needs to be more serious education about antisemitism, the oldest forms of racism.

B
Bebe
2 years ago

The Jewish kids deserve to be next to them