Faculty petition against speaker on anti semitism

[Anonymous]

Our school recently had speakers come in to talk to the kids about Islamophobia and anti semitism. It has come to some of the parents attn at our school that a number of the faculty created a petition to protest the anti semitism speaker. We have no real context and information about it, but as a jewish parent it makes me SUPER uncomfortable and especially bc the school has not addressed it and we are all in the dark as to what the issue was and why. The speaker has no pro israel agenda, and very similar talking points to the islamophobia speaker.
Do I just let this go? wwyd?

[Anonymous]

Have you asked the administration?
Sounds like the speaker was allowed to speak so the petition wasn’t successful.

[Anonymous]

OP, there is no way to say “antisemitism is bad” without immediately being stampeded by BUT LET’S TALK INSTEAD ABOUT HOW IT’S NOT ANTISEMITIC TO BE ANTI-ZIONIST. Even if you never ever once mention the word “Israel”, I guarantee that’s where the conversation will swiftly go.

I think all we can do is hunker down and wait this terrible moment out, as Jews have ridden out so many horrible storms.

[Anonymous]

Do you actually know that this is true? Have you seen the petition? Is there a specific complaint articulated? You know better than to over-react to hearsay.

[Anonymous]

This would not be a school I’d be inclined to pay a lot of tuition for my kids to attend.

[Anonymous]

Who was the speaker? Maybe faculty are more familiar with their views and found something problematic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who was the speaker? Maybe faculty are more familiar with their views and found something problematic.

Do you give people protesting antiracism the benefit of the doubt? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who was the speaker? Maybe faculty are more familiar with their views and found something problematic.

Do you give people protesting antiracism the benefit of the doubt? Just curious.

Pardon? I'm just wondering if OP is glossing over something problematic... if this is something real and not just posted as rage bait. If it actually happened OP would have no problem naming the speaker.

[Anonymous]

Gossip drama-llamas. Don't believe everything you hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who was the speaker? Maybe faculty are more familiar with their views and found something problematic.

Do you give people protesting antiracism the benefit of the doubt? Just curious.

Pardon? I'm just wondering if OP is glossing over something problematic... if this is something real and not just posted as rage bait. If it actually happened OP would have no problem naming the speaker.

Exactly! Geez!!! Perhaps this wasn’t done in a vacuum.

[Anonymous]

It gas come to your attention, OP? How? Have you spoken directly with admin to confirm?

[Anonymous]

op - to answer some qs. I dont want to name the speaker here bc that would be identifying. I have looked into her profile - she is quite a progressive speaker on these issues. She DOES work for an org that believes Israel should exist, and has been to israel herself and written about being there during conflict so she does have some geo political background in this arena but has also spoken out publicly that having concern and sympathy for the palestinian people is absolutely not at odds with anti semitism. I'm sure there were pieces in there that some people perhaps didn't love (but hard to find a speaker on anti semitism whose job it is to do that but who does not believe in israel).

I know bc it has been widely discussed among parents and the principal has spoken about it 1:1 with some people but not addressed it on a larger level.

I obv dont have all the details which is why it's a complex and unsettling situation. I would like more details. I dont think names are necessary.

[Anonymous]

Names aren't necessary for us, op. But have you seen the faculty petition? Have you seen their complaint?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op - to answer some qs. I dont want to name the speaker here bc that would be identifying. I have looked into her profile - she is quite a progressive speaker on these issues. She DOES work for an org that believes Israel should exist, and has been to israel herself and written about being there during conflict so she does have some geo political background in this arena but has also spoken out publicly that having concern and sympathy for the palestinian people is absolutely not at odds with anti semitism. I'm sure there were pieces in there that some people perhaps didn't love (but hard to find a speaker on anti semitism whose job it is to do that but who does not believe in israel).

I know bc it has been widely discussed among parents and the principal has spoken about it 1:1 with some people but not addressed it on a larger level.

I obv dont have all the details which is why it's a complex and unsettling situation. I would like more details. I dont think names are necessary.

Why is it so complex and unsettling? People have the right to petition in a functioning democracy. And you don’t even know what, or even if they’re petitioning at this point. It seems premature to come on to this forum and cast suspicion or accusation on teachers who may have valid conscientious rationale for their beliefs, which it sounds like they may be addressing through appropriate channels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Names aren't necessary for us, op. But have you seen the faculty petition? Have you seen their complaint?

sorry i meant WE dont need to see the names of the faculty but we DO want to see the petition. I'm not sure who has seen it or how we know it exists, but the administration is not denying it so assume someone did see it.