Two teachers have been fired from a Los Angeles-area charter school located in a synagogue after teaching first-graders about “the genocide in Palestine,” according to school officials.
The teachers have been removed from classrooms — but not fired — from Citizens of the World Charter School, which has classrooms at the Ari El Traditional Synagogue in the San Fernando Valley, KTLA reported.
Senior Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei told reporters at a press conference on Friday that tensions at the school first surfaced after “certain teachers” contacted the school’s principal about an Israeli flag raised around the campus following Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israel.
“I know that this is a time to bring your community together, and maybe the flag is meant for that – but do you know how long it will take to put it up?” the principal, Hye-Won Gehring, emailed Schuldenrei after teachers asked when they would be dismissed.
Citizens of the World Charter School held classes at the Ari El Traditional Synagogue.KTLA5
Schuldenfrei said he found the email offensive and likened it to asking Americans to lower the American flag after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Gehring later apologized, he said.
He later learned that the same teacher who complained about the flag had taught a “human rights” lesson to first-graders at the school – and posted it online.
“After the lesson, one of the teachers proudly shared on Instagram, and I quote, ‘LOL but I did a lesson about the genocide in Palestine today with my first graders…,’” Schuldenfrie said. “The teacher went on to boast: ‘My favorite was a kid who was like ‘What if they give the land back to Palestine and find somewhere else 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 elimination of Israel is expressing a destructive form of antisemitism, a denial of the Jewish people’s right to live in the homeland of our ancestors,” Schuldenfrie continued. “Heart emojis … are misguided punctuation, dressing hate in the guise of love.”
CWC executive director Melissa Kaplan apologized and vowed that the school would fully investigate the incident.
“CWC strongly condemns social media posts by our staff, including the use of the word “genocide” to describe Israel [response to the attack],” Kaplan said in a statement. “The CWC strongly condemns the disturbing suggestion that Jews should leave the region, and we strongly condemn any teaching that creates bias or fear among our students.”
Gehring again apologized on Friday and announced he would take two weeks off to complete sensitivity training.
The incident has traumatized the local Jewish community, Schuldenfrie said, but added it was “delightful to see Citizens of the World take this first step” and hoped it could be a “learning moment.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
