NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City’s Department of Education was guilty of “religious discrimination” by scheduling multiple public forums on Friday night, according to a claim by a Jewish parental leader.
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As a result of the poor scheduling, religious Jews were shut out of important gatherings and interviews of candidates running for crucial positions.
On Friday evening, the DOE held four town halls with candidates competing for school superintendent in Brooklyn and Queens, as well as Zoom calls with two parents running for a seat on a mayoral advisory board.
“I am appalled that some parents are expected to violate their religious beliefs to be part of the town halls or be excluded from the process,” Effi Zakry, a representative of Queens parents, wrote in a message to schools Chancellor David Banks.
The DOE ignored pleas to avoid the religious conflict, Zakry said, adding that the conflict was brought to the attention of department heads multiple times.
“But no one at the DOE bothered to show such respect to the Jewish community. Both Brooklyn and Queens happen to have the largest observant Jewish populations in NYC.”
The DOE did not apologize, and said the schedule was arranged by parents in charge of the Community Education Councils.
“The DOE did not apologize, and said the schedule was arranged by parents in charge of the Community Education Councils”
that should read “The DOE did not apologize, and said the schedule was arranged by ANTI-SEMITES in charge of the Community Education Councils
Lawsuit. only way to teach a lesson
This is the department that will oversee curriculum, staffing and other vital educational issues if the new regulations are to come into effect? I truly hope everyone has signed letters and petitions in opposition- it is painfully obvious that our needs are not paramount in their planning.
Just keep on voting for Democrats & keep a low profile. It’s really been working out well. Let’s see what the Agudah recommends.
Its not just this issue. The DOE now employees a “frum” women to turn down frum kids who need services. They are evil antisemites
Oh and I felt we elected all our Representatives that promised that they would get our jobs done
No one in the frum community sends their kids to public school . Friday night or Shabbos day is probably more convenient for the public school parents
Misleading and disingenuous.
Most Orthodox Jews don’t utilize the public school system. Furthermore there’s nothing that prevents Orthodox Jews from sending a proxy / representative for those meetings that occur on shabbos or Yom Tov. This is an attempt to stick to the DOE , because they went grant equivalence to many of the religious subjects . Gemara doesn’t (and shouldn’t) count as math. Just like Gym and art history don’t count as math .
Sadly , for years the Askanim have push the Jewish community to support the same people who seem indifferent to the needs of our community.