JDS kicks off PA’s first-ever Jewish Day School Week

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Jewish community members and students and teachers of the Jewish Day School gathered on the morning of May 30 to kick off Pennsylvania’s Jewish Day School Week in Pennsylvania.

Amy Golding, head of school at JDS, began by telling the audience about the day a few months ago that her fifth-grade students heard in advance about the white-nationalist National Day of Hate and its call for antisemitic action. “They were so scared that I found them in the halls crying,” she said. “When I went to meet with them, they looked down at their uniforms and asked if they should take them off out of fear of being identified as Jewish.

“While I assured them they were safe, that our campus was secure, something shifted for them and for me.” It wasn’t long after that that Schlossberg, who represents part of Lehigh County in the Pennsylvania House and whose daughter attends JDS, presented a resolution in the House to establish Jewish Day School Week.

“Pennsylvania is currently home to a historically high number of 30 Jewish day schools spread across nine coun- ties,” he said in support of the resolution. “Please join me in this effort to express appreciation and gratitude to Jewish day schools across this commonwealth and bring awareness to the role Jewish day schools play in the lives of many children and families.”

JDS fifth-graders went to the podium to introduce each of the speakers for the event. When Tuerk came up, he talked about inclusivity and the pursuit of justice.

“All of us have a role in making that happen,” he said.

“Allentown makes sure the police force knows what antisemitism is and how to fight it. We all have a responsibility to call out antisemitism for what it is when we see it.”

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, who represents parts of Lehigh and Bucks Counties, and State Sen. Nick Miller, who represents parts of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, addressed the gathering. JDS students sang “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, as well as other songs.

Beth Kushnick, director of outreach and engagement for JDS, closed the event with praise for Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, for his $25 million Stand Up to Jewish Hate initiative calling attention to antisemitism and encouraging people to respond to it. TV commercials, a social media campaign, signs, stickers and lapel pins are all part of the initiative.

Some of the items were available for the taking at the event. “Grab a pin on your way out,” Kushnick said, “and stand up to hate.”