50 signatures reached
To: Lower Merion School Board directors
LMSD- Teach Antisemitism Responsibly
Dear Kerry Sautner and LMSD Board members,
We are deeply troubled by the Lower Merion School Board’s plan to partner with the Weitzman Organization and the Anti Defamation League for antisemitism training. Both organizations rely on the highly controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism which infamously conflates antisemitism with antizionism and is opposed by advocacy groups from across the ideological spectrum from Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group, to the ACLU, to SPLC Action Fund- an affiliate of the Southern Poverty Law Center, to PEN America, a nonprofit organization that defends free expression, not to mention Jewish groups like Bend the Arc, T’ruah, the Nexus Leadership Project — a coalition of academics and activists, and even explicitly pro-Israel groups like Americans for Peace Now and J Street. This widespread condemnation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism stems from concerns that its overly broad language equates protected academic freedom and political expression with antisemitism.*
Disseminating an antisemitism curriculum in our district that is based on the IHRA definition would not only be legally dubious, it would send a highly problematic message to our children that some aspects of history should not be taught, some questions should not be posed, and some discussion topics should be silenced. This is in stark contrast to the values the board seeks to uphold. We urge the board to reconsider these partnerships, and at a minimum allow a discussion on antisemitism to be informed by experts in the field with diverse political and ideological backgrounds.
Thank you.
Disseminating an antisemitism curriculum in our district that is based on the IHRA definition would not only be legally dubious, it would send a highly problematic message to our children that some aspects of history should not be taught, some questions should not be posed, and some discussion topics should be silenced. This is in stark contrast to the values the board seeks to uphold. We urge the board to reconsider these partnerships, and at a minimum allow a discussion on antisemitism to be informed by experts in the field with diverse political and ideological backgrounds.
Thank you.
Why is this important?
Don't let a politically motivated special interest group chill academic freedom and expression in our schools in the interest of promoting Israel's image among our students. The Lower Merion school board announced at a 12/3/24 school board meeting that they have unilaterally decided to partner with the Weitzman Organization and the Anti Defamation League on their antisemitism training initiative. Both groups rely on the highly controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Association definition of antisemitism, which infamously conflates antisemitism with protected political speech that is critical of Israel. Do we want our kids to be punished if they ask the question, "Is Israel's nation state law which codifies a legal system of Jewish supremacy consistent with democratic values"? Should language used by a consensus of international human rights and legal experts including terms like "apartheid, occupation, and genocide" be prohibited when talking about Israel in school? Should a child be suspended for saying "free Palestine"? Join me in voicing our concern that allowing Weitzman and the ADL to shape our district's curriculum will have just such a repressive effect and is inconsistent with our values.