New Jewish Day School Promises Not To Celebrate Israel Independence Day
Plus: a reassuring read from PCE inflation
A new Jewish day school is targeting parents who want their children to know what Israel Independence Day is but don’t want them to celebrate it.
The school is promising to “de-center the modern nation-state of Israel from Jewish identity-building” while avoiding “ethnonationalism.”
The school also says it will teach about antisemitism in a way that situates it “within the context of white supremacy, capitalism, and all forms of systemic injustice.”
It also commits to “creating a learning environment that inspires our students to become informed and invested change-makers for collective liberation.”
A promotional website for the school says students “will learn about” Israel Independence Day and “other Zionist Israeli holidays, including how they are understood by Israelis and Palestinians, how we understand them as a justice-driven community that stands against colonialism and nationalism, why our school will not celebrate them.”
The school appears to be the first of its kind. It is almost certain to attract widespread attention—both condemnation from those who see it as a betrayal of Israel in the midst of a war of self-defense against radical Islamist terrorists, and praise from those eager to seize upon any sign that American Jews are abandoning Israel.
Here are the full details about where and when the school is opening, who is involved in funding it, and what I think about it:
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