With fall around the corner, two important beginnings are upon us – the start of the school year and the season of reflection that accompanies the High Holidays. We also find ourselves approaching the 3rd anniversary of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks. The convergence of these events leads us to write today to share our reflections after three years working with Saint Louis Park schools to ensure Jewish students are seen and supported.
When October 7 occurred, we were placed in the unique position of representing Jewish families with the school district. Feeling incredibly raw after October 7, we engaged the high school and district leadership in a series of conversations illustrating the impact that terrorism overseas has on our local Jewish community and our students. Those initial conversations turned into ongoing conversations. That first year can best be described as challenging, heartbreaking and eye-opening, laying bare the very different presence antisemitism has in our kids’ lives compared to our own at that age. The additional chatter in the community, often focused on unverified information and heavily reliant on rumor, also made the situation very difficult. Things have quieted greatly and we persevere, continuing with the slow, hard work of building trust and partnership.
With the support of the JCRC, we have met frequently over the last few years to share how Jewish students and families are experiencing life in the district. Our conversations centered around two guiding principles: preventing harm and ensuring that SLP remains a home for Jewish students. We could see across the country how Jewish spaces were contracting – we were not going to let that happen here. While these conversations have not always been easy, we have always felt that the district engaged in these conversations as good faith partners. They have worked with us wholeheartedly and have been open to listening, understanding, connecting and acting. The ongoing relationship building, the time and effort to enlighten and explain, that’s the work that brings us forward in our joint goal of ensuring Jewish students in SLP feel seen, supported and heard.
In August, we continued our journey with the SLP schools team in perhaps the most in-depth manner yet. On Friday, Aug. 14, more than 40 of the district’s senior leaders, including administrators, principals and assistant principals, spent a morning learning about Jewish history and practice (the district hopes this will be the first of many invitations to communities to share at future leader sessions). Holly Brod Farber, Director of Judaism and Israel Education at the JCRC, shared how St. Louis Park came to be the center of Jewish life in Minnesota, and walked district leaders through several important topics including Jewish practice, the Holocaust, rise of antisemitism but also the “joy” (not just the “oy”) that is part of being Jewish. Three SLP parents followed with a panel on what daily school life actually looks and feels like for a Jewish family. Afterward, a good number of those leaders joined us at Beth El Synagogue for lunch in the chapel and a tour of the sanctuary with Rabbi Alexander Davis.
There was something deeply and profoundly moving in the moment where Rabbi Davis explained our heritage to these curious leaders and opened the holy ark to show them the Torah scrolls. The weight of the past 3 years and the memory of when we first began connecting with the district combined into a powerful wave of pride and emotion.
Rabbi Davis ended the tour by blowing the shofar for the gathered leaders. A call to our continued action, partnership and building the community we want and deserve. Our world and our schools are not perfect, but standing there that Friday, it hit home how far we have come and how much we can accomplish when we work together. Shana tova.
This article would be much improved if the authors identified themselves and provided a little personal background. Roni Falck and Ben Schein passively state that they “were placed in the unique position of representing Jewish families” — at least tell the reader who placed you. Falck and Schein may be famous, but this reader has no idea who they are or what work they do.
Thanks to Roni and Ben and everyone at JCRC for this slow and steady work. My last kid was finishing up at Park during those years and it was heartbreaking to see how unfriendly that school culture had become to Jewish students. (My husband and I are both Park grads). I hope that Park will be a space where Jewish students can safely engage and thrive in the future. Yasher Koach.
Thank you to Roni F., Ben S., and the entire JCRC MinnDak team for this important work.