Jewish leaders in Chicago stand in solidarity against mass school closings:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release date: April 15, 2013
Chicago, IL
Contact:
Miriam Grossman, Jewish Solidarity and Action for Schools
miriamlevia.grossman@gmail.com
(609) 273-4932
JEWISH COMMUNITY RALLIES AGAINST SCHOOL CLOSINGS WITH LETTER TO MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL
Jewish community members will gather on Thursday, April 18th at 4:30pm to deliver a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel that demands an end to the planned CPS school closings. Organized by the group Jewish Solidarity and Action for Schools (JSAS), the letter calls on Jews and the greater community “to show our public officials, Jewish and non-Jewish, that while CPS’s ill-conceived and destabilizing reforms put some children at risk more than others, the resistance will come from people of all ages, races, and neighborhoods.”
In this spirit the group will arrive at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office with cries of “Don’t cut down the tree of knowledge!” and “What would your Bubbie say?” There, Rabbi Brant Rosen will lead the group in prayer before the delivery of the letter.
Citing the disproportionate effect of the school closings on African American and Latino neighborhoods, the letter expresses outrage at the racism inherent in the school closings. It reads: “These discriminatory school closings fly in the face of our Jewish and human values…The proposed school closings would exacerbate inequity, particularly along lines of race and class. They would undermine the promise of our education system to be open to all of us, no matter what neighborhood we live in… Although injustice may not affect all of us equally, we all must struggle together for our liberation.” The letter is signed by over 150 Jews including important Rabbis and religious leaders from the Chicago area.
This event is part of JSAS’s ongoing participation in the movement to stop school closings, led by the Chicago Teachers’ Union and Grassroots Education Movement. JSAS formed as a place for the Jewish community to stand in solidarity and act for education justice in the city of Chicago and beyond.
Rahm Emanuel appears to be incapable of empathy and, as a fellow Jew, I am embarrassed to have him as the first Jewish mayor of my city.
Maybe “What would your Bubbie say?” will get through to the heart of this crass, overindulged man from the suburbs.
I’m glad people are not giving this a free pass. Displacing students and putting 30 to 40 kids in a class is heartless. Emanuel, Duncan, and Obama couldn’t think up a better solution?
Apparently as long as it doesn’t affect their kids and it funnels taxpayer money elsewhere, it is good enough.
Good to hear of inter-faith solidarity in this.
I bet “they” are increasingly listening to all of our protests
“they” meaning the corporate reform crowd.
We need more of this and they will crumble. Their psychology allows them to dominate others with no consideration but when they have force applied against them for real, and I do not mean physical, they cannot psychologically handle it as they are used to being the ones applying not receiving. Being a player is being able to take both sides. Do you really think they are capable of living on the side we have been on?
nice to hear this, wish more faiths would weigh in on this matter and let their congregants know what’s going on.