A Florida-based group that hopes to offer a tax-payer funded Jewish virtual charter school for Oklahoma students has pushed back at criticism from two organizations representing a broad swath of Jewish Oklahomans.
The Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation is moving ahead with its application to the Statewide Charter School Board, despite concerns made public in recent weeks from the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City and Jewish Federation of Greater Tulsa. The organizations represent Jewish communities in the state’s two largest metropolitan areas.
“Sometimes, institutions that see potential new competitors will attempt to keep those competitors out of the market for educational providers,” Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney for Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School, said in a recent statement.
“And while the Jewish Federation is entitled to its own opinions, it does not speak for all Jews.”
Baxter said Peter Deutsch, a representative of the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation, has spoken with many Jewish individuals “who share his vision for a more vibrant Jewish community in Oklahoma, supported by the quality education that Ben Gamla provides.”
The Mizel Jewish Community Day School in Tulsa celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025.
More: Oklahoma Jewish groups speak out against proposed charter school
In addition, Baxter said Deutsch “is confident that many non-Jews will also want to take advantage of this exceptional educational opportunity.”
Joe Roberts, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Tulsa pushed back on Baxter’s assertions.
“It is correct that no single institution can claim to speak for all Jews, as our community is diverse like any other, but what Ben Gamla is missing is it is not just one institution,” Roberts said in a statement.
“In fact, roughly 85% of Oklahoma’s Jewish institutions have gone on record expressing serious concerns around this action. But, let’s be crystal clear: an out-of-state organization should not be allowed to define what Oklahoma’s Jewish community needs without actual engagement with our community.”
In a previous interview with The Oklahoman, Roberts said his organization and Tulsa area Jewish houses of worship had not been contacted by the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation before the group submitted an application with the Statewide Charter School Board, and that concerned them.
He said Tulsa area Jewish leaders were also shocked that the Florida-based group’s application appeared to be based on the assumption that there was a lack of Jewish educational opportunities in Oklahoma when the Mizel Jewish Community Day School offers Jewish education for kindergarten through fifth grade on the Jewish Federation of Greater Tulsa’s campus.
Joe Roberts
The Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City declined to comment on Baxter’s remarks, with leaders saying the organization’s previous statement declaring its opposition of any religious charter school still stands. The organization urged the Statewide Charter School Board to reject any religious-sponsored charter school.
“The U.S. and Oklahoma constitutions clearly state that the government must not favor any religion,” the organization said in its initial statement. “This principle does not constrain religious people or organizations. In fact, it is key to allowing all Americans to worship and practice their faith as they choose. State funding of religious charter schools would be an attack on this separation.”
The Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation’s proposal to use taxpayer funds for the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School is similar to plans by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to open St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School using taxpayer funding.
Though the Statewide Charter School Board approved the application for St. Isidore in 2023, the proposal was ruled unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where a 4-4 ruling of the nation’s highest court halted efforts to open the school.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Group supporting Jewish charter school in OK pushes back against critics