Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israeli civilians that killed 1,200, Jewish students in American schools and universities have endured an upsurge in antisemitism.
Colleges and universities, including Penn and Swarthmore, saw pro-Palestinian encampments and marches. Protesters called for boycotts of Jewish-owned businesses. Incidents occurred in some area school districts, as well.
Lower Merion School District parents formed a group to fight back: the Lower Merion School District Jewish Families Association. And one of those parents, Deena Pack, is now running as a Republican for a seat on the school board.
At a February meeting, Pack spoke out about how her son was beaten up and bullied several times by other students for wearing a yarmulke, and the inadequate response of school officials. In response, Pack and her husband sent their son to a private school.
Antisemitism has also become an issue in the election for control of the school board, which features four endorsed Democrats, including two incumbents. Three Republicans and an Independent are challenging them.
In an unusual move, Rabbi Neil Cooper, the rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in Wynnewood, wrote a letter asking Lower Merion residents to consider more than their party affiliation when voting for the school board on Tuesday, and to think instead about Jewish children and the environment they face in LMSD schools.
“Over the past couple of years, we have seen a dramatic rise in instances of Jewish students feeling uncomfortable, unsupported, unprotected, and even afraid within the halls of some Lower Merion public schools,” Cooper wrote. “I have personally attended School Board meetings to express my concern over anti-Israel messaging, which has been, if not endorsed, then certainly tolerated, in our schools. I have heard numerous other stories of instances and confrontations that have occurred in elementary, middle schools, and in Lower Merion High School, in which Jewish students have been blamed and/or held accountable for Israeli actions during its War in Gaza.”
“There have been few, if any, negative repercussions for those who have confronted, defamed or attacked Jewish students,” the rabbi wrote. “The overarching mantra of tolerance for all views has been applied liberally to anti-Israel messages and quite narrowly to Jewish sensitivities. Moreover, members of the School Board, some of whom are running for reelection next week, have been among the most vocal and strident voices of condemnation of Israel, of belittling Jewish sensibilities and dismissing the concerns of our community.”
“Unfortunately, the School Board, as currently constituted, does not have the best interests of all of our Jewish students and the Jewish community at heart. If the current slate is elected, I fear that those who feel it appropriate to attack students based on ethnic or religious identity will have been endorsed,” Cooper wrote.
“Please consider your Jewish priorities in addition to your party of affiliation,” Cooper added.
Dani Shaw, a LMSD parent and co-founder of Lower Merion School District Jewish Families Association (LMJFA), said, “We are extremely grateful to Rabbi Cooper for using his voice, as an emeritus free agent. Rabbi Cooper makes no endorsements and maintains political neutrality. While many of our active leaders fail to speak out during a time of Jew hatred rising in Lower Merion township, Rabbi Cooper penned a letter with deep moral clarity, emphasizing the Jewish community’s responsibility to our own children.”
“Rabbi Neil Cooper articulates what many Jewish families in Lower Merion have experienced, where antisemitism has often been minimized or ignored,” she added.
Gerri Richmond, who has grandchildren in the district, wrote her own rabbi to encourage him to speak out about the ongoing antisemitism that Jewish children face.
“The Holocaust, the pogroms, the Oct 7 war, the murders of a young couple in Washington D.C., the Holocaust survivor killed in Colorado, the horrific antisemitic protests all over the U.S. have shown us vividly and repeatedly, over and over again, that Jews must rise to the occasion. We are alone,” Richmond wrote.
“Thus, I thank Rabbi Cooper for his remarks, for encouraging us to make decisions that protect our people. If not for us, who will be for us? This is not an easy time. We are on fire,” Richmond wrote.
The four Democrats in the race — Anna Shurak, Kerry Sautner, Jen Rivera, and Juanita Kerber — issued a statement in response:
“We understand that these are tense and painful times, and we take concerns about antisemitism in our schools seriously. The challenges we are facing in Lower Merion are not unique — communities across the country are struggling with division and fear, and we are addressing them through education, training, and clear policies, including programs developed with the Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History, the ADL, the JCRC, and the Dialogue Institute.”
“That work is ongoing and real. But addressing hate through accusations of hate will not move our community forward. Our role as School Board Directors is to confront bias through facts, education, and dialogue, not political attacks.”
“Our slate includes members of different faiths and interfaith families, including Jewish families. We live here, we send our children to these schools, and we are committed to keeping our district safe, inclusive, and strong.”
“We are running because local government, especially public education, is under attack from Republicans and forces outside our community. Lower Merion has already seen major leadership turnover, and our focus is on maintaining stability, trust, and the high standards that our students and families deserve.”
“We will continue to listen, act, and lead with integrity, not fear.”
Linda Stein is a Philadelphia area journalist.