At the invitation of a Middle Eastern student club, Omar Alshogre, a Syrian refugee, was set to speak Monday at Harriton High School about his imprisonment by the Assad regime. <\/p>\n
But rather than an evening event open to the public, as the club had previously advertised, Alshogre\u2019s talk was moved to lunchtime. Attendance was limited to Harriton students, according to parents.<\/p>\n
Lower Merion<\/a> School District officials did not respond to questions about the shifted plans, but parents say Harriton\u2019s principal directed the changes after fielding complaints that Alshogre had expressed anti-Israel and antisemitic views.<\/p>\n The episode \u2014 along with a recent student-organized conference that parents say featured speakers affiliated with pro-Palestinian groups \u2014 fueled renewed protest from Jewish parents in Lower Merion<\/a>, who have been accusing the district of failing to adequately address antisemitism. Other parent critics said the district had bowed to pressure from Jewish parents in modifying Alshogre\u2019s talk and are accusing the district of limiting free speech.<\/p>\n Calling the events \u201ca continuation of a troubling pattern,\u201d parent Kim Lipetz told the Lower Merion school board at a meeting Monday that the district had \u201ca concerning tolerance for antisemitism.\u201d<\/p>\n Dafna Ofer told the board that Alshogre \u2014 invited to speak by Harriton\u2019s MENASA club for Middle Eastern students \u2014 had \u201copenly and publicly expressed anti-Israel and antisemitic views,\u201d and that \u201cJewish parents and students raised urgent concerns, but our voices were ignored.\u201d <\/p>\n She also said the district had \u201cconveniently omitted\u201d biographical details about speakers at an April 22 Students Advocating for Greater Equality (SAGE) conference<\/a> titled \u201cResistance 101,\u201d including that Lower Merion alumni who participated in a panel discussion were affiliated with the groups Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is growing mistrust between the Jewish community and administration and board,\u201d Ofer said.<\/p>\n In a statement provided by a district spokesperson, Superintendent Frank Ranelli declined to respond to specific questions about the events. But he said they \u201calign with the district\u2019s strategic plan pathway of Student-Driven Schools<\/a> and with District Policy 235<\/a>” recognizing public school students\u2019 constitutional right to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n \u201cThe policy further states, \u2018The board respects the right of its students to express themselves in word or symbol,\u2019\u201d Ranelli said.<\/p>\n He did not address how or whether the district had initially approved Alshogre to speak, who decided to change the terms of his appearance, and who was ultimately allowed to attend the speech.<\/p>\n A Muslim parent in the district said Harriton\u2019s principal had directed the MENASA club to remove a flier advertising the event after fielding complaints from Jewish parents. The principal also dictated that the event be switched to the school\u2019s Lunch and Learn period, rather than in the evening, she said.<\/p>\n The parent, who requested anonymity to avoid repercussions for her child, called the district\u2019s actions a form of \u201cviewpoint discrimination.\u201d She said that she was not sure what Alshogre was accused of saying that was antisemitic, but that he was invited by MENASA \u201csolely to speak about his lived experience as a prisoner of the Assad regime and his criticisms of that regime.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lower Merion Jewish Families Association said Alshogre had previously made statements \u201caccusing Israel of genocide and voicing support for campus protests many in our community view as hostile and exclusionary.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWhile we were told he would not speak on Israel or Gaza, the broader issue is that his presence signals a climate in which Jewish students may feel unsafe, targeted, or marginalized,\u201d the association said in a statement to The Inquirer.<\/p>\n The JFA also objected to the \u201cResistance 101\u2033 event, where a speaker \u201cwho was told not to speak about her affiliation\u201d with Jewish Voice for Peace \u201cdid in fact let the students know her role and about her protesting practices.\u201d<\/p>\n Some Jewish parents expressed frustration that in response to concerns about Alshogre, Harriton\u2019s principal initially restricted attendance to student club members. Then \u2014 after objections to closing it off \u2014 he said all Harriton students could attend, according to parents.<\/p>\n Rather than addressing parents\u2019 concerns, the district \u201csent the awful message that there are Jewish parents who don\u2019t want his story told,\u201d parent Lisa Prosnitz told the school board.<\/p>\n Prosnitz said that the district needs to teach better \u201ccritical thinking,\u201d and that students should understand why having a representative of Students for Justice in Palestine speak at a conference \u201cis a problem.\u201d She said that while the government of Israel\u2019s actions are one matter, \u201cthe existence of Israel has no right to be questioned.\u201d<\/p>\n Ongoing tensions over antisemitism<\/p>\n