New York City officials will ask public school superintendents to work with their local principals and faith leaders to help develop cultural understanding plans amid an alarming rise in hateful rhetoric in some areas. educational, in the face of the terrible war conflict in the Middle East.
It was clarified that the objective of these conversations will not be to promote any religion or point of view.
New York City is home to the largest population of Jews outside of Israel and one of the largest Muslim communities in the country.
“While students have the right to peacefully protest, many of the images and videos we have seen at educational institutions have been marred by threatening language, including dangerous slogans and chants that demonstrate a lack of cultural or historical understanding,” they said. in a joint statement, Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks.
This program of reflection, the details of which had not yet been shared as of Friday the 27th, will explore diverse perspectives and the contributions of all individuals and religious groups.
Before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, hate crimes had dropped 21% in the five boroughs of the Big Apple, compared to the same period last year.
Last week alone there were 51 crimes that have been classified by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) as hate crimes.
An annual survey by the Anti-Defamation League found that anti-Semitic incidents in New York state had increased 28% in 2022 from the previous year.
“Inaccuracies on unsourced digital sites have fueled toxic rhetoric and division in educational institutions across the country, fostering an alarming environment of hate,” municipal authorities highlighted.
As the war continues and increasing threats against Jewish and Muslim Americans spark fear, addressing this crisis in diverse county schools is becoming inevitable.
As The New York Times reported, “When New York City’s schools chancellor issued a statement about the devastating impact of terrorism, three Muslim and Arab public school teachers in the city, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in interviews that they were hurt, because the Palestinians were not recognized, nor was their concern extended to educators and families with relatives in Gaza.”
Various incidents
As reported by several local media, this week a group of Jewish students from Cooper Union University in New York City were locked in their school library for 20 minutes, while pro-Palestinian protesters banged on the doors and shouted slogans.
In another incident at New York University, a protester waved a sign depicting an Israeli flag, with its Star of David, at a trash can.
The Uniformed Police have been in contact with these Study Houses and indicate in their reports that there was no damage to property, criminal reports or injuries during the incident.