Peter Steinberg: Respond with action, not censure

Published: 01-31-2025 8:38 PM |
Some Easthampton School Committee members may not like Owen Zaret. He can be persistent, direct, and at times, blunt (he happens to be a friend of mine, despite — or maybe because of — these qualities). But his blunt style should not distract them from the alarm he is trying to sound: rising antisemitism in our public schools.
I am told the district has implemented well-researched and validated policies and procedures for addressing antisemitism. However, in the wake of several antisemitic incidents in our schools, shouldn’t we be asking, how well are those policies and procedures working? How effective are they? Perhaps they are the best resources currently available. But if that’s the case, let’s talk about it! Maybe we can come up with something better.
But don’t ignore or dismiss the problem, or worse, censure the messenger.
I once heard Dana Bash of CNN comment that rising antisemitism is the canary in the coal mine for disintegrating democracies. Considering what’s happening in our schools, if the best response people can muster is to acknowledge receipt of an email, then they are complicit in the process of destruction. Please do better.
Peter Steinberg
Easthampton