Comptroller Franchot and Sen. Ben Kramer speak out forcefully against antisemitism in Takoma Park

More elected officials have come out strongly against the ugly rise of antisemitism of Takoma Park residents who are paying to show a film with the message that Jews control the media. Still nothing from County Councilmember Tom Hucker (D-District 5, which includes Takoma Park).

From Comptroller Peter Franchot (D):

Having lived in Takoma Park for decades, and having raised my family in this wonderful city, I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that our City’s government is still planning to show this piece of anti-Semitic garbage on the taxpayers’ dime.

I’m fine with freedom of speech and political expression. I’m not fine with our local government using my tax dollars to peddle the same bigoted dog whistles that have been used to rationalize hatred, discrimination and violence against the Jewish people for generations. I don’t know who in the hell thought this was a good idea, but Kate Stewart and the City Council need to make the call TODAY to cancel this showing and relegate this movie - and its anti-Semitic values - back to the dark fringes of our society.

From State Senator Ben Kramer (D-District 19):

“What is next on the agenda …. Should we reflect on 1933 Germany for just a little guidance? Perhaps soon you will require your Jewish business owners to place Stars of David on their storefronts so that later it will be easier to identify them and smash their windows, or perhaps just a government promoted synagogue burning or two … after all, it’s just the Jews,”

Takoma Park doubles down on antisemitism

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) has just released an update on the vicious antisemitic film that the Takoma Park city government, funded by county and city taxpayers, will be showing this week. Takoma Park, supported by their residents, have invited a speaker who espouses violence against Jews, and has stated that, “Israelis have to be bombed, they are a threat to the legitimacy of Palestine, and it is wrong to maintain the State of Israel. It is an illegitimate creation born from colonialism and racism.” The speaker has participated in numerous disruptive activities in the U.S. We suppose this fits very well with Takoma Park city councilmember Peter Kovar's statement that there are, "...all the different sides."

At the public hearing last week, Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart stated that the city had engaged Theo Brown, who we suppose invited this speaker for a 'balanced' perspective on the antisemitic movie. This program is endorsed by the city council and the mayor as was made clear at the hearing last week and will be paid for by county and city taxpayers.

The Montgomery County council, while issuing a letter, has not directly called for the antisemitic film to be cancelled. And Tom Hucker, (D-District 5, which represents Takoma Park) did not sign the council's letter.

Takoma Park MD will show antisemitic movie

The Takoma Park, MD mayor Kate Stewart and city council members Peter Kovar, Kacy Kostiuk, Talisha Searcy, Jarrett Smith, Cindy Dyballa, and Terry Seamens agreed at a city council meeting on July 17 to show a virulently antisemitic movie at their Arts and Humanities Commission film series. During a council meeting they all agreed they were not responsible for the showing of the movie, and the City Manager, Suzanne Ludlow, also said that the city manager’s office was not responsible either. They also stated that the members of the Arts and Humanities commission were not responsible. You can see their discussion and public comments here with public comments beginning at minute 7:35. Nevertheless, the movie, with the over-riding message that Jews control the media, will be shown, paid for by city and Montgomery County taxpayers and under the purview of the City of Takoma Park.

 

 

We reached out the Montgomery County council but no one bothered to reply, although the county council did send a letter to Mayor Stewart and the city council stating that, “By sponsoring the film, the City of Takoma Park appears to be legitimizing a premise that American Jews control the media and national politics…” Eight councilmembers signed the letter. Councilmember Tom Hucker (D-District 5), whose district includes Takoma Park, did not sign the letter. No text in the letter clearly stated that Takoma Park should not show the film, stating that the councilmembers had, “…grave concerns.”

 

 

Takoma Park citizens are sponsoring the showing of an antisemitic movie at a time when Jews are being attacked and murdered in the United States and antisemitism is on the rise. Based on the consensus of the city council, we can’t wait for them to screen Birth of a Nation so we can discuss the pros and cons of the messages in that movie too.

Hungry for Music

At the Takoma Park JazzFest this afternoon I came across a table sponsoring Hungry for Music. Hungry for Music is a non-profit that provides musical instruments to children who are hungry to play. The flyer has a quote from its Executive Director, Jeff Campbell, which says, “Hungry for Music’s purpose is to embrace the positive qualities of music; its ability to create community, to express a talent, to unify all people, and most importantly to heal.” The organization is a 501 (c) (3) based here in Washington and active since 1994.

Hungry for Music collects musical instruments and donates them to children across the country. So, if you have that violin lying around that your child refuses to play; the clarinet or flute in your basement or hidden in your closet, this seems like a wonderful organization to which to donate it. I spoke with Alan Friedman who was manning the booth. They will be happy to pick up the instrument you would like to donate. Here is his email address: AlanKFriedman@yahoo.com, or go to this page on the Hungry for Music website to schedule a pickup. If you would like to register to receive an instrument, go to this page on the Hungry for Music website. Their phone number is (202)-674-3000.  Do something good this afternoon!

Weast releases Takoma Park Boundary Change

Based on my review, I am recommending a modified version of committee Option 1B as outlined below. (A map and table illustrating my recommended boundaries are attached at the end of this paper.)

Reassign Zones SC4 and SC5 from Sligo Creek Elementary School to Takoma Park and Piney Branch Elementary Schools and from Silver Spring International Middle School toTakoma Park Middle School

Superintendent Jerry Weast's full report on this recommendation can be found here.

Action Alert from Takoma Park StoptheProcess

Action Alert from Takoma Park StoptheProcess advocacy group:

On Wednesday, June 10, please e-mail (or call) the superintendent
*AFTER* 2:00 p.m., but before 4 p.m. (if possible; later is better than
not at all). Ask him to extend the Boundary Advisory Committee deadline
until September 10, and ensure that representatives are appointed from
every affected neighborhood.

Here is his contact information:

Jerry D. Weast, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools
Carver Educational Services Center, Rm. 122
850 Hungerford Dr., Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 301-279-3381
Fax: 301-279-3205

Jerry_D_Weast@mcpsmd.org

Also, please "cc" the following addresses in his office:

Cathy_E_Bertin@mcpsmd.org
Debra_G_Hollander@mcpsmd.org
Aggie_Alvez@mcpsmd.org
Juan_Cardenas@mcpsmd.org
Molly_Hong@mcpsmd.org
Brian_Edwards@mcpsmd.org
Sandra_L_Napoli@mcpsmd.org

MOST IMPORTANTLY, please "cc" me (Chuck) so that I know what's happening.

If you're really ambitious, please also "cc" -- or even compose a
modified message directly to -- School Board Member Barklay, at
Christopher_Barclay@mcpsmd.org

If you're super-ambitious, all of the other school board members'
contact info is at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/

TALKING POINTS

* If you are involved solely out of your concerns for the North Takoma
Ten (families that might be displaced to ESS elementary), please speak
your heart and mind. Talk about why Takoma Park is such a cherished
community for you, and how you will be affected or how you empathize
with the families that bought in our North Takoma neighborhood to go to
Takoma Park Elementary School (TPES). However . . .

* I encourage you to take a wider view of what's happening. Talk about
how the process has deprived the economically disadvantaged families
east of NH Avenue a seat at the table. (See message archives for details.)

* The issue -- at least right now -- is *not* that Takoma Park kids get
to go to Takoma Park schools. It is about neighborhood representation!
(FYI, the families in Takoma Park Ward 5 go to Rolling Terrace, and seem
to be happy with that.) The problem is that my neighborhood, and the
ESS neigborhood north of here, did not have a seat at the table. The
travesty is that the most disadvantaged people in Takoma Park also did
not have a say in whether or not their kids continue at the Sligo Creek
Math and Science Academy or get transferred into TPES.

* Please DO NOT take a position one way or the other on what happens to
the families east of NH Avenue ("SC5"). That's not for any of us to
say. They need a seat at the table to express their preference between
Sligo Creek and TPES. We need three more months to overcome the
language and cultural barriers to find out what those families actually
want!

* If the larger economic and racial injustices of this process are what
is motivating you to get involved, please say so! That's extremely
important! (See my previous message for the support we're receiving to
"stop the process" from various communities of color.)

* If you have no time to do anything but e-mail Dr. Weast and simply
say, "Stop the Process," please do so. And remember to "cc" me.

Many thanks! At first I guessed that our chances were 50/50. Now I'm
thinking we might actually win this! Then all of the neighborhoods can
come together at the table, as part of the official process, to generate
a win-win solution for everyone!

Onward,

Chuck
301-873-8806
charlesthomas@20910.org

www.stoptheprocess.org

Takoma Park families fight to save neighborhoods

Tech-savvy parents in Takoma Park have taken to the Internet to discuss, debate and exchange information on MCPS' proposals to change school boundary lines. Parents have video of a MCPS Boundary Advisory Committee meeting that ends with MCPS Senior Facility Planner Deborah Szyfer stating, "Please turn that off for a moment because I think people are uncomfortable with the video taping."

Other parents have a blog to discuss these changes and multiple online discussion groups have sprung up to allow parents to rapidly communicate on this issue.

Here is the video with excerpts of the May 20, 2009, meeting of the MCPS Boundary Advisory Committee on the school zone decisions affecting Takoma Park and surrounding areas.

Glossary for video: "Options 4 and 5" would displace not only the 10-family Takoma Park neighborhood into East Silver Spring Elementary, but would also displace East Silver Spring (ESS) kids into Sligo Creek Elementary (which the ESS PTA doesn't want)."Option 1b": Nobody likes it as is, but everyone except Sligo Creek Elementary accepts it as the least-bad of the six options that the bureaucrats in Rockville developed."SC4" is the middle-class side of a 6-lane highway. "SC5" is east-of-New Hampshire Avenue: an economically disadvantaged, often ESOL neighborhood that did not have a representative at the table during the discussions about whether they should remain at the Math and Science Academy or get relocated.

Why have these parents taken to the Internet to advocate for their communities? One dad in the affected zone, Charles Thomas, said, "I love our rainbow community: immigrant families, gay and lesbian families, hippies, and professional and volunteer advocates for social and economic justice, world peace, and a healthy environment. We want to stay in Granola Park! Any neighborhood is at risk of having 10 families plucked away, with no seat at the table, for no justifiable demographic reason. It's like a computer generated these options randomly. The bureaucrats gave the community advisors six lemons and thwarted their efforts to make lemonade. It's time to stop the process and fix this problem, before it damages other communities like the six affected neighborhoods here."