From Moderately Moco. Story here.
October 13, 2023 –
Darci Rochkind – Senior at MCPS High School
On Wednesday, Dr. Monifa B. McKnight, superintendent of
Montgomery County Public Schools, released a statement encouraging parents to
“be vigilant regarding distressing social media content.” She urged parents to
talk to their students “about the content they may currently be viewing and
sharing.”
McKnight’s statement is beyond offensive.
Numerous Jewish students, including myself, have been deeply impacted by the
ongoing events in Israel. I spent the past summer in Beer Sheva which is
located about 25 miles from Gaza. My great-grandparents fought in the Haganah,
the Israeli resistance, after escaping from Nazi Germany. I also have many
friends in the IDF and family that lives in the region.
Like many teenagers, I am
active on social media, but even more so during and after the outbreak of
violence this past early Saturday morning. I am mindful of what I choose to
post, but what is going on in Israel is distressing and must not be silenced. I
have watched as many of my favorite towns have been destroyed and am living in
a constant state of anxiety regarding the safety of my friends and family.
The world must bear witness to the atrocities
perpetrated by Hamas. Encouraging students to remain silent about Israel, as
Dr. McKnight is suggesting, sets a dangerous precedent. During the Holocaust,
millions of people paid with their lives because the world failed to
acknowledge their suffering and the mass killings taking place. Seeing some of
the graphic content circulating on Instagram of dead bodies, decapitated
babies, and destroyed villages, is deeply distressing. However, when the dead
are our peers, silencing and sheltering students is the least effective
approach our education system can take.
On Thursday, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Jewish
Student Union held a meeting to discuss the ongoing events in Israel. After
witnessing today’s meeting, it is clear from what was said that students need
to feel heard and Montgomery County Public Schools is failing to address this
need. A number of leaders from various Jewish Student Union Clubs across
Montgomery County Public Schools have started to work collaboratively to fill
in where the county is lacking. The schools include Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walt
Whitman, Wheaton, Rockville, Wootton, Walter Johnson, Richard Montgomery,
Blair, Quince Orchard, and Kennedy high school.
Students are working on a
bake sale to raise money for victims impacted by the violence in Israel on
October 22nd, a recorded video lesson for schools regarding antisemitism, and a
joint event with Jewish speakers, to name a few projects. There is a lot of
work to be done, but it is amazing to see the Jewish community come together in
such difficult times. It is unfortunate that MCPS is not doing more to support
Jewish students.
Proper education is crucial to prevent history
from repeating itself. MCPS should be promoting open dialogue and encouraging
students to seek the facts and voice their opinions rather than silencing them.
