Submitted by Rabbi Jordie Gerson, Cantor Michelle Rubin, and the Officers of the Greenwich Reform Synagogue
Dear Editor,
We at Greenwich Reform Synagogue are aware of the recent antisemitic graffiti found in more than one Greenwich public school. We want to express our deep sadness and anger at these incidents, and our commitment to fighting antisemitism wherever it appears – whether here at home, in the universities we attended as students, in our workplaces, or on the global stage.
We want to thank the Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones for her quick condemnation of these acts, her condemnation of the events of October 7, and her ongoing commitment to working with the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish parents to address all antisemitic rhetoric and symbols found in our schools.
We also want to offer ourselves, and our clergy, as resources in figuring out the best strategies to combat and address these incidents, as well as helping to provide age-appropriate education about Judaism and Jewish history that might help stop these incidents before they happen. We understand that education about differences and distinct identities is critical to raising smart, compassionate children capable of seeing and holding the humanity of all people, including Jews and Israelis, especially in polarizing times.
This is a very scary time for Jewish communities around the world, for our brothers and sisters in Israel, and for us here in Greenwich. We are grateful to live in a town with such a vibrant and outspoken Jewish community and are recommitting ourselves, as leaders of the community, to support Greenwich public school educators and administrators as they work to educate for understanding, critical thinking, and inclusiveness. Greenwich’s taxpayer-funded institutions cannot tolerate, allow, or harbor antisemitic rhetoric, incidents or sentiments of any kind.
With gratitude for the efforts of all who work so hard to protect and educate our children in such terrible times,
Rabbi Jordie Gerson, Cantor Michelle Rubin, and the Officers of the Greenwich Reform Synagogue