Sally Goldenberg reports on the New York Post:
A city councilman has a quirky idea to ask schools to institute a daily moment of silence so students can meditate and reflect on their day.
Lew Fidler (D-Brooklyn), who is Jewish, said the idea was proposed to him by a group of religious leaders, including rabbis and priests.
He is asking his colleagues to sign onto a resolution that would request the Department of Education add the mandatory moment of silence to all schools.
“In my view, it would be a constructive thing for kids to begin their day with a moment of silent thought. It doesn’t need to be prayer. It could be some introspection about why they’re there,” Fidler said.
He cannot introduce a bill mandating it because mayoral control of the city’s public schools does not allow the council to have any authority over the education system.
In a letter Fidler sent his council colleagues, he wrote, “This moment could be used for relaxation, reflection, prayer, meditation or simply to calm down and focus in preparation for learning; and it has seen positive results in trial implementations.”
The Department of Education did not return calls for comment.
Unlike prayer, a moment of silence in schools has been deemed constitutional. A dozen states currently require a moment of silence each day.
Learn more at MomentOfSilence.info
With your thinking how are we suppose to be a light unto nations?
Any inyanim connected with goym, have not been officially set up as projects, of Merkos. The Rebbe stressed the great importance of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, but spreading this idea, was not ever an official project of Chabad. When asked, shluchim feel that their main stress of their work, should be on yidden. This is because of :a) the great amount of assimilation in the US, and b) on a very practical level, a shaliach relies on baale batim’s donations for his family to sustain themselves. Goyim do not give tsedakah as yidden do (are we not gomlai chasadim?)… Read more »
a tzaddik of a man
they didnt say it was quirky the reporter sally goldenberg from the new york post did
if you dont read what they write dont ask stupid questions
‘Todah’ for the article and ‘todah to Mr. Lew Fidler.
Avraham Frank is a POWERHOUSE! A great light and true ‘chassid’ of ‘The Rebbe, MH”M!’
Why not teach the depths ‘The Holy Tongue’ (Hebrew) in public schools? This would be a language class, but outside of class the students would be told this is G-d’s language. ‘Stealth Religion.’
The ‘authorities’ couldn’t do a thing to stop this…it’s ‘Under the Radar.’
Its been 30 years since the Rebbe called for a moment of silence. and the people which you say should do something have been silent for 30 years!
However Rabbi Frank, an individual teacher , not a shliach has single handedly got over 30 schools to implement a moment of silence in their schools.
Past experience has shown that when a shliach in anytown USA blocks another person from doing the Rebbe’s shlichus in his town, he ends up with a group of Litvaks from Aish or Lakewood doing the Rebbe’s inyonim in his town.
This should be implemented thru Merkos and ONLY thru Merkos or Shluchim of Merkos. Not thru private individuals.
Much success!
Just because you say it is “quirky” idea doesn’t make it so. Btw, are you saying an idea of the Rebbe’s is quirky??
There is data to support this
Lew is a good Jew and a friend of crown heights. He stands up for what is right, he is a nice person all around,
That the Rebbes words were implemented!