By COLlive reporter
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks is on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify about antisemitism in K-12 schools, ABC7NY reports.
The hearing was convened by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in response to the wave of antisemitic rhetoric and attacks across the U.S. The opening statement was given by Congressman Aaron Bean (R-FL).
The spike in hate happened following the Hamas massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza to dismantle the Hamas regime and free the hostages they had taken.
This was the first time hearings focused on antisemitism in K-12 education. Past hearings were heard from university presidents, leading to the resignation of the presidents of Harvard and Penn.
In addition to Banks, testifying were Karla Silvestre, President of Montgomery County Board of Education in Montgomery, Maryland; Enikia Ford Morthel, Superintendent of Berkeley Unified School District in Berkeley, California; and Emerson Sykes, of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Banks answered questions on several antisemitic incidents in New York City schools and what the school system is doing to address the issue, according to ABC7.
Students should feel safe and shouldn’t have to worry about hate crimes anywhere, especially in school, he stated.
“We cannot simply discipline our way out of this problem, the true antidote to ignorance and bias is to teach,” Banks said. “My own children learned about antisemitism firsthand from our next-door neighbors who are Holocaust survivors in Teaneck, New Jersey.”
Banks said he was responding to the issue by creating a better curriculum, increasing training for teachers, and engaging Jewish and Muslim organizations.
When it comes to discipline, Banks said they have removed or disciplined a dozen staff members and suspended 30 students.
The school system is also calling on the NYPD for help whenever hate crimes are committed, he said.
Devorah Halberstam, co-founder of the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights, was in attendance at the hearing, at the invitation of the Chancellor, who spoke about his work with Halberstam during the hearing.
Halberstam has worked tirelessly with Chancellor Banks to facilitate the visits of millions of New York City public school students to the Museum, which educates about the Jewish faith and culture, fostering tolerance and understanding to people of all backgrounds, faiths and cultures.
VIDEO:
The full hearing
I heard Chancellor Banks thank Devorah Halberstam for joining him in Congress. Thank you for always being at the forefront of educating the youth, and fighting hate and antisemitism. Your heart is in the right place.