“Moment of Silence” Passes in Florida

By COLlive reporter

Public school students in the state of Florida may soon be required to take between a one to two-minute “moment of silence” to start off each school day, under legislation that was passed by the Florida Senate on Thursday.

The legislation was passed by the Florida Senate Thursday 32 – 6, during a session which began with a prayer for Moshiach.

“This is a huge miracle,” said Shliach Rabbi Schneur Z. Oirechman, Director of Chabad of Tallahassee along with his wife Chanie, who has long led efforts to mandate a moment of silence in Florida’s public schools, a cause dear to the Rebbe.

“When I was told that this passed, I couldn’t contain my joy, I just jumped out of my chair shouting ‘Mazel Tov!'” Rabbi Oirechman told COLlive. “After many months of work and obstacles, we finally achieved this victory.”

Rabbi Oirechman was assisted in his efforts to get the bill passed by the House by Shluchim Rabbi Yosef Junik and Rabbi Yossi Denburg of Boca Raton. They also received support and assistance from Rabbi Avraham Frank, longtime advocate of the Moment of Silence campaign.

In January of 2021, the bill (SB 946), introduced by State Senator Dennis Baxley, was approved 6-1 by the Senate Education Committee. It was introduced to the House by Representative Randy Fine.

The final step will be the signing of the bill by Governor Ron DeSantis.

“There’s a lot of darkness in our world today… this will bring a lot of light into children, into the schools,” Oirechman said.

The Rebbe began pushing for a moment of silence back in 1983, stressing the need for moral education in all schools. On his birthday in 1984, the Rebbe stated “Th[is] begins with the proper education of the youth, as written: ‘Educate a youth according to his way so that when he grows older he will not depart from it.’ The only way to educate the youth in the ideals of justice and righteousness is not through instilling fear of the police (for then one can think he will outwit the police), but by instilling faith in the Creator and Ruler of the world—that there is ‘an Eye that sees and Ear that hears.’”

Rabbi Oirechman was galvanized into action after the shooting at Chabad of Poway in California on Pesach in 2019.

“Since the Poway attack, I have been working with a group of Shluchim to get a law passed for a Moment of Silence in Florida,” Rabbi Oirechman told COLlive. “We all know how important this was to the Rebbe. We are looking for patrons to join our mission, who can help sponsor the work to make sure the Rebbe’s urgent call becomes a reality.”

On multiple occasions, the Rebbe urgently called for a daily “Moment of Silence” in U.S. public schools, where most American children receive their education.

The Rebbe articulated his position with great urgency, all but warning that if the current path of education continues without incorporating a Moment of Silence, calamity is bound to come.

“This was my dream for a long time, to give this as a gift to the Rebbe for yud aleph Nissan,” Rabbi Oirechman said. “After the Poway shooting, I visited the Rebbe’s Ohel, and at that time I committed to the Rebbe to get it done.”

Through the work of Rabbi Yossi Hecht of Ocala, FL, and Rabbi Oirechman, Senator Baxley and Rep. Fine are sponsoring the bill which would make a Moment of Silence a law in Florida public schools.

“We are so grateful to Rep. Randy Fine and his assistant Anna Budko for all their assistance,” Rabbi Oirechman said. He also thanked Cassie Dover for her assistance.

There is still much work that needs to be done to accomplish this gift for the Rebbe and publicize it to the world. To help in the efforts, visit http://www.chabadtallahassee.com/donate.

Click here to read the bill.