NYC Department of Education Holds Working Summit at JCM

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Aharon Gellis/COLlive

Superintendents from the five boroughs of the New York City Public School system participated in a Department of Education Summit recently hosted at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights.

The summit, which was a full-day visit to the Museum, was the vision of David C. Banks, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, who leads the largest school system in the nation. The goal was to introduce the museum to the superintendents of hundreds of Public Schools in the city, which educate 1 million children.

The group of educators began their visit with a kosher breakfast that included bagels and cream cheese while the superintendents chatted with each other.

Breakfast was followed by an introduction by Deputy Chancellor, Dr. Rux and Dr. Pate, and followed by an address by Devorah Halberstam, co-founder of the Jewish Children’s Museum.

Halberstam welcomed the Superintendents to the Museum on behalf of Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson and the staff, spoke about the genesis of the Museum and about the murder of her son Ari Halberstam by a terrorist in 1994, and how the Museum came to be built in his memory. The Museum is known worldwide as a landmark center, teaching millions of people, including families and children of all backgrounds, about the Jewish faith and culture.

The group of educators then toured the holiday floor with tour guide director Sara Leah Bronstein, where they explored and experienced the history of the Jewish holidays and daily life of the Jewish people. They learned about the Chanukah menorah, its symbolic meaning of freedom for all, and the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days, in the holy temple. They heard about the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt, the Matzah that we eat, and the Seder that we participate in each year.

“The members shared their own experiences, and enjoyed the exhibits,” Halberstam told COLlive.com. “One of the deputies remarked related that she visited the Museum several times with her children but since learning about its history and Ari’s story – a child himself, whose name it carries – from that day on the Museum’s visits took on a whole new meaning for her.”

Halberstam noted that the visit was taking place around Holocaust Memorial Day, and said, “Ari was murdered because he was a Jew, and we must never forget our past, and must build so that their memories live on for eternity.”

“Now I pass the torch on to you, the educators of the next generation of leaders, to ensure that we impart respect, understanding, and acceptance of others,” Halberstam said.

Halberstam said she is grateful to Chancellor Banks for his vision in inspiring the leaders of the educational system in New York to embrace this hands-on educational opportunity, especially now when there are so many hate crimes and antisemitism is on the rise.

“We are looking forward to partnering with the New York Public Schools and hosting the city’s 1 million school children at the museum, which will hopefully bring unity to the city,” she said.