10 | APRIL 1 • 2021
PURELY COMMENTARY
ETHNIC STUDIES continued from page 4
nition of Jew-hatred, according
to the International Holocaust
Remembrance Association, as
well as material on antisemi-
tism from the Anti-Defamation
League.
ONGOING CONCERNS
So, why do many Jews remain
worried about the implementa-
tion of this curriculum?
Part of the reason stems from
justified concerns about how
it will be implemented in the
1,037 school districts around
the state, where local boards of
education will have consider-
able leeway in interpreting the
curriculum. That could lead to
endless controversies as the var-
ious groups seeking to be rep-
resented demand that their pre-
ferred lesson plans be the ones
used, as well as fights over the
emphasis that individual teach-
ers and schools may choose in
teaching about ethnicity.
But the problems with this
curriculum go much deeper
than just a matter of imple-
mentation. The idea of ethnic
studies sounds like an anodyne
concept that everyone should
embrace. It’s actually a terrible
idea tainted by what even the
liberal-leaning American Jewish
Committee rightly termed “a
rigid ideological worldview.
”
For all of the talk about eth-
nic studies empowering mar-
ginalized minority populations
and giving children positive role
models, the concept at the core
of this effort is “critical race the-
ory.
” That’s an idea that views all
Americans solely as members
of racial and ethnic groups, not
as individuals. As with other
permutations of this toxic idea,
the goal of the curriculum isn’t
so much to fight racism as it is
to enshrine race consciousness
at the heart of every discussion
and topic.
The Critical Ethnic Studies
Association, which was the
original driving force behind
this program, isn’t really inter-
ested in celebrating diversity
and adding the stories of dif-
ferent groups to the accepted
narrative of American history.
What they want is to replace
the old story of America as
born in a fight for liberty and
seeking, despite problems and
the sins of slavery and racial
discrimination, to progress
toward freedom for all with one
that views it as an irredeemably
racist nation.
JEWS PROTECTED?
I understand why Jewish groups
scrambled to be included in
the mix of ethnic, racial and
religious narratives that could
be taught. The danger, however,
is that Jews will not be seen as
protected victims.
The trouble with ethnic stud-
ies is that even with the more
overt symptoms of anti-Jewish
prejudice removed, the curricu-
lum is still a political catechism
rooted in intersectional ideolo-
gy about Third World nations
and people of color locked in a
never-ending struggle against
white oppression. The subtext
is, therefore, still one that puts
Jews in the unfortunate position
of either denying their own
“privilege” or being enlisted
in a political struggle that has
little to do with a celebration of
diversity, let alone the manifold
blessings of American liberty.
Instead of Jews demanding
their piece of the ethnic pie
and begging that the core ide-
ology of intersectionalism that
dismisses them as privileged
whites be watered down, we
should be rejecting the entire
edifice of this deplorable cur-
riculum as something that will
hurt all Americans.
WHY DO MANY JEWS
REMAIN WORRIED ABOUT
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THIS CURRICULUM?
Farber Students Do Virtual Model U.N.
Eleven Farber Hebrew Day
School students and high
school assistant principal
Kathy Sklar gathered in per-
son and by Zoom to celebrate
their attendance at this year’s
Yeshiva University National
Model United Nations
(YUNMUN).
The delegates, Lev
Ershler, Shlomo Feld, Elana
Hochbaum, Jaden Jubas, Yona
Kelman, Judah Lopatin, Noa
Pergament, Ari Schon, Shira
Schon, Eli Schwartz and Aviel
Siegel, represented Syria and
Bolivia in the Feb. 14 pro-
gram.
In a non-COVID time,
Sklar and the team of high
schoolers would have traveled
to a Stamford, Conn., hotel
and encamped with 500 other
student delegates from 45
schools, the New York-based
Yeshiva University (YU)/Stern
College for Women secretaries
and undersecretaries gener-
al, and 15 committee chairs.
Under the auspices of the
YU admissions department,
they would have debated and
resolved world issues during
the three-day-long event, but
this year participated instead
by Zoom.
Preparation began with the
selection this past October,
with delegates conducting,
researching and writing
position papers on topics to
be resolved in their assigned
committees.
Delegates debated, caucused
and resolved the challenges
facing the world, learning
much about their nations
and enhancing their skills of
debating in a committee using
parliamentary procedure, all
while meeting students from
all over the country.