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. 

