20 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2024 

supported by then-Board President 
Rima Mohammad and Trustee 
Jeff Gaynor, sparked hours of 
heated public comment and has 
since been a source of distrust 
within the Jewish community. A 
number of the Jewish community 
members contacted reported they 
were motivated to become more 
active in advocating for new district 
leadership after the resolution 
was introduced and subsequently 
passed, with Trustee Krystle 
DuPree ultimately supporting it. 
Other Jewish stakeholders, 
including teachers and parents, 
expressed that they didn’t have 
any concerns about the ceasefire 
resolution or supported it. The 
resolution language was edited to 
include a “bilateral ceasefire” and 
encouraged teachers to discuss the 
Israel-Hamas war in classes. 

INCREASED TOXICITY 
FOR JEWISH FAMILIES
Beyond the ceasefire resolution, 
some Jewish parents are troubled 
by the district’s delay in recognizing 
a Jewish parents’ affinity group, 
a step that would give Jewish 
parents a formal platform to voice 
their concerns and collaborate on 
educational initiatives. The Jewish 
Community Advisory Group 
(JCAG) filed for recognition in late 
October 2023 and has yet to receive 
approval. 
 Existing approved groups 
include Ann Arbor Parent Advisory 
Committee for Special Education 
(AAPAC); District Wide Black 
Parents Student Support Group 
(BPSSG); Asian, Pacific Islander, 
South Asian/American (APISA/A); 
and Arab-American Advisory 
Group (AAAG). Approval would 
allow JCAG to have a permanent 
place on the agenda at board 
meetings and bring up concerns 
and collaborate with the district. 
 For example, other advisory 
groups routinely partner with the 

district to bring cultural awareness, 
educational materials and events to 
teachers and students. 
A December letter to the board 
from the Jewish Community 
Relations Council asked the board 
to “promptly grant recognition 
to parent groups, including the 
Jewish Parents Advisory Council, 
that have asked to be recognized 
by the board. This is necessary to 
ensure equal access and inclusion. 
We ask that any discussions at the 
school board level impacting these 
populations be held only when all 
involved have representation and a 
voice at the table.”
AAPS was asked to provide an 
update, but did not do so by the 
time of publication. 
However, Superintendent Parks 
responded in an email to questions 
about the district’s approach to 
addressing antisemitism. “We are 
committed to creating a safe and 
inclusive environment for our 
entire AAPS community.” 
She added that “AAPS does not 
tolerate any form of antisemitism, 
racism or hate speech. Such 
behavior goes against the values 
of respect, empathy and belonging 
that we strive to instill in our 
students and school communities. 
We continue to be engaged in 
supporting all of our students, 
staff and families in the AAPS 
community united against hate, 
intolerance or violence of any kind.” 

JEWISH FAMILIES 
AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT
When reaching out to families to 
understand their concerns, most 
parents declined to go on record. 
There has been a notable chilling 
effect on the Jewish community 
from speaking out in part because 
parents who have spoken out have 
faced harassment and intimidation 
as a result. 
“Jewish community members 
feel afraid to speak out,” wrote 
one parent, who is very involved 
in volunteering in the schools and 
thought about running for the 
school board. 
“Things are just so 
inflamed and toxic 
right now, I’m honestly 
scared to attach my 
name to anything,” 
expressed another 
parent. “Bottom line, 
I’m just so angry that 
our school board was politicized.”
Beth Israel Congregation Rabbi 
Nadav Caine wrote in an email, 
“My anecdotal conversations with 
students indicate that the prevailing 
mood is Jews are expected to keep 
their heads down.” 
In addition to the parent who 
removed her sons after unanswered 
antisemitism, others reported 
that they moved their children to 
private schools, charter schools or 
to neighboring districts. 
Parents disclosed a number of 

issues within the district, including:
• The potential that anti-Jewish 

and anti-Israel lessons are being 
taught
• Online harassment for speaking 
publicly against the ceasefire 
resolution or on behalf of Jewish 
community interests
• Additional scrutiny for routine 
requests, such as reading a book 
or presenting on a 
Jewish topic in a child’s 
classroom
• Downplaying or 
dismissing reports of 
antisemitic bullying and 
harassment
• Jewish students 
being treated differ-
ently by teachers or directly 
discriminated against because of 
their Jewish identity. 
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, director 
of Community Relations at the 
Jewish Federation of Greater Ann 
Arbor, has been actively working to 
address these issues. 
“We’re putting them on notice 
that we are watching — we 
are monitoring this,” Lopatin 
said, emphasizing the need for 
accountability in how the district 
handles issues of antisemitism and 
supports its Jewish students and 
families. Lopatin added that he has 
already met with several school 
board members and will meet soon 
with Superintendent Parks.
The Jewish Community Relations 
Council is hosting a candidate 
forum on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at 
the Jewish Federation site in Ann 
Arbor, where Rabbi Lopatin and 
others plan to “ask tough questions” 
to ensure that the candidates 
are prepared to address these 
multifaceted challenges.
“The outcome of this election 
could significantly influence how 
well the board addresses both the 
financial crisis and the specific 
needs of Jewish families in the years 
to come,” Lopatin said. 

Rabbi 
Nadav 
Caine

Rabbi 
Asher 
Lopatin

continued from page 18

OUR COMMUNITY