October 13, 2023 – Darci Rochkind – Senior at MCPS High School
On Wednesday, Dr. Monifa B. McKnight, superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, released a statement encouraging parents to “be vigilant regarding distressing social media content.” She urged parents to talk to their students “about the content they may currently be viewing and sharing.”
McKnight’s statement is beyond offensive. Numerous Jewish students, including myself, have been deeply impacted by the ongoing events in Israel. I spent the past summer in Beer Sheva which is located about 25 miles from Gaza. My great-grandparents fought in the Haganah, the Israeli resistance, after escaping from Nazi Germany. I also have many friends in the IDF and family that lives in the region.
Like many teenagers, I am active on social media, but even more so during and after the outbreak of violence this past early Saturday morning. I am mindful of what I choose to post, but what is going on in Israel is distressing and must not be silenced. I have watched as many of my favorite towns have been destroyed and am living in a constant state of anxiety regarding the safety of my friends and family.
The world must bear witness to the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Encouraging students to remain silent about Israel, as Dr. McKnight is suggesting, sets a dangerous precedent. During the Holocaust, millions of people paid with their lives because the world failed to acknowledge their suffering and the mass killings taking place. Seeing some of the graphic content circulating on Instagram of dead bodies, decapitated babies, and destroyed villages, is deeply distressing. However, when the dead are our peers, silencing and sheltering students is the least effective approach our education system can take.
On Thursday, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Jewish Student Union held a meeting to discuss the ongoing events in Israel. After witnessing today’s meeting, it is clear from what was said that students need to feel heard and Montgomery County Public Schools is failing to address this need. A number of leaders from various Jewish Student Union Clubs across Montgomery County Public Schools have started to work collaboratively to fill in where the county is lacking. The schools include Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walt Whitman, Wheaton, Rockville, Wootton, Walter Johnson, Richard Montgoemry, Blair, Quince Orchard, and Kennedy high school.
Students are working on a bake sale to raise money for victims impacted by the violence in Israel on October 22nd, a recorded video lesson for schools regarding antisemitism, and a joint event with Jewish speakers, to name a few projects. There is a lot of work to be done, but it is amazing to see the Jewish community come together in such difficult times. It is unfortunate that MCPS is not doing more to support Jewish students.
Proper education is crucial to prevent history from repeating itself. MCPS should be promoting open dialogue and encouraging students to seek the facts and voice their opinions rather than silencing them.
Community Reports – is the community reporting. See here for more.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the “Community Reports” section of our blog belong solely to the individual authors, and not necessarily to Moderately MOCO, its editors, other contributors, or any affiliated entities or organizations.
Recent Posts
- Hate’s Hidden Home Part 2: Follow Up In 2024 On Anti-Jewish Incidents in Montgomery County Maryland
- Moderately MOCO Board of Education Candidate Forum Notes By Reader
- Addressing the Balance of Responsibility Between MCPS and MCPD for the School-to-Prison Pipeline
- Disturbing Footage: Knife Threat Neutralized at JFK High School
- Exclusive MPIA: MCPS Spent $775k On Bus Tracking Program – Family Pilot Program Scrapped But Benefits Remain
- BOE Primary Election Forum: April 15 Forum Video and Comprehensive Answer Sheet
- 2024 Moderately MOCO Board of Education Candidate Forum on Monday April 15
- My Testimony On County Council FY25 Operating Budget
- Primary Election 2024 Montgomery County Headquarters Released
- M-NCPPC Files Civil Suit Against County Council Staffer Carolyn Chen – Alleged To Have Charged $11,490 To Council For Benefit Of Spouse
- Opinion: Vanishing Acts in MCPS – A Tale of Leadership Lost and Found
- Opinion: Testimony at the County Council: The Consequences of Restricting Police Searches and Bill 2-24
- MCPS Per-Pupil Expenditure by Each High School (2020-2022)
- MCPS Boundary Studies Updates from 2/27/24 BOE Meeting (Woodward / Crown / Damascus High Schools)
- Opinion: Failing Forward – MCPS Policy Mismanagement in Restorative Justice and Special Education