The end of the school year brings the excitement of moving on to new chapters, whether it's graduation or a well-earned summer break. This goes for students, staff, teachers, and parents.
This week, many school districts celebrated its students and the milestones they achieved, with promotion ceremonies or graduations. One of those districts – Upper Dublin – made news when one of those ceremonies featured a demonstration that had nothing to do with their academic accomplishments.
A "Free Palestine" flag/banner was displayed during graduation in reference to the ongoing political unrest. The student later reportedly draped it over his shoulders wearing like a "cape," which prompted responses from parents, the school and residents, and local Rabbis.
Upper Dublin School District sent out an email to district families showing their support for the Jewish community, saying the display “tarnished” the ceremony for many in attendance.
“While this should have been a shared celebration for our school community, a few of the commencement attendees regrettably chose to express their views through displays of a flag,” Upper Dublin’s Dr. Laurie Smith, Superintendent and Robert Schultz, Principal wrote in a statement.
Rabbi Jason Bonder of Congregation Beth Or, located in Maple Glen, Rabbi Adam Wohlberg of Temple Sinai, located in Dresher, and the Upper Dublin Jewish Families Association discussed the incident with representatives from UDSD.
According to those at the meeting, Dr. Smith said that lessons had been learned from the upsetting situation and that more could be and would be done in the future to prevent such actions and hostile displays.
“We hear and understand the many concerns shared with us from across our community, and we want to state clearly and sincerely: we see you, we care about you, and we are deeply sorry that what should have been a time of pride and joy left you feeling uncomfortable or fearful," UDSD's statement said.
Word quickly spread online of what took place at the graduation, prompting a response from Rabbi Bonder and Rabbi Wohlberg.
“The fact that some chose to make statements and wear clothing that shattered this special moment for so many Jewish students, for their families, and for our allies, deeply saddens me,” Rabbi Bodner wrote. “I am disappointed to see such a special moment tarnished, but I believe it was not ruined. The poor choices of some are not able to destroy the sanctity of that moment, as our community celebrated our graduates and our shared future.”
Rabbi Wohler said, "We live in a country that champions freedom of speech and freedom of expression. But we are also part of a society which encourages us to be good neighbors; to treat others with dignity and respect, compassion and understanding. In our communities, we look to build bridges and create bonds with people who are different from us. These are the values that have made our country great. They are the principles by which we try live and want to pass on to the next generation."
Part of Rabbi Bonder's statement read:
“I believe in education,” he wrote. “I believe that when our community gathers to celebrate young people finishing high school we are celebrating more than the graduates themselves. We are celebrating our shared belief that educating our children will make our community and our world better than it is now.
“I believe in free speech. I am proud to live in a country where I can think, speak, and pray freely.
“That we have freedoms of speech and religion in this country also means that we believe in ourselves. We believe that we have the capacity of determining right from wrong and that we can address important issues while still preserving the sanctity of our shared rituals – like High School Graduation - where we affirm that the students walking across that stage will go and find solutions to problems we deemed unsolvable.
