On February 24, together with Tikvah Wiener, head of school, The Idea School students participated on a panel with local educators and students to begin a discussion on the two memorials proposed for the town of Teaneck, one commemorating chattel slavery and the other, the Holocaust. The junior and senior students who took the racial justice course, Allied Against Hate, shared their impressions of how the histories of these two communities are taught and shared. One participant shared: “I am breathless from the knowledge, introspection, articulation, empathy and energy to understand each other’s stories in order to connect with each other, and build relationships to make this world a better place, that each of these amazing students are expressing.”

This panel was the first in a series of programs co-sponsored by the Enslaved African Memorial Committee & the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial & Education Center. The students will again be participating in a Zoom panel discussion on March 2, this time with Professor Jonathan Golden from Drew University, who spearheaded the class and invited The Idea School to be a part of it, as well as his students and ones from Teaneck High School. Special guests will be NAACP President Richard Smith, ADL NY/NJ President Scott Richman, New Jersey State Senator Gordon Johnson and the Honorable Loretta Weinberg.

The Idea School is excited to be a part of these important discussions around the two memorials and what the Black and Jewish communities can learn from each other, not only illuminate the past, but light a way towards a world that is free from racism, antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate.