Last week, we were mobilized to protect our own students against a bomb threat. While the fact that Jewish institutions are being threatened is upsetting, it did provide a realistic opportunity to test our evacuation system. As I stated in a previous communication, we were quite pleased with how smoothly our systems worked including the reaction of our staff, the overall behavior of students, the cooperation of parents, the hospitality of our evacuation site and the incredible support of my colleagues at Federation and Jewish Family Services, and especially that of the APJCC's team.
What I didn't expect was the outpouring of support from colleagues at independent schools. I received dozens of emails from schools in our area and across the nation including local Christian schools and the local Muslim school.
My colleague Marja Brandon who is the Head of Woodland School in Portola Valley took this as an opportunity to teach her school community. Below are excerpts from an incredible letter that she sent to her parent body:
"...We teach bullying is wrong at any level. We teach our kids to be "upstanders" not bystanders when they see bullying happen and we tell them this is the Woodland way. It's not always easy; we don't always get it right; and we keep trying because it's the right thing to do.
So this morning I shared with the kids what happened to the kids at a nearby school.
This past Thursday at Yavneh Day School all the students were evacuated due to a bomb threat. It was a hoax, but it happened.... It's bullying and hate on a national level and it has to stop, and while we can sit back and say, "wow, that's awful" or "thank goodness, that isn't here" (which is a totally human response), as true upstanders and allies I feel we need to do more.
So what is the Woodland response? What can we do?
First we need to make sure we are being our best selves here-and practice what we preach. Then we need to speak out against all forms of bullying and hate even when it isn't directed against us. We need to stand in support and speak out and speak up, and if we feel so moved, show our support with a note to our friends at Yavneh...:"
She also sent an email to the California Association of Independent Schools entitled: "We are all Yavneh" in which she states:
"...When some children are threatened ALL children are threatened. If we stand by NAIS and CAIS diversity standards, and ethical standards which far exceed those, then we all need to be posting something on our websites which say we stand as allies with these schools and community centers. We are ALLIES not bystanders.
...we are all Yavneh and every other school that has been threatened since January."
I look forward to our own community's continued activism on behalf of others, and while I don't expect to really need it, it is nice to know that there are others out there who are looking out for us as well.
