These meetings are not kosher.
The city Department of Education, which claims to be culturally responsive, committed “religious discrimination” by scheduling multiple public forums on Friday night — shutting out Sabbath-observant Jews and others who observe the day, a parent leader has complained.
On Friday evening, the DOE held four separate town halls with candidates competing for school superintendent jobs in Brooklyn and Queens, as well as Zoom interviews of two parents vying for a seat on the citywide Panel for Educational Policy, a mayoral advisory board.
“I am appalled that some parents are expected to violate their religious beliefs to be part of the town halls or be excluded from the process,” Effi Zakry, a representative of Queens parents on the Citywide Council on High Schools, wrote to schools Chancellor David Banks.
The DOE ignored pleas to avoid the religious conflict, Zakry said, noting that Karen Wang, CCHS president, “has pointed this out several times and requested that the schedule be changed in order to respect the religious beliefs of Sabbath observers in NYC.
“But no one at the DOE bothered to show such respect to the Jewish community. Both Brooklyn and Queens happen to have the largest observant Jewish populations in NYC.”
Besides Jews, “some Christians and other groups observe the holy Sabbath,” Zakry wrote.
The scheduling “is also disrespectful to families who lost loved ones and want to celebrate Memorial Day,” he added.
The DOE made no apology for the scheduling, saying it was set by parents in charge of the Community Education Councils.
“Parent leadership led the design of each town hall including confirming the date that best works for their community,” spokesman Nathaniel Styer said.