1 week Ago By John Ramos
The Berkeley Unified School District came under the microscope on Wednesday, as its superintendent was questioned by a Congressional committee . Berkeley sees itself as a model of tolerance and diversity, so it was uncomfortable for the school district to be accused, on a national stage, of being rampantly anti-Semitic. Only three people testified at the hearing on school antisemitism, and Berkeley school superintendent, Enikia Ford Morthel was one of them.
"Since October 7th, the district has had formal complaints alleging antisemitism arising from nine incidents within our jurisdiction," she told the committee. "However, antisemitism is not pervasive in Berkeley Unified School District." "Our superintendent was the only person testifying that could not just flat out say, 'we have an antisemitism problem,'" said Ilana Pearlman.
"She couldn't do it. And that was just..
.that was a punch to the gut." Pearlman, who traveled to Washington D.
C. for the hearing, is the mother of a student at Berkeley High who had to leave an art class when anti-Israel poster art was being displayed to the students. One of them portrayed a fist thrusting up through a Star of David.
Pearlman sees that as being directed at Jews. "Dozens of students have been pulled out of Berkeley Unified School District classrooms when they have complained about antisemitism," she said. "And that is wrong.
So, my son included, spent a week in the student health center and library because there was nowhere to put him..
