Anti-Israel display at elementary school sparks outrage

BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

An anti-Israel display at an “International Night” at a Parkway elementary school the evening of Jan. 26 sparked outrage among some of the 500 children and their parents who attended, including several who are Jewish.

In a letter sent to families and faculty at Highcroft Ridge Elementary School in Chesterfield the following day, Principal Chris Clark explained that “an individual at one table chose to display images and messages that were extremely hurtful to members of our Highcroft family of the Jewish faith and/or of Israeli descent.”

The table host, representing Palestine, displayed several placards with anti-Israel sentiments, including an image of a hand holding a spray bottle adorned with Stars of David that read “ethnic cleansing.” The bottle, spraying what looked like blood, was aimed at a map drawing of Israel colored like the Palestinian flag, accompanied by the words: “It was never a conflict . . . It’s always been genocide.”

Another image showed a map of Israel depicted like a puzzle, with the phrase, “The only peace Israel wants is another piece of Palestine.”

In the letter, Clark explained that the Highcroft Parent Staff Organization

(PSO) and Equity in Action Team, which partnered to host the event, were not aware of the controversial display prior to the evening.

“The images and messages were discovered soon after the start of the event,” Clark said. “I immediately addressed the individual to remove the hate speech, to which they complied. I also made it very clear there is no tolerance for divisive and hurtful speech at Highcroft Ridge.”

A Parkway District spokesperson said the event was the first time Highcroft Ridge, which encompasses kindergarten through fifth grade, had hosted an International Night. Its purpose was to expose students and their families to the diverse cultures that make up the school community. Roughly 15 countries, including Turkey, Germany, Scotland, France and Colombia were represented that evening, with booths depicting the foods, cos-

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Join Rabbi Andrea Goldstein of the Jewish Mindfulness Center at Shaare Emeth for one or both of weekly Mindfulness Meditation sits where participants are led in practices opening the heart and mind to the possibility of continual growth and change. No meditation experience necessary.

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