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Volume XVIII • Number 33 • July 28 - August 3, 2011 •
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Exclusive: Discussion between Shoah survivor and new Muslim head of MC Holocaust Center
By PAULETTE SCHNEIDER The Manhattan Chapter of Women Holocaust Survivors grew concerned when they learned that Manhattan College had decided to expand the mission of its 15-year-old Holocaust Resource Center, to rename it the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center and to appoint a Muslim, Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, as the center’s director starting this fall. Riverdalian Lily Margules, president of the survivors’ group, recently had a tête-à-tête with Afridi to address the group’s concerns. Following are some brief excerpts from their dialogue. Lily Margules: I came here not as Lily. I represent a group of survivors, and I came here for a friendly discussion. It’s just a very unusual situation, and I got a lot of phone calls—“Lily, do something. How can this happen? What can we do? We are afraid.” So I decided that the best way is to talk to you and find out. The situation is that people are wondering—what prompted you to get interested in Judaism and what prompted you to get interested in the Holocaust? Mehnaz Afridi: At Syracuse University, I really got interested in critical philosophy and decided to major in religious studies. I did a lot of work with a faculty member—his name was Sander Gilman—and he taught me 19th-century Germany and the figuration of the Jew in Western philosophy. Then, I got an assistantship with Alan Berger doing a post-Holocaust course. That changed my whole direction Continued on Page 19
Mehnaz Afridi, new head of the Manhattan College Holocaust Center, with Holocaust survivor Lily Margules.
Mass exodus of teachers at RKA reflects ‘toxic’ environment under principal O’Mara By MIAWLING LAM Nearly a dozen teachers have fled the beleaguered Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy due to harassment, intimidation and a toxic work environment. The figure was revealed after the Riverdale Review secured exclusive interviews with two teachers last week. Both expressed frustration with RKA principal Lori O’Mara and were critical of her poor leadership skills and her tendency to show favoritism. They said the school is plagued by widespread teacher dissatisfaction and is led by a principal more preoccupied with preserving her own image than with educating children. A number of colleagues felt O’Mara targeted certain staff members while protecting those in her inner circle and overlooking their wrongdoings.
“The tone is never really conducive to a healthy learning environment,” according to one source, who preferred not to be identified. Some were particularly upset that while insufficient time and resources got allocated to student activities, the principal found time to set up a Weight Watchers program and Zumba dance class for adults at the school. “If you’re going to devote that kind of energy to setting up and maintaining activities for adults, why aren’t you directing that attention to the children as well?” the teacher said, noting that these issues were discussed among the staff. O’Mara perpetuates a culture of finger pointing and distrust as well as favoritism, the seasoned educator said. “She seems very self-centered and focused on covering her own tail, on preserving her image, so at times,
you want ask, ‘Where are your priorities? Are we really working with the students’ best interests in mind?’” Another teacher, who also declined identification for fear of retribution, said veteran staffers are intimidated and harassed. “They go after the teachers that have a lot of years,” the person said, adding that experienced teachers were pushed out because of their impact on school finances. Of the 11 teachers who left last month, seven filed for retirement. “One of the biggest problems of the Bloomberg administration was that the principal became responsible for hiring teachers,” the person said. But many observers feel that the mayor’s “fair school funding” penalizes schools with senior, better-paid teachers. “It just made Continued on Page 7