JustASC

The East Brunswick Hebrew-language charter school runs into some static:

The East Brunswick Board of Education this week took steps to suspend state approval of the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School, saying it does not have enough students.

On Wednesday the school district filed a motion with the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey asking the court to “stay” the school’s charter, according to a release from the district. The district also asked the state Commissioner of Education to “stay” approval of the charter.

“Under New Jersey law, a charter school must have enrolled at least 90 percent of the school’s approved maximum enrollment,” the school district said. “The Hatikvah charter provides for a maximum enrollment of 108 students; therefore, in order to receive final approval of its charter, Hatikvah must have at least 97 enrolled students. The East Brunswick School District’s records demonstrate that Hatikvah’s expected enrollment is well under the 90-percent mandate.”

Unless the district’s numbers are wrong, it looks like we at the NJJN jumped the gun in our July 28 story about the school getting final approval from the state. We had reported, “The school will begin the year with a full enrollment of 108 students in grades K-two, although it is still actively seeking students for a few slots.” 

It looks like the district has info that it is more than “a few.”

The Star-Ledger follows up with community reaction.

CBS News profiles my town:

Far away from the religious strife of the Middle East and the simmering tensions of our post September 11 world, there’s an oasis of hope in the small community of Teaneck, New Jersey.

This is sort of the Chamber of Commerce version of the Teaneck I know — not misleading, necessarily, but not exactly the whole story.

(Does TV news ever get anything approaching the whole story — or even close? I literally stopped watching it years ago — I never watch an evening newscast, national or local, and leave feeling that I am more informed as a result.)

There’s nothing in the Teaneck story about some of the periodic tensions between the Orthodox community, with its kids in day schools, and the African-American population whose kids form a majority in the public schools. Such tensions are played out at school board and municipal elections, where the divergent priorities of the two communities — especially surrounding school budgets — are discussed openly, heatedly, and sometimes nastily.

Even the appointment of the Muslim mayor, in fact, played out with racial overtones — with some supporters of a black “candidate” for mayor (the mayor is appointed by the the town council, not elected by popular vote) complaining she had been overlooked because she was black.

That being said, Teaneck does have some loci of diversity that are worth crowing about, including integrated parks and soccer leagues and a quality high school. But Shangri-La? Not yet.

A nice taste of Israel in the summer, via Israel21C. (This one is for you, Stephen, and any other anxious parents with kids touring Israel):

A press release from The Hebron Fund: 

ARE YOU VISITING ISRAEL THIS SUMMER?

Take the Hebron Fund Day tour of Rachel’s Tomb, Hebron and the Machpela with Rabbi Simcha Hochbaum – a safe, wonderful experience for the entire family!

 Celebrate Jewish History with those who keep writing it!

 Take your children to visit your great-grandparents in Hebron!

See Hebron through the eyes of the people of Hebron!

New armored buses, inspiring guides like Rabbi Simcha Hochbaum, Yossi Baumol & David Wilder, Hebron’s historic sites and our pioneering spirit

- all come together to make this tour your most moving day in Israel!

Hebron – The ultimate family experience in Israel!

Nothing says “ultimate family experience” like “New armored buses.”

Nice little shout-out for the NJJN from the South Orange Patch:

Mollie Leitzes, COO/General Manager of NJJN Media Group—the publishers of New Jersey Jewish News—is asking readers to vote for their favorite New Jersey vendors so that New Jersey Jewish News can announce the winners in its Rosh Hashana edition.

In April, NJJN asked readers “to share with us their choices—whether for service or for merchandise.” (Although gourmet shops, bagels and caterers are included, there are no restaurant categories.)

Leitzes writes, “We were amazed at the impressive response we got.” NJJN compiled lists from the responses and is now asking readers to vote for their favorite nominees.

Local nominees include: Beacon Jewelers, 3r Living, No. 165, Perch Home, Fringe Salon, Anthony Garubo Salon & Spa, The Chelsea Set, Little One & Co., The Tenth Muse, Village Belle, Bagel Chateau, Scriveners, Sparkhouse Kids, Sonny’s Bagels, New World Catering, Cait & Abby’s, Village Wine Shop, Kokoro, Crane’s Deli, Eden Gourmet, Kings and Kitchen a la Mode. You can vote for your favorites here.

You must read Tad Friend’s New Yorker story about aging hipster/actor/musician  John Lurie and the bizarre feud with a  former artist friend that has sent him virtually underground for the past year and a half. (It’s not online, but you can see a precis and related video here.)

Essentially, Lurie and friend John Perry had a falling out, and Lurie is convinced Perry wants to do him bodily harm. Every time they appear close to reconciling, one or the other says something sufficiently ambiguous or passively aggressive to set the entire cycle of suspicion, recrimination, and flight in motion again.

There’s a “Grey Gardens” aspect to the tale, as you essentially get to observe a once-sort-of-famous person devolve into what looks like madness. And there’s a “Gaslight” angle, too, with Perry seeming to do all he can, within the law, to send his ex-buddy over the edge.

Is it a put on? Both artists seem to be in a position to benefit from the publicity.

Whatever the truth, it’s un-put-downable. Unless you just don’t give a flying, which makes it un-pick-upable.

NJJN scooped the Star-Ledger by a couple of weeks on this story, about the South Brunswick Board of Education’s decision to approve school closings for two Islamic holy days, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The S-L doesn’t mention an angle we found — about the rabbi who enlisted other clergy and help persuade the board to recognize the Muslim holy days. From Debra Rubin’s story:

The move profoundly affected members of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, according to the South Brunswick mosque’s religious director, Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli.

“When I reported the good news at a service…I could see the tears in the eyes of the many mothers and fathers,” said Chebli, five of whose six children have gone through the local district.

Calling Wolkoff, “my friend,” he added, “And if there is any credit, this should go to the members of our South Brunswick Area Clergy Interfaith Association and our wonderful rabbi.”

This is how Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab starts a piece in HuffPost:

The aim of this blog is not to pile it on the ADL, but to show that this organization that is expected to fight hate, discrimination and defamation, has little tolerance for the suffering of any group other than the Jewish population.

Thank goodness. For a second there I thought he was going to pile it on the ADL.

A friend came back from Israel with some candy for the office. I wonder if the makers know what “foreplay” means in English and thought this was sassy, or was there no English speaker who could give them feedback? (Years ago I came across an Israeli shampoo with the English name “Scumbod.”)

By the way, the Hebrew name for the candy bar is “Peseck-zman,” which means “time out.” And it’s quite delicious.

This seems a bit of an over-reaction: Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek and CNN returned an award that was presented to him in 2005 by the Anti-Defamation League, its Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize, to protest its opposition to the Islamic center near Ground Zero.

Wrote Zakaria in a public letter to Abraham Foxman, national director of the ADL:

“I cannot in good conscience hold onto the award or the honorarium that came with it and am returning both. I hope that it might add to the many voices that have urged you to reconsider and reverse your position on this issue. This decision will haunt the ADL for years if not decades to come.

“Whether or not the center is built, what is at stake here is the integrity of the ADL and its fidelity to its mission. Admitting an error is a small price to pay to regain your reputation.”

The organization makes one bone-headed decision and Zakaria can’t accept an award he received five years ago? I can understand if the ADL’s mosque decision was part of a pattern of anti-Muslim or intolerant moves, but it got so much attention precisely because it was such an outlier.

If I were Zakaria, I would have written a scathing critique, using his honor as the sort of bona fide that other critics lack. How about, “As someone who shares your commitment to tolerance and the first amendment, and was a proud recipient of your award in 2005, I am writing to say how disappointed I am in your taking a position that contradicts those ideals. I am donating a sum equal to the honorarium I received as part of the prize to [insert organization of choice that supports the mosque project or the principles he feels ADL has betrayed].”

The precedent he is setting is this: “Any time I accept an award from an organization, I am doing so on the condition that it never take a position with which I disagree.” That sounds harsh, self-serving, and short-sighted.

I think a better position, especially for a journalist, is to decline any awards from any organization, so you would never feel a conflict between your views and its (and never be accused of being in the tank for the organization).