Josh Pruzansky, director of Agudath Israel of New Jersey, thanks the Edison Board of Education at its Aug. 21 meeting for moving a referendum vote scheduled for the first day of Rosh Hashana to Dec. 9.
Photo by Debra Rubin
August 26, 2008
After weeks of fighting, appeals, and behind-the-scenes negotiating by state and local officials and members of the Jewish community, the end came quietly.
The conflict over the scheduling of a $57.8 million school referendum on the first day of Rosh Hashana was resolved when the Edison Board of Education voted unanimously, and without public comment, on Aug. 21 to move the election from Sept. 30 to Dec. 9. A decision to place such a resolution on the meeting agenda was reached Aug. 19 after schools superintendent John DiMuzio polled each member individually.
The referendum seeks to expand and build public schools in the overcrowded district. The board had suggested that Jewish residents unable to vote because of the holiday make use of absentee ballots.
The board’s decision to hold the election on the Jewish holy day had set off a firestorm of criticism throughout the Jewish community after a local rabbi, Bernhard Rosenberg, raised the issue.
Josh Pruzansky, director of Agudath Israel of New Jersey, sent an Aug. 14 letter signed by the leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, Orthodox Union, American Jewish Committee, the NJ Association of Jewish Federations, and his own group, which represents fervently Orthodox congregations.
“By asking Jewish residents to cast absentee ballots, you are effectively establishing a separate and more cumbersome voting procedure for a whole group of Edison residents based solely on their religion,” said the letter, which was addressed to DiMuzio and the state commissioner of education, Lucille Davy.
A statement from Philip Cantor and Gabriela Sadote Sleppin, the chair and director, respectively, of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, said, “We are not interested in a hollow protest. Rather we expect to work together to rectify the situation and ensure it is not replicated.”
Rabbi Deborah Bravo of Reform Temple Emanu-El in Edison and president of the Metuchen-Edison Interfaith Clergy Association, described herself as “outraged” and her congregation as “very upset.”
Other religious leaders also criticized the election date, including Monsignor Michael J. Alliegro, rector of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen, and such legislators as state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Dist. 18), who vowed to introduce legislation blocking the referendum.
After the board vote, three members commented on the controversy.
President David Dickinson acknowledged, “We made a mistake and we admit it.”
“Unfortunately for us the date we chose was a significant religious holiday,” he said, adding the board had “valid reasons for choosing that date.”
The Sept. 30 date is one of four allowed each year by the state to schedule such referendums and the board wanted to move forward as quickly as possible.
Board member Carmelo Vaticano thanked the community for its input and sounded a plea that the state Legislature put in place a new mechanism providing flexibility for officials to change election dates when faced with a conflict such as a religious holiday.
William Van Pelt said he wanted it known district officials tried to find a solution, including DiMuzio’s decision to send a hand delivered note days before to Davy asking her to step in and change the elections.
“Mr. DiMuzio took action and tried to work things out and he should be complimented,” he added.
Few members from the Jewish community turned out for the meeting, which only days before had been expected to draw a large crowd.
After the meeting Pruzansky, also a resident of neighboring Highland Park, thanked the board for its understanding.
Moshe Feuer, president of the Kehilla of Raritan Valley, said he was pleased at the outcome. The Kehilla represents the unique needs of the area’s Orthodox community in dealings with state and local government.
“We’re very satisfied,” said Feuer. “I appreciated the comments made by Mr. Dickinson. “He and the rest of the board and school officials were very cooperative in reaching a satisfactory conclusion.”
Rosenberg, of Congregation Beth-El in Edison, was also happy with the outcome. He was not at the meeting but told NJJN, “I’m happy, but we should never have had to have this battle.”
Speaking of another controversy about five years ago, when the Edison board was considering scheduling school on the second day of Rosh Hashana, the rabbi added, “Personally this is like reliving that battle. I don’t understand why they didn’t learn their lesson then, and I only hope we don’t have to go through another battle with this board of education.”
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