The Scarsdale I Know

(This is the opinion of Joanne Wallenstein, Publisher of Scarsdale10583.com)

I was heartbroken to learn about recent incidents of antisemitism in the Scarsdale Schools and sad to witness how mistakes made by teens can quickly be inflamed by social media. In no time at all a single event can make it look as if the entire community is coming apart at the seams.

What happened? As recounted by the SHS Principal, last week, “several signs advertising the Israeli Culture Club’s celebration of Israel’s 78th Independence Day were removed from hallway walls, and some of them were put in urinals in boys’ bathrooms. In addition, the School Government’s Instagram post advertising the event received two replies criticizing the event using vulgar language.”

The story has already hit the New York Post and national news, and a petition is being circulated asking for the resignation of the President of the Scarsdale School board. Is something rotten in the town of Scarsdale. Does this incident define us? Are there flaws in the fabric of our town?

Not in the Scarsdale that I know.

From where I sit I see a very diverse community centered on excellence in education, community and mutual respect. Residents hail from all over the globe, speak a multitude of languages, observe many different religions and hold disparate political views. How do I know? Because in the past few months we have covered everything from Chinese New Year, to Iftar and the publication of a beloved Rabbi’s new book. At each Scarsdale Village Board meeting the Mayor notes a long list of religious and cultural observances on the calendar for the month – reaching out to all groups to make them know they are welcome and important contributors to life in Scarsdale. Last year the school district made major changes to the academic calendar to accommodate celebrations of Eid, the Lunar New Year and Juneteenth.

In just the past two weeks, I attended three local events that left me moved by the depth of feeling for our community and the generosity of my neighbors.

On April 6th, our Village Historian Jordan Copeland presented a lecture on the History of the Jews to a packed room of Jews and non-Jews at Scarsdale Library. He traced the growth of the Jewish population in Scarsdale, noting their involvement in business, civic affairs, and the many contributions they made to life in Scarsdale. He also outlined the darker side of the story - how restrictive covenants prevented Jews from living in certain areas and how Jews were not welcome at local country clubs. But what did he conclude? After spending a year doing research he was actually heartened by the Jewish experience in Scarsdale and encouraged residents in the audience to welcome newcomers from other faiths and nations as they would have liked to be welcomed themselves.

That was just one event that made me proud to be here.

On Tuesday April 12 I participated in a focus group as part the development of a strategic plan for the Scarsdale Library – and sat around the table with a diverse group of Scarsdale residents, of all ages and races - most of whom I had not met before. They were asked to provide their thoughts on what they valued about the community and what could be done to improve it. Turns out, they were a happy group. A retiree said that after her children were grown she and her husband decided to stay in town – because everything they could want was here. They could walk to the Village, use the library and enjoy their friends and their golf game. Where else could match it? A more recent entrant said she felt safe at home, liked that her kids could hang out in the Village by themselves and was happy with the schools.

Struggling to think of what could be better, people mentioned more sidewalks and a supermarket, but quickly decided that all in all Scarsdale is well run and that’s why they’re happy here. Any improvements they could imagine were already in the works.

Then I had the pleasure of attending an event at Westchester Reform Temple, where former Rabbi Angela Buchdahl was in conversation with current Rabbi Jonathan Blake about her new book documenting her path as a Korean-American female rabbi and cantor. She was thrilled to be back in a place she called home, where she felt the acceptance and love of a congregation who embraced someone who broke all previous notions of what it means to be Jewish.

Referring to a recent article in The New Yorker, Rabbi Blake asked, “Are synagogues coming apart at the seams about Israel?” She provided a calming, rationale and reassuring response. She said, “You’re seeing extreme emotions over this. It has never been harder to talk about Israel and I did not want to lose people in my community over Israel. But I don’t think our community is falling apart at the seams…. We are a spiritual community and we are still taking care of each other. We see each other as good human beings. We have to be decent to each other. We are serving something higher – bigger than ourselves. When we pray together and sing, when we lift our voices, when we help someone who is ill, the kindness transcends Israel – and disagreement. We can keep our caring community at the core.”

I recount these stories to put the incidents in the news into the proper perspective.

To me this event is not a symptom of larger problems simmering beneath the surface. The incident was simply an attempt to grab attention by a few kids who have not learned how to engage in debate in appropriate ways.

I was impressed by the well thought out response from school leaders who clearly took these missteps seriously. The high school principal vowed to be “swift, decisive, and fair in responses to violations of the Code of Conduct.” The Superintendent said the district is developing “a clear, written set of guidelines regarding student speech and dress at school sponsored activities.” The Board of Education vowed to work in partnership with the district and the community to reinforce the values of respect, dignity and inclusion.” And the President of the Board, said, “As a parent, I will focus on healing my family. But as a school board member, my focus will continue to be on our students, our schools, and our educational program. I am fully committed to following through on our mission, which is to support each student's full development, enabling them to be effective and independent contributors in a democratic society within an interdependent world.”

Their words were thoughtful, empathetic and offered concrete steps to prevent future incidents and more forward.

In April and May Scarsdale celebrates our community with wonderful events that bring out people from all quarters. Last week it was a sold-out gala to support the library, this week, it’s the Scarsdale Bowl to spotlight community volunteers and in May, Scarsdale Family Counseling Service will honor those who support the community’s mental health.
These are opportunities to celebrate who we are.

I am not letting an ugly incident shake my confidence in an excellent community of caring friends and responsible leaders. I hope you will all reflect on what you value here and take steps to come together to further strengthen the fabric of the community we all love.