The first day of school for the 2013–2014 year has been changed for the Evesham Township School District. But what might seem like a minor move came with much controversy at the last board of education meeting.
The issue to change the day originated when, during public comment at a May meeting, parents Lisa and Marc Cohen asked the board to consider changing the first day of school from Friday, Sept. 6 to Monday, Sept. 9 to avoid having their children be absent due to the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
“The board admitted an oversight,” Marc said in a letter to the editor. “This was about a percentage of the students in Marlton missing the first day of school. Not a religious reason.”
The board voted to change the date during the May 23 meeting with five members voting “yes,” two “no” and one abstention due to absence.
According to Cohen, though, board member Rosemary Bernardi made numerous hurtful, anti-Semitic comments.
“We could start school on Thursday the first day of Rosh Hashanah — I don’t care. It is up to the parents to keep their kids home, all seven or eight Jews who live in our district,” Cohen said, quoting Bernardi in his letter. “There are 4,000 kids in the district, and we have to change the start date for those few children.”
Additionally, Bernardi was heard at the end of the meeting saying, “anyone who would like to run for the board of education, there are three seats up and there are five Jews on the board,” according to Cohen.
Sue Wilder, a Jewish mother of three children in the district and attendee of the meeting, corroborated the Cohen’s claim of what Bernardi said.
“I was just speechless, I was so angry,” Wilder said. “I just froze, I was afraid about how I would react [to her] during the public comment portion.”
School board president Sandy Student said he didn’t hear the initial comment due to poor acoustics in the building, but he was still upset with her actions.
“What Rosemary did was distasteful and disgraceful,” Student said. “We do not single out others for ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation; that’s not public policy. We are emphatically rejecting what she is suggesting.”
According to Student, the board can only take any action against Bernardi if she misses three consecutive meetings, according to the bylaws.
“In expressing my frustration of our board’s oversight and not knowing the significance of the second day of Rosh Hashanah when planning this year’s school calendar, I failed to express my opinion in an appropriate manner,” Bernardi said in an email. “I apologize to my fellow board members and the residents and hope my poor choice of words will be a teachable moment for all.”
When asked if she felt community pressure to resign from the board, she said she is continuing to reach out to the Evesham Township residents via the many community leaders “to extend my heartfelt apology and hear their concerns.”
Her statements made their way to Mayor Randy Brown at the Memorial Day ceremony through numerous residents who attended the ceremony.
“I was disappointed and surprised. As elected officials, we are held at a higher standard than anyone when it comes to things in the community, in my opinion,” Brown said. “She made anti-Semitic remarks at the meeting and, for that, she should issue a lengthy apology and should resign.”
The New Jersey School Board Association issued a statement following the comments.
“At the core of NJSBA’s mission is the advancement of education for all students. Fulfilling that belief requires us to recognize the dignity and value of all people,” John Bulina, president of the association, said in the statement. “When members of a community express their concerns about a school board decision, such as an academic calendar, or become involved in public service, such as school board membership, it is totally unacceptable to single them out based on religion, ethnicity or race.
“The New Jersey School Boards Association deplores any statements or actions contrary to its mission and core beliefs and is continuing to investigate this matter.”
Bernardi is expected to attend the next board of education meeting on June 27 at Marlton Elementary School.
“I recognize that as a member of the school board, it is my responsibility to set an example for kids throughout the district, that there is no room for intolerance of any sort, and that discrimination based on ethnicity, race or religion simply cannot be tolerated,” Bernardi said. “I believe that there is no place for any discriminatory remarks in these meetings.”
