This morning, “06880” posted a letter from Rabbi Cantor Shirah Sklar, regarding Andrew Goldberg’s Newsweek story about his son’s experience with antisemitism in middle school.
Westport Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein responds:
As a member of the Westport Jewish community and chair of the Board of Education, I personally feel the real and understandable fear, anger and anguish many Jews are currently experiencing.
I am also deeply troubled by the rabbi’s letter today on “06880.”
I feel compelled to respond publicly, because the compassionate, professional teachers and administrators who run our school district and support our children are being unjustly accused of ignoring antisemitism.
Lee Goldstein
No one should minimize the pain that antisemitic bullying causes – and no one did that here. If we are going to fight antisemitism, we must encourage people to report it, and we know they won’t unless they trust us to respond and take action.
In this situation, our administration did just that. Our educators not only followed all applicable laws, policies, and procedures, they also worked respectfully and compassionately with all the families involved to try to reach acceptable solutions and address with sensitivity the interactions among minor children.
For good – but very frustrating – reasons, under federal law only individuals directly responsible for the education and safety of our students can be privy to details of student incidents. All schools are legally bound to protect the privacy of all students and families. I would like to say I wish that the rabbi had reached out to the district before publishing her letter, but the hard truth is that even if she had, we could not have shared any additional information.
In this case, our team gathered the facts; considered the needs, feelings, and well-being of the children involved, and implemented appropriate safety measures, supports and corrective actions, including consequences.
At a time when some leaders may hide behind jargon and policies, that is not what we are doing. We prohibit antisemitism and take action against it, including in this matter. I fear that accusing people of ignoring or minimizing antisemitism without having all the facts will make matters worse.
In partnership with ADL and other experts, we will continue to engage with the community, combat antisemitism, and do all we can to prevent and respond to incidents when they occur.
The importance of these steps cannot be overstated. I have great faith in our Westport Public Schools and broader community to learn from these challenges and come together to lead the way in the fight against antisemitism.
But yours probably paled in comparison with the one Andrew Colabella attended.
The Westport Representative Town Meeting member headed to Washington, and a special Supreme Court gathering in their East Conference Room.
He and his date, Viviana Vasiu, hung out with the justices.
And sang Christmas carols led by a great tenor (Chief Justice John Roberts), a gifted alto (Justice Amy Coney Barrett), and some of the high court’s most interesting colleagues and friends.
Andrew calls himself Viviana’s “very lucky” date. She is one of 4 fellows selected each year for a prestigious fellowship program created by former Chief Justice Warren Burger.
Andrew Colabella and Viviana Vasiu, at the Supreme Court party.
This was the fellowship’s first holiday party since 2020.
“I was walking among the brightest and most successful law and policy makers, in the last great cathedral of the United States,” Andrew reports.
All of the justices were “very friendly and warm. They conversed with everyone.”
He says that Viviana is “proof that the American Dream still exists.” She came to the US at 18 from Eastern Europe. After starting at a community college, she graduated at the top of her class at both Stetson University and its law school. He calls himself “her biggest supporter and fan.”
As for Chief Justice Roberts’ excellent singing voice: “He killed it,” Andrew says.
Chief Justice John Roberts leads the caroling. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
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Can we get $3,348?
That’s all that’s needed for Westport to reach its goal of $60,000. With just $3,348, we can fund two wood pellet machines — and provide heat, all winter long, to 2,000 residents of our sister city: Lyman, Ukraine.
Two anonymous gifts — and many smaller ones — have brought us thisclose to the end of our holiday fund drive.
One donation of $30 can help one family through the long winter. $300 can help 10 families. One gift of $3,000 will put us almost over the top.
To donate by credit card, click here; then click the “I want to support” box; then select “Westport — Lyman Sister City.” Scroll down on the Donate page for other options: mail, wire transfer and Venmo. Thank you!
Christmas is still 6 days away. We’re sure your tree looks gorgeous.
But a few days after that, you’ll start thinking about how to get rid of it.
As they do every year, Scout Troops 39 and 139 can help.
Their annual Christmas tree pickup is January 6. Just fill out this form.
Then put your tree by your mailbox by 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 6. The suggested donation is $20 per tree (though you can of course give more!). Put it in an envelope (cash or check made payable to “Troop 39”); tape it to you front door.
All trees will be mulched into wood chips, and donated to the town for landscaping projects. Funds raised help pay for Scout activities all year long, and for chipping expenses.
NOTE: Scouts cannot take wreaths or garlands. The wires ruin tree chippers.
A raucous home crowd cheered on the Staples High School boys basketball team last night, as they started on the road to their 2nd straight state championship appearance by dominating Newtown, 73-57.
Dozens of young Westport PAL players were in the packed stands. They got an extra-special treat when Larry Johnson — the former New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets player — joined them.
At halftime, they swamped the ex-pro with autograph requests. Smiling, he signed every one — including a paper towel.
Larry Johnson, and young fans. (Photo/Lisa Newman)
“Sheppy” has worked at The Home Cook on Saugatuck Avenue for almost 3 years. He’s a key member of the “heat and eat” food service.
After a recent diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, an infection in his foot required amputation. Owner Stephanie Berghoff organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with Sheppy’s significant medical bills.
Brian Marsella returns to Westport, for this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, December 21, shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 7; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399).
Called “a psychedelic Art Tatum,” the pianist has toured the world. Now he’s back wit bassist Reid Taylor, drummer Brian Floody and saxophonist Greg Wall.
All wowed the Jazz at the Post crowd, earlier this fall.
There’s a $15 music charge. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
My roots in Westport run very deep. I am a graduate of Staples High School. My mother was a beloved teacher in the school system for 35 years. Presently, my family represents the only Jewish clergy who have children in Westport Public Schools.
I am the senior rabbi at Temple Shalom in Norwalk, which serves many Westport families, one of whom is the family of Andrew Goldberg and his 12-year-old son, whose ordeal facing antisemitic bullying in Westport is now national news.
As we all bear witness to a moment in time that Jews face unprecedented antisemitism in America, I am at once heartbroken and disappointed in what has happened in our beloved community, and the harm that our leadership’s handling of this situation has caused to an innocent child.
Rabbi Cantor Shirah Sklar
Incidents of antisemitic harassment and violence have increased 400% in this country since the beginning of October. It is time for our community to be proactive rather than reactive, and to begin to take seriously the issues of marginalization and discrimination against Jewish students.
There is a reason why many Jews feel isolated and alone. Our schools champion every initiative for inclusion and diversity, and leadership responds by appropriately saying there is no tolerance for antisemitism.
However, it is difficult to remain confident in these declarations when we examine the facts: A child was repeatedly ostracized, alienated and bullied by his peers with antisemitic epithets for months. The parents reported the repeated incidents and an investigation by the school corroborated these claims.
To be clear: These are not allegations as some in the media have presented. The findings are the result of an investigation performed by the principal of the school, which substantiates example after example of bullying and antisemitism.
Despite the conclusive results of an investigation, one member of the Board of Ed has already intimated, without having any real knowledge on the subject, that we don’t know the whole story. This response is deeply unsettling, reminiscent of the distressing and alienating zeitgeist in which many minimize the lived experience of victims of antisemitism.
Here is another fact: The legal team of the Board of Ed offered a settlement to the Goldberg family, a clear admission that the school system had run out of solutions to keep their child safe from harassment.
As a mother of three children in the Westport schools and as a rabbi, I am horrified that the settlement included terms that demanded a child would have to remain silent about this traumatizing and life-altering experience. In a culture where silence is bought and sold, these agreements only serve to protect the reputation and dysfunction of organizations. They do not take into account the well-being of the injured party-In this case, a 12-year-old boy.
We have now learned that the majority of school staff and students were completely unaware of this case and that it was never addressed among the school community, even as the Goldbergs saw no alternative but to enroll their child in a new school. We have also learned that until it became national news, The Board of Ed was also unaware of this case that had gone on for months with high level administrators, the school board’s legal counsel and the superintendent.
The response from the superintendent is equally disheartening because no formal communication has addressed the issue with the Goldberg family directly. I am deeply disheartened at attempts to distract the public and hide this case from view, rather than prioritize the needs of a child who was mistreated and repair that harm.
The superintendent has talked about the necessity of combatting antisemitism in general, as if to protect Westport from future incidents. This is empty political posturing if it does not include addressing this incident specifically and making substantive steps to repair the damage that has already been done. And so I ask our town’s leadership, how will restitution be made to the Goldberg family?
Jewish tradition teaches a concept of repair called “Teshuvah” that is fundamental to correcting our path when we have gone astray. It includes an honest and transparent accounting of our actions, apologizing directly and holding ourselves accountable to restore justice to those we have harmed and making an earnest and sincere effort to correct the path, to have a plan going forward. The Goldberg family deserves nothing less from the Town of Westport and the Westport Public Schools. Actions speak louder than words.
If we really want to be the kind of town that promotes tolerance and diversity, that welcomes and supports students and families of all races, religions, orientations and ethnicities, we all have work to do. We can’t just say it is so, we have to make it so.
Alert “06880” reader Bob Levy is a 35-year resident of Westport. He writes:
A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to Compo Beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
A large group of Westporters were gathered. They wanted to show their support for Israel, the Jewish people, and the over 200 hostages who were represented by over 200 empty chairs.
I am an old man. It did my heart good to see this.
My Uncle Ralph was my father’s twin brother. Beside the fact that they were both 5-9, they were exact opposites.
Uncle Ralph had movie star good looks with black hair, blue eyes, and somehow always a tan.
Bob Levy’s Uncle Ralph
He had 2 daughters, and he treated me like the son he never had. He would tell me stories about growing up in the Bronx — the mischief and trouble he would both get into and cause.
Somehow, Uncle Ralph got into a fight almost every day. He was fearless, and tough as nails.
He dropped out of high school, played in the New York state handball finals, was an expert pool player, and played poker with middleweight champion Rocky Graziano, who became a friend.
When I was 13, Uncle Ralph let me take his rowboat from the back of his house. The current was strong, and before I knew it I was 1/2 mile on the other side of the canal, and lost an oar (next stop England).
I somehow knew my Uncle Ralph was watching. I stood up and waved my hands.
I could not see him, but I knew he saw me. Within 15 minutes I saw Uncle Ralph swimming.
He smiled as he came aboard the rowboat, then hailed down a friend in a motorboat who towed us back home.
My Uncle Ralph was my hero.
He retired to Florida when he was 50. He took up golf, and for 2 years all he did was practice.
He practiced sand shots, chipping, putting and driving. At the end of 2 years he was ready to play — and was already a scratch golfer.
I have played golf for over 40 years. My best handicap was 16.
I have played with many good golfers, some single digit handicappers but never a scratch golfer.
A scratch golfer is extraordinary. Becoming a scratch golfer at age 50 is most extraordinary. My Uncle Ralph was extraordinary.
However, one story about Uncle Ralph stands out from all the rest.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Uncle Ralph enlisted in the Marine Corp.
Before he got his uniform, he bought a gold Star of David.
Uncle Ralph was not a religious man. However, he told me he wore the Star of David because he wanted the Germans to know that a Jewish boy was coming after them, and that he was not afraid.
When I was around 17 — 60 years ago — my Uncle Ralph gave me a box with his gold Star of David in it.
I never wore it. I put it away.
After October 7, 2023 I searched my house and found the box. I opened the box, and looked at my Uncle Ralph’s Star of David.
For the second time since the Nov. 7 municipal election, the Planning and Zoning Commission is poised to appoint a new member to an open seat.
Amie Tesler, who was elected to a new, four-year term on the P&Z last month, has decided to step down.
The Republican told Westport Journal: “Family first, always. I have an amazing but demanding job. I respect my fellow commissioners and love this town but, alas, kids and work.”
According to LinkedIn, she is director of business development for Zebra.
The Republican Town Committee will recommend a replacement. the full P&Z will vote on that recommendation at tonight’s Zoom meeting.
Amie Tesler
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Here’s the scoop:
Yesterday marked the end of Saugatuck Sweets. The Riverside Avenue ice cream shop closed, after a 10-year run.
(Photo/Jason Stiber)
It will be replaced this spring by MOMU — another ice cream place. The name comes from the initials of the owners. They know the site well: They also own Kneads Bakery Café, across the street.
MOMU will make their ice cream fresh, in the store.
The “06880” tagline is “Where Westport Meets the World.”
The other day, Westport met Tokyo.
Staples High School Class of 2008 graduate — and current resident — Galen Blumenthal recently returned from a business trip to Japan. He reports:
“On my first day in Tokyo, I met the local interpreters hired to support our discussions. It didn’t take long to realize one of the interpreters and I had something in common: We both attended Kings Highway Elementary School.
“Chie Sugano lived in Westport for a few years while her dad worked for IBM. She attended KHS ‘around first and second grades,’ lived on Rice’s Lane, and remembers the town fondly.
“She has lived in Tokyo since. She was excited to hear about the ‘06880’ tagline, and agreed we should share this story.”
Galen Blumenthal and Chie Sugano
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As traffic worsens this week — and you’re stuck at the Playhouse Square Post Road light (heading west) or the one at Compo Road (going east), look over at Winslow Park Animal Hospital.
As always, they offer a whimsical welcome to the holidays.
The Bedford family is the gift that keeps on giving.
In 1923, Edward T. Bedford endowed and built the YMCA downtown.
In 1944 his son, Frederick T. Bedford, provided the funding to buy Camp Mahackeno, on Wilton Road.
Camp Mahackeno, shortly after the name was changed from Camp Bedford.
In 2015 — 92 years after the Y opened, and soon after it moved to the Mahackeno campus — the organization received $40 million from the estate of Ruth T. Bedford: Edward’s granddaughter, and Frederick’s daughter. She died the previous year, at 99.
She gave similar amounts to Norwalk Hospital (where she volunteered for decades), and Foxcroft, the private girls’ school she had attended in Virginia.
Ruth — a trustee emeritus of what is now known as the Westport Weston Family Y — wanted the Y to change lives for the next 100 years.
In 2015, the YMCA board of trustees established the Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund. Earnings from the endowment support organizations that provide direct or supplemental educational opportunities. As a result the Fund supports a wide range of programs.
Ruth Bedford, with longtime YMCA supporters Lester Giegerich and Dr. Malcolm Beinfield.
Last week, the Y honored the 2023 grant recipients of the Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund. 31 organizations local non-profits received over $315,000
At the ceremony, Westport Y CEO Anjali McCormick said, “Ruth had no patience for ostentatious displays of wealth and shunned attention for her philanthropic contributions. She is the embodiment of the Y’s social responsibility pillar standing firmly by the idea that you don’t need more money than you need to live on, and that you have a responsibility to give back.
“Ruth’s legacy is enduring. Though she had no children, she continues to touch the lives of hundreds and thousands of children and youth each year, through and because of your organizations. The breadth and depth of creativity and innovation in your programming is inspiring. We love that you are forward thinking, we love that you are solution oriented, we love that you are preparing future generations and the world to be a better place.”
Recipients include:
A Better Chance of Westport
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy
Adam J Lewis Academy
Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders
The Carver
CT Institute: Refugees & Immigrants
Family & Children’s Agency
First Serve Bridgeport
Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestra
Hall Neighborhood House
Horizons: CT State Norwalk, Greens Farms Academy, Notre Dame Catholic High School
Middle school students in Greens Farms Academy’s Horizons program.
Housatonic Community College Foundation
Kids Empowered by Your Support
The Klein Memorial Auditorium Foundation
Mercy Learning Center of Bridgeport
Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County
New Beginnings Family Academy
Norwalk Community College Foundation
Norwalk Housing Authority
Norwalk Symphony Orchestra
Person to Person
Project Morry
Shepherds Mentors
Silvermine Arts Center, Art Partners Program
Smart Kids with LD
Staples Tuition Grants
University of Bridgeport, STEM on Wheels
Suzuki Music School
Wakeman Memorial Association
Edward T. and Frederick T. Bedford would be very proud.
At this weekend’s Candlelight Concert, Staples High School’s Tri-M Music Honor Society collected cans and non-perishable food for Homes with Hope. Hundreds of concert-goers contributed to the “Can-Delight” drive. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
The stretch of Post Road East between Stop & Shop and Layla’s Falafel is dangerous. It’s best to keep your eyes on the road.*
But 3 passengers — or clients — were wide-eyed enough to know that last week’s Photo Challenge showed the cat on a sign outside Poster Veterinary Associates, on that section of the Post Road. (Click here to see.)
Andrew Colabella, Jeff Jacobs and Jonathan McClure all identified Peter Gold’s image correctly. Now keep your eyes on the road!
This week’s Photo Challenge is a bit of a pickle. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
*That’s actually good advice for the entire Post Road — and all of Westport, in fact.
(Here’s a non-photo challenge: Can you support “06880” with a tax-deductible contribution? If so, please click here. Thank you!)
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At a time when some leaders may hide behind jargon and policies, that is not what we are doing. We prohibit antisemitism and take action against it, including in this matter. I fear that accusing people of ignoring or minimizing antisemitism without having all the facts will make matters worse.
