By Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Director of Community Relations, Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor
On Sunday September 30, the Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor hosted seven candidates running for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education for a Candidates’ Forum (the eighth candidate, Eric Sturges, could not attend due to illness).
While these School Board candidates have attended many such forums this election cycle, this was the only one that focused on issues of concern to the Jewish community. Moderated by JCRC Co-Chairs Decky Alexander and Wendy Lawrence, the candidates answered questions on topics such as how to fight antisemitism in schools and beyond, and even how they would define antisemitism. There were questions about the in-limbo acceptance of an AAPS affinity group for Jewish parents, about how to ensure the safety of Jewish students expressing their Jewish identity at school, and about whether the candidates supported having the School Board weigh in on international issues such as the Israel-Hamas war. (School Board member Ernesto Querijero was the only candidate who answered in the affirmative to this last question.)
The forum showed, however, that local Jews are interested in issues beyond just their own community. Significantly, a conversation emerged about equity and the uneven funding of PTOs across the district. The candidates were also asked about the imbalance between time spent on a regular School Board business and financial issues—allowing a $25 million deficit slip through the cracks—and passage of a Ceasefire Resolution. (AAPS was one of only two School Boards in the country to pass such a resolution.)
As with the other Candidates’ Forums that the Federation’s JCRC sponsored, there was political and even religious diversity in the audience. In particular, it was meaningful to see former School Board president Rima Muhammad in attendance. Additionally, current School Board president Torchio Feaster appeared on the panel, despite running unopposed for his two-year position.
At the end of the Forum, Jewish Federation Board President Marla Linderman Richelew thanked both the candidates and the audience for a warm and friendly atmosphere. Perhaps one of the most important takeaways of the Forum was that our Ann Arbor community – Jewish and beyond – can come together, deal with difficult and even contentious issues, and still be friends and neighbors committed to the common good for our families and our kids. Even when the formal portion of the forum ended, there were several warm and productive conversations between candidates and the audience, and between many attendees who had not met each other previously. It is the goal of the JCRC to deepen these relationships – within the Jewish community and beyond – and to provide a model for all for a shared, productive society.
To learn more about the JCRC, visit www.JewishAnnArbor.org or contact Asher Lopatin at asher@jewishannarbor.org.
Program for the JCRC School Board Candidates’ Forum
Seven of eight candidates running for a seat on the AAPS School Board during the forum.