More of the Mamdani effect in motion, at NYC schools

A Holocaust survivor was denied a chance to give a speech at a New York school, because the principal didn't like his messages:

The principal of a Brooklyn middle school created controversy this week by turning down the opportunity to have a Holocaust survivor speak to students.

Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement Thursday that he has met with that survivor, Sami Steigmann, in the past, and that "he is absolutely the right person to speak with kids about the atrocities of the Holocaust."

The snubbing of Sami Steigmann

Last month, a parent in the Boerum Hill section of the borough wrote Arin Rusch, the principal of Middle School 447, asking to bring Steigmann in as a speaker, saying he's "very relatable, especially with youth."

Rusch responded, in part, "We've had Holocaust survivors speak in the past," adding, "It can really help build empathy and counter antisemitism."

However, she also said, "In looking at his website materials, I also don't think that Sami's presentation is right for our public school setting, given his messages around Israel and Palestine. I'd love to explore other possible speakers."

"I wish I was able to talk to her to find out why she feels that way, what is the reason, because just being proud of being Jewish does not disqualify me to be a speaker," Steigmann said.

Based on what the principal brings up, it's clear on the one hand, she buys into the palestine propaganda as an Arab/Islamic state hook, line and sinker, and it wouldn't be shocking if she'd refuse to accept it was all a concoction of the Roman empire in remote times. On the other hand, she doubtless despises Mr. Steigman's respect for the actual country his ancestry originated from, and believes he's not allowed to be proud of his ethnicity. On which note:

On Steigmann's website, aside from two Q&A slides that have the Israeli flag as the backdrop, slide number 57 explains Zionism. One bullet point reads, "No other state would accept Jews before Israel was created, during the time of the Holocaust and beyond."

No doubt, she also opposes anything to do with Zionism, which is just a synonym for patriotism and nationalism. And this is also obviously the Zohran Mamdani effect, even before he's begun his term of office as NYC's first Muslim mayor.

Moshe Spern is the president of United Jewish Teachers.

"There seems to be a movement of separating Jews from Israel and now there seems to be a movement of separating the Holocaust from Jews and separating the Holocaust from Israel," Spern said. "We cannot allow New York City to continue down a path that censors and shuts out Jews for their viewpoints and especially Holocaust survivors."

I would also strongly recommend making a similar case for Armenian historians on Turkey's genocide during WW1, and 911 Families/survivors, who're doubtless censored and blacklisted by many school systems too in New York. Sadly, this is bound to get worse under the incoming Mamdani, and victims of October 7, 2023 could also be blacklisted.

In the meantime, the NY Post notes that without a doubt, Mamdani will also cancel an anti-BDS order issued by outgoing mayor Eric Adams. And while NY governor Kathy Hochul may have distanced herself from Mamdani's positions, it wouldn't be shocking if she took no proper action to prevent him from destroying NYC as he's bound to do soon enough.