Last week I read that the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee has put out a clear notice that no Jews are welcome in the local schools. What else could it mean when the school board votes to start school on one of the holiest days of the year in the Jewish calendar?

Whether a Jewish family is observant or secular, orthodox or reform, all respect the importance of this particular day, which celebrates the creation of the world. Alayne White’s excellent letter to the Phoenix last week well expresses the surprise of most secular Jews that her Christian friends and neighbors show such obvious disrespect for the Jewish community.

Rhode Island’s own progressive history teaches the basic lesson of not discriminating on the basis of religion. As Jews and Americans, we treasure those values that General George Washington expressed in his famous letter to the neighboring Newport Jewish community in Colonial times: “To bigotry no sanction and to persecution no assistance.” 

This insult by the school board comes as no surprise to some of us. We cannot expect that our 14th-ranked schools will attract Jewish families to purchase homes here or to start businesses in this community. They all will choose to attend the far superior schools in nearby Barrington.

Of course those same Jewish families traditionally represent the top tax payers and employers in Bristol, whose funds uncomplainingly support this insulting school board, whether or not they have children registered in Bristol schools.

I hear two excuses for this explicit insult from the school board. The first is that there are only 12 Jewish families with kids in these schools, so it really doesn’t matter very much, and secondly that Carly Reich, who is a Jewish member of the school board, is much too Progressive so this insult should put her in her place.

It would be nice to remember that Jesus himself taught as a Jewish rabbi, and he and all his disciples would probably have been in the Temple on Rosh Hashanah instead of at work or in school.

Even if there were no Jewish families affected, why purposefully insult one of the founding religions of this country?

Just because Ms. Reich is smarter and more civic-minded than most, is no reason to show such disrespect. How much simpler to choose another day to start school or perhaps to elect less besotted school board members?

Perhaps a good place to start improving the schools would be to teach some respect for other people. The town council who pays the bills with our Jewish bread should know on which side it is buttered and immediately correct this situation.  

George Burman
Bristol