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Last update - 10:16 24/08/2007
U.S. school stops Hebrew classes for promoting Judaism
By The Associated Press
Tags: Broward Schools, Ben Gamla 

The first Hebrew language charter school in the United States was ordered to temporarily suspend Hebrew classes on Wednesday, while officials determine whether teachers are advocating the Jewish faith.

Broward Schools Superintendent James Notter sent a letter to officials at the Ben Gamla Charter School in Hollywood, Florida, on Wednesday advising them to halt Hebrew classes until the school board could further examine the curriculum.

"If it comes up in the course of conversation, that is one thing but if it comes to promoting religion or proselytizing, we don't want it to happen," said Keith Bromery, a spokesman for the Broward schools.
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While charter schools are generally publicly funded, they differ from regular public schools in that they are autonomous and not bound by some of the rules governing other schools. In addition, they are expected to far surpass regular public schools in terms of quality of education.

Ben Gamla is in its first week of operation as the U.S.'s first Hebrew-language charter school, but school founder Peter Deutsch, a former Democratic congressman, said he told teachers Thursday to halt the classes. He said he shared Notter's aim to ensure religion does not enter a publicly-funded school.

"His goal and my goal are really exactly the same," Deutsch said.

The ban on Hebrew will extend at least until September 11, when the board next meets. Until then, time that would have been spent on language instruction will be used teaching Israeli geography and Jewish history and culture.

A similar debate has echoed in New York over the establishment of the city's first Arabic-themed public school. Critics of the Khalil Gibran International Academy have argued that it will promote extremism and is akin to a madrassa or Islamic religious school. Supporters deny those allegations, maintaining that opposition to the school is based on anti-Arab bias. The school is scheduled to begin operations next month.

Deutsch said he believes the Florida school has every right to continue Hebrew classes, but decided to stop them to ease concerns. Both he and school board member Eleanor Sobel, in whose district Ben Gamla is located, have described their efforts as bending over backwards for one another.

Ben Gamla presented its curriculum to the board for a third time Tuesday, but Sobel said it still had religious overtones.

"We're going into the fourth round now and maybe that's what it takes to get it right," she said.

Ben Gamla, which has about 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grades, has generated controversy since it was proposed. Students follow state curriculum, but also were to take a Hebrew language course, and one of their core subjects - math or physical education, for example - was to be taught bilingually as well.

School officials ran into tough opposition at Broward County School Board meetings when proposing Hebrew textbooks that included passages criticized as being too religious. Even the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Broward County have expressed church-state separation issues.

Ben Gamla hopes to expand further in South Florida and to open schools in New York and Los Angeles. It takes its name from a Jewish high priest, serves kosher food, and its director is a rabbi. Without Hebrew classes, though, Deutsch said its most central component is missing.

"It is kind of crazy - the only Hebrew-English charter school in America doesn't teach Hebrew," he said.


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  1.   This is dumb... 03:01  |  Yair ben Avraham 24/08/07
  2.   Welcome.. 03:11  |  Joseph 24/08/07
  3.   Arabs should do the same... 03:22  |  man 24/08/07
  4.   English only should be taught in Public Schools 03:53  |  Morris Freidman III 24/08/07
  5.   Good on the U.S. 03:57  |  Brad 24/08/07
  6.   missionaries! 04:00  |  Mark Katzman 24/08/07
  7.   Strange reasoning, if correctly reported 05:02  |  Gordon 24/08/07
  8.   Morris Friedman III, 05:06  |  juliana 24/08/07
  9.   #4 Morris 05:08  |  Joseph 24/08/07
  10.   To Morris 05:43  |  Gordon 24/08/07
  11.   Brad 05:47  |  Preferential? 24/08/07
  12.   This is nuts! 05:53  |  David ben Avraham 24/08/07
  13.   Mark Katzman 06:19  |  Maki 24/08/07
  14.   Morris Friedman 06:40  |  David 24/08/07
  15.   David ben Avraham: If It Weren`t For "Bible-thumping" Florida 07:00  |  Yosemite 24/08/07
  16.   Hyper-active adults.... 07:28  |  Webster 24/08/07
  17.   katzman 08:39  |  steven yaros 24/08/07
  18.   Ignorant Goyim 08:52  |  Tom 24/08/07
  19.   SHould public schools be in languages other than English? 09:42  |  MC 24/08/07
  20.   Trying to have your cake and eat it too 10:31  |  Colin Wright 24/08/07
  21.   God at "work" 10:36  |  Choni Davidowitz 24/08/07
  22.   well when jewish = judaism, what do you expect? 10:40  |  matt 24/08/07
  23.   What`s wrong with this? 10:46  |  Andy 24/08/07
  24.   Haaretz another inflammatory headline! 11:00  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/08/07
  25.   I studied Hebrew as a foreign language 11:30  |  Yonatan 24/08/07
  26.   U.S. school stops Hebrew classes for promoting Judaism 11:55  |  Gerald Zang 24/08/07
  27.   What is a jew? 12:01  |  Guido 24/08/07
  28.   # 20 God at "work" 12:07  |  Gerald Zang 24/08/07
  29.   Meanwhile, they say it`s Islamaphobic 12:43  |  David Teich 24/08/07
  30.   A short question and response to Margie and Guido 13:10  |  Nik Miller 24/08/07
  31.   Nick Miller 13:32  |  Guido 24/08/07
  32.   Is something missing from this piece? 13:43  |  Nechama 24/08/07
  33.   to Guido 13:46  |  Goldenberg 24/08/07
  34.   to Miller and Guido 13:52  |  Goldenberg 24/08/07
  35.   They don`t want the flack 13:53  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  36.   The US still allow Arabic schools teaching Islamism... 13:56  |  Nannette 24/08/07
  37.   # 26 Gerald Zang 14:02  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  38.   religion 14:33  |  Rab Burns 24/08/07
  39.   Hebrew= tribal language 14:42  |  American 24/08/07
  40.   # 21 Choni Davidowitz 14:44  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  41.   Nik Miller 14:49  |  Walid 24/08/07
  42.   David Teich # 29 14:53  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  43.   # 30 Nik Miller 14:56  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  44.   Guido # 27 I will tell you what I know about a JEW 15:13  |  The Equalizer 24/08/07
  45.   This school sounds too kosher to be kosher 15:23  |  Natallie Durson 24/08/07
  46.   Goldenberg 15:24  |  Nik Miller 24/08/07
  47.   Goldenberg 15:27  |  Nik Miller 24/08/07
  48.   The problem is the textbook. The school is fine. 15:27  |  Joe 24/08/07
  49.   What Goes Around Comes Around 15:31  |  Tony Anthony 24/08/07
  50.   Gerald Zang, #26, Israelis don`t get it! 15:39  |  Ben 24/08/07
  51.   Nick Miller, Goldenberg, the Equalizer... 15:46  |  Guido 24/08/07
  52.   hebrew teaching 15:49  |  scanadu 24/08/07
  53.   "American" exposing ignorance 15:53  |  Israelit 24/08/07
  54.   Nannette 16:15  |  American 2 24/08/07
  55.   #20 - Gee Colin 16:21  |  JES 24/08/07
  56.   #45 - My, my Natallie. Funny finding you here. 16:27  |  JES 24/08/07
  57.   I cannot understand 16:40  |  KUTW 24/08/07
  58.   #18 Tom 16:53  |  Space 24/08/07
  59.   29. David Teich 17:05  |  KUTW 24/08/07
  60.   # 53, Israelite 17:15  |  American 24/08/07
  61.   Lynn 17:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  62.   If You Want to Teach Judaism, Get Rid of Your ACLU 17:22  |  Andy 24/08/07
  63.   #48 Joe, sumed it up well 17:28  |  Ben Bekhor 24/08/07
  64.   private vs public 17:30  |  margaret 24/08/07
  65.   Broward County School Board 17:31  |  Joshua 24/08/07
  66.   `American` 17:31  |  Israelit 24/08/07
  67.   Mark in Lewiston 17:34  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/08/07
  68.   Contact the School Board 17:35  |  Joshua 24/08/07
  69.   #61 Andy 17:40  |  Ben Bekhor 24/08/07
  70.   Mark of Lewiston 17:46  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  71.   39. American 17:46  |  KUTW 24/08/07
  72.   #5 17:47  |  Joyce 24/08/07
  73.   Promote Jewish faith? Oh the horror 17:50  |  Walter 24/08/07
  74.   Nanette # 36 17:55  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  75.   KUTW # 57 18:04  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  76.   KUTW - It`s a Fine Line 18:10  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  77.   A simple solution 18:12  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/08/07
  78.   Margie in Tel Aviv 18:17  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  79.   I support the decision, Talmudic teachings 18:25  |  New Yorker 24/08/07
  80.   Arabic and Hebrew Schools Should Both Be Allowed 18:38  |  Bernie 24/08/07
  81.   Colin, Arabic is Not Sure to Promote Islam 18:41  |  Bernie 24/08/07
  82.   American re language 18:50  |  David 24/08/07
  83.   Tom - Ignorant Jew 18:51  |  Sally 24/08/07
  84.   Simple solution 18:52  |  Alan the real one 24/08/07
  85.   Re 8 Not language 18:56  |  Alan the real one 24/08/07
  86.   To Nik Miller from TLV 18:57  |  HS 24/08/07
  87.   #77 18:57  |  joyce 24/08/07
  88.   Arabic does not equal Islam - N0 80 18:57  |  Palestinian Brit 24/08/07
  89.   "If you want to learn French, do it on your own time" 18:59  |  *rolleyes* 24/08/07
  90.   Re 77 Gee Chris isn`t that a bit discriminatory. 18:59  |  Alan the real one 24/08/07
  91.   Nanette - Mydrasses? 19:02  |  Palestinian Brit 24/08/07
  92.   Greek, Latin 19:05  |  Jordan 24/08/07
  93.   America believes in FREEDOM of religion 19:08  |  AV 24/08/07
  94.   62 Andy - ACLU Protects Your Rights, Too 19:16  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  95.   62 Andy - ACLU Protects Your Rights, Too 19:17  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  96.   62 Andy - ACLU Protects Your Rights, Too 19:19  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  97.   #32 Missing is mention of NYC madrassa 19:22  |  malka 24/08/07
  98.   Chris Linthwaite-why not, is it not a classical language? 19:26  |  Sam 24/08/07
  99.   GCSE Hebrew 19:39  |  Sam 24/08/07
  100.   #87 19:44  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/08/07
  101.   Dumb 19:45  |  Murray of Montreal 24/08/07
  102.   #87 19:46  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/08/07
  103.   75. Lynn 20:05  |  KUTW 24/08/07
  104.   Palestinian Brit - #91 20:07  |  David Israel 24/08/07
  105.   76. Mark of Lewiston 20:17  |  KUTW 24/08/07
  106.   Culture is an intrinsic part of language instruction. 20:20  |  Giles Martin 24/08/07
  107.   Such schools are not appropriate 20:30  |  Tosefta 24/08/07
  108.   Clarification - Teaching Foreign Languages Should Be Secondary 20:49  |  Morris Freidman III 24/08/07
  109.   Tom #18 20:53  |  Ignorant Goyim 24/08/07
  110.   How many "southern" schools promote Baptist rhetoeric?! 20:58  |  Akiva Patysh 24/08/07
  111.   To: American on Hebrew-language 20:59  |  Alicia 24/08/07
  112.   Colin Wright, what ignorance 21:09  |  Jake 24/08/07
  113.   The USA.... 21:13  |  maria 24/08/07
  114.   #110 Akiva Patysh 21:23  |  Boycott 24/08/07
  115.   andy....I already sent 21:24  |  maria 24/08/07
  116.   #108 Morris Friedman - Good enough for Jesus 21:34  |  Boycott 24/08/07
  117.   Charter Public Schools in the US 21:35  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  118.   A Jewish Goy 21:47  |  Alicia 24/08/07
  119.   108 KUTW 22:11  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/07
  120.   # 103 KUTW 22:14  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  121.   Public School 22:14  |  salty 24/08/07
  122.   Tosefta # 107 22:21  |  Lynn 24/08/07
  123.   Ignorant Tom #18 22:36  |  Barbara 24/08/07
  124.   no hebrew allowed with judaism but xmas and easter ok 22:45  |  virginia orrall 24/08/07
  125.   Maybe Quebec should close anglophone schools 22:58  |  Lebanese in Canada 24/08/07
  126.   No 104 David Israel 22:59  |  Palestinian Brit 24/08/07
  127.   What a waste of time!! 23:08  |  Simon Jenkins 24/08/07
  128.   Mark of Lewiston - ever hear someone complain 23:11  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  129.   Akiva Patysh - Tell me about it 23:17  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  130.   Tom 23:20  |  Yah 24/08/07
  131.   KUTW - and the Founder of the US had none 23:24  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  132.   Maria - No religion when tax payer money is used, simple 23:26  |  American 3 24/08/07
  133.   Part of a movement to destroy public schools 23:30  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  134.   Boycott - yup, "Ma" Ferguson 23:32  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  135.   A hoot Alicia 23:35  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  136.   Prayer vs Traitorism 23:36  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  137.   Giles - true about that 23:41  |  Mark Lincoln 24/08/07
  138.   hebrew promotes judaism?! 23:41  |  effie 24/08/07
  139.   Agreed (Lynn #122) 00:08  |  Tosefta 25/08/07
  140.   # 133 Mark Lincoln 00:34  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  141.   Silly.... 00:46  |  Tess 25/08/07
  142.   Nechama, there are several issues with the school 00:58  |  Jacob Blues 25/08/07
  143.   Lynn I did not say charter schools were not integrated 01:00  |  Mark Lincoln 25/08/07
  144.   Tosefta - the purpose of Public Schools 01:01  |  Mark Lincoln 25/08/07
  145.   #45 NUTallie Durson 01:03  |  * BEN JABO 25/08/07
  146.   American 3 - Zoroaster and the Bible 01:03  |  Mark Lincoln 25/08/07
  147.   Hebrew! Oh my! 01:27  |  Mark Katzman 25/08/07
  148.   playing safe 01:51  |  ron 25/08/07
  149.   Colin Wright 01:55  |  Laura 25/08/07
  150.   Mark Lincoln 01:57  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  151.   Mark Lincoln # 131 02:09  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  152.   Actually, I Agree With Bernie, But Here`s The Problem 02:37  |  Yosemite 25/08/07
  153.   Lynn - funding inequity 03:14  |  Mark Lincoln 25/08/07
  154.   So am I Lynn 03:16  |  Mark Lincoln 25/08/07
  155.   using time instead to teach Jewish History & Culture ??? 04:09  |  SA 25/08/07
  156.   Mark Lincoln 04:50  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  157.   "The right of fundamentalists to practice" 05:12  |  Hal 25/08/07
  158.   My guess about the problem with the textbook. 05:23  |  Hal 25/08/07
  159.   Religious subjects can be taught in a secular school 05:36  |  Hal 25/08/07
  160.   I myself had to teach Evolution to fundamentalists 06:01  |  AV 25/08/07
  161.   #Oy, Morris Freidman III! 09:50  |  hala 25/08/07
  162.   #39 Anerican and Hebrew 10:03  |  hala 25/08/07
  163.   #39 American (the ignorant one) 10:06  |  Nechama 25/08/07
  164.   Jacob Blues NYC #142 10:20  |  Nechama 25/08/07
  165.   #130 Yah and Arabic 10:26  |  hala 25/08/07
  166.   #135 Mark Lincoln - seriously! 11:00  |  Alicia 25/08/07
  167.   119 Mark of Lewiston 12:08  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  168.   120. Lynn 12:12  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  169.   131. Mark Lincoln 12:20  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  170.   Hala and Greek 12:41  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  171.   131. Mark Lincoln 12:59  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  172.   1, separation for public schools also applies to Arabic-only 14:19  |  Jakecat3 25/08/07
  173.   65, Joshua, even ADL has an issue with it 14:26  |  Jakecat3 25/08/07
  174.   107, Tosefta, once more words of wisdom 14:29  |  Jakecat3 25/08/07
  175.   RE: #15 17:12  |  David ben Avraham 25/08/07
  176.   Do Jewish schools have to promore religion? 17:19  |  Olek 25/08/07
  177.   157. Hal: On fundamentalism 17:25  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  178.   KUTW # 168 17:41  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  179.   # 124 Virginia 17:56  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  180.   175. Lynn 18:40  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  181.   167 KUTW - The Minefield 18:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 25/08/07
  182.   Mark Lincoln 19:10  |  American 3 25/08/07
  183.   hala 19:14  |  yah 25/08/07
  184.   Hal #159 19:16  |  C 25/08/07
  185.   177Mark of Lewiston: The Minefield 19:40  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  186.   KUTW 20:46  |  Gina 25/08/07
  187.   181 KUTW 21:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 25/08/07
  188.   # 179 Mark of Lewiston 21:25  |  Lynn 25/08/07
  189.   185Mark of Lewiston 22:22  |  KUTW 25/08/07
  190.   american 3....you`re wrong. 22:57  |  maria 25/08/07
  191.   american 3 23:05  |  maria 25/08/07
  192.   public funding 23:53  |  margaret 25/08/07
  193.   Secular Hebrew education? 00:06  |  Joseph 26/08/07
  194.   KUTW (sec try) 00:37  |  Gina 26/08/07
  195.   re;#178 lynn thanks has been 40 since i was last in school 00:53  |  virginia orrall 26/08/07
  196.   KUTW - spending tax dollars 01:29  |  Mark Lincoln 26/08/07
  197.   To Guido 02:00  |  Albert 26/08/07
  198.   187 KUTW - Tradition 02:28  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/08/07
  199.   Exactly, KUTW #176 03:19  |  Hal 26/08/07
  200.   On teaching a language 03:21  |  Albert 26/08/07
  201.   Maria - I don`t understand your statements 03:23  |  American 3 26/08/07
  202.   If intolerance is banned, then Quran must be banned 04:01  |  Hal 26/08/07
  203.   Nechama - You must be kidding 04:07  |  American 3 26/08/07
  204.   Gina: Voluntary study with religious context in schools 04:09  |  Hal 26/08/07
  205.   Hal 04:19  |  NO HAL NO 26/08/07
  206.   The US government CAN teach religion! 04:29  |  Joe 26/08/07
  207.   America 3 is wrong 04:39  |  Hal 26/08/07
  208.   Moses in the 16th century BCE 05:45  |  Hal 26/08/07
  209.   Hal 05:48  |  Gina 26/08/07
  210.   #195 Virginia 07:42  |  Lynn 26/08/07
  211.   What is Wrong with the US? 08:50  |  MR 26/08/07
  212.   TO SAM #98 09:20  |  Steve Beikirch 26/08/07
  213.   MR -- there are many who do support the voucher idea 10:21  |  Gina 26/08/07
  214.   #170 KUTW on hala, Greek, San Isidoro de Sevilla 10:25  |  hala 26/08/07
  215.   religion with public $ 11:08  |  j10 26/08/07
  216.   196 Mark Lincoln: spending tax dollars 12:10  |  KUTW 26/08/07
  217.   198. Mark of Lewiston: Tradition 12:14  |  KUTW 26/08/07
  218.   199. Hal 12:17  |  KUTW 26/08/07
  219.   217 KUTW - Funny You should mention Steinbeck 18:07  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/08/07
  220.   KUTW - Pardon my Dyslectic Fingers 19:00  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/08/07
  221.   219 Mark of Lewiston 20:14  |  KUTW 26/08/07
  222.   194. Gina (2nd try) 20:58  |  KUTW 26/08/07
  223.   221 KUTW - No Relation 21:26  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/08/07
  224.   223Mark of Lewiston 23:57  |  KUTW 26/08/07
  225.   brad 5 05:28  |  realism 27/08/07
  226.   Cuultural divercity and patriotism 05:52  |  Florida teacher 27/08/07
  227.   Language and expanded horizons 17:59  |  Joan Stuchner 27/08/07
  228.   nechama 39 09:19  |  realism 28/08/07
  229.   Surprised 05:26  |  James 26/01/08
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