In the wake of anti-Semitism following the October 7 attack on Israel, new Jewish schools have received five times as many applications as they can accommodate.
Emmet Classical Academy – whose name is “truth” in Hebrew – Opening this September Located on the Upper East Side, officials said the school had more interest than it had capacity.
“Since our announcement a few weeks ago, we have received hundreds of enrollment inquiries from families with children in elite secular private schools, Jewish full-time schools, public schools, G&T and more. [gifted and talented] program,” Rabbi Abraham Unger, principal of the school for grades 6 through 12, told the Post.
school, Founded by conservative nonprofit organization The religious group Tikva Foundation plans to enroll 36 to 40 students per grade in the first year, according to Tikva CEO Eric Cohen.
Kira Krieger Senders, 52; applied for a place at PS6 on the Upper East Side for her 10-year-old son, who is currently in fifth grade. She told the Post that while she is happy that her son's public school promotes shared values, she is concerned about her son entering middle school. .
“What I fear most is anti-Semitism. “I'm worried that my child will be the target of certain anti-Semitic rhetoric, actions and sentiments. I don't want them to want to do that while they're there,” said Krieger Senders, who is Jewish. Anti-Semitic remarks by his longtime friend after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Emmett will offer a curriculum rooted in Western civilization, taught by Unger, a political scientist and former professor.
“Our focus on the core ideas and texts of Western Civilization makes us unique in today's educational market, and is unique to most other public and private schools in New York City. It's certainly very different from what we're seeing now,” Unger told the Post.
“The goal is simple: to strengthen America's civic life and develop a people who will make great contributions to all areas of humanity.”
Emmett cites “the spirit of American citizenship” as one of its seven founding pillars. In addition to the arts and sciences, students will study Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and learn about “Zionism's strong ties to modern Israel.” General “military history”.
In December, the Post reported that the city's Department of Education had filed more than 850 charges against James Parra, a paraprofessional at Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School in Williamsburg, after he posted a photo of himself wearing a keffiyeh scarf on Instagram. It said it had received a complaint. The caption read: “This is a good time to remember that Palestine will be liberated from the rivers to the seas in our lifetime.” He also called Israel a “racist” and “terrorist” state in another post.
These anti-Semitic comments led Krieger Senders to look for a school where her son would not only be safe, but also learn how to deal with anti-Semitism around the world.
“You can't control what happens.” [city] The Department of Education is going to teach your child,” she said. “I believe that schools like Emmett’s will equip my son with the knowledge and tools to have conversations with anti-Semites and even persuade them against them.”
Krieger Senders also said she believes Emmett will help her son develop open-minded critical thinking skills. He should believe. ”
Another Manhattan mother with two daughters in middle school and high school said her family was interested in Emmett for the same reasons.
“Many parents are concerned that schools are teaching based on ideology. DEI is being incorporated into the curriculum in a way that overwhelms the learning itself. Emet believes that It’s not a denial of DEI, but it doesn’t make education exist through a DEI lens,” the mother, who declined to be named, told the Post.
Tuition at Emmett is $36,000 a year, with merit scholarships available, according to an application reviewed by the newspaper. Families are welcome to apply regardless of their religious background.
“The Emmett Classical Academy begins as a single Citadel School in New York City in hopes of planting the seeds of a larger Jewish classical movement,” Cohen told the Post.
“We are now living in a moment of great Jewish awakening in America. Many Jewish families and students feel the weight of Jewish history more deeply than ever before.”
