Parents at the ultra-luxury Avenue the World School said last weekend the Chelsea campus was rented out for a Ramadan and Eid holiday bazaar, with vendors selling “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” merchandise. It was revealed that he had been peddling it, and he was furious.
The controversial slogan has been deemed anti-Semitic by the Anti-Defamation League, which claims it connotes the destruction of the state of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people.
Avenues, the for-profit private school that Suri Cruise reportedly attends, alerted parents to the issue Thursday night through a vague email sent by school principal Judy Fox.
“A celebratory event planned by one of the groups renting our space included vendors selling merchandise with slogans that go against the values of our own community,” the email shared with the Post said. was included.”
The email did not mention the group by name or clarify the nature of the controversial product.
Astute parents noted that Eventbrite has a listing for a Ramadan and Eid holiday bazaar hosted by the Islamic Learning Center of New York at Avenues on Sunday, March 3rd. Organizers described the market, which was held during school holidays, as follows: It’s a “fun for the whole family” event, with food, raffles and more than 40 stalls selling Ramadan and pre-Eid gifts.
Sabr Unlimited, one of the major vendors at the bazaar, openly promotes their “From The River To The Sea” products on Instagram. The designer took to his Instagram stories to brag about a customer who bought and wore an incendiary sweatshirt at the bazaar.
Avenues said it was not aware of the nature of the products on display at the event.
“This is not an Avenues event and we were not aware that this type of merchandise would be sold or displayed,” school spokeswoman Tara Powers told the Post. “There is no scenario in which we would approve or condone this. We fully understand that the presence of this product within the walls of our campus is harmful and offensive.”
One parent, who is Jewish and asked not to be named, is calling on Foxx and incoming city manager Todd Shy to resign.
“This is a disgrace,” the parent told the Post. “This puts the safety of our students at risk and shows an appallingly poor judgment and lack of leadership. We ask that both individuals resign immediately, and that our children’s school is no longer used as an outsourced party venue. Please stop using it.”
Avenues requires little money. Tuition costs hover around $67,000 a year, and the privileged families range from Wall Street heavyweights and fashion designers to media personalities and tech giants. One parent estimated that at least 20 percent of the students were Jewish. The school also hosts a Jewish Cultural Club, according to its website.
Avenues subsequently terminated its lease with the Islamic Learning Center of New York.
“ILC-NYC provides a place for diverse children to learn the teachings of Islam. Its mission is inclusivity and kindness,” the organization told the Post. The choice to abruptly cut off young students’ access to education is disheartening and demonstrates the disparate treatment of Muslims in these turbulent times.”
Avenues opened in New York City in 2012 and has since expanded to California’s Silicon Valley. São Paulo, Brazil. and Shenzhen, China. Last year, the New York and São Paulo schools were acquired by Nord Anglia Education, an international school with more than 80 schools in 33 countries.
