Jeff and Rachel Robmann didn't expect to be backlash when they put up a sign in the garden of their home on the outskirts of Philadelphia that read “Jewish students deserve to be safe on campus.” When his son was home from university for winter break, Robmans posted a sign to represent solidarity with Jewish university students who experienced anti-Semitism following Hamas' October 7 attack.
Signs had double meaning to the family. In addition to his message against anti-Semitism, Pink resonated with Robman as he is a passionate advocate for breast cancer research.
Robmans' neighbor Anna Shruck had trouble with his Robmans' neighbor Anna Shruck with his sign. According to Lobmans, before Shurak asked to remove the sign, she blocked it with a wheelbarrow and dirt. In response, Robman raised the sign, but Shruck used the Philadelphia Eagles flag to block the block for the second time.
Lower Merion School District board member Anna Shrack allegedly used a wheelbarrow and a dirt bag to block the neighbour's garden sign. (Commentary: Jeff and Rachel Robman)
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The Robmans decided to reach out to local officials as Shruck serves in an elected position, and they believed that blocking the signs was an act of censorship that violated their initial right to revise. Jeff Robman also expressed these frustration to Fox News Digital, saying that elected officials were surprised that she felt she could censor her freedom of speech.
Shrak, who is also Jewish, ultimately held up her own signature. However, Shurak claimed in a deleted Facebook post since then that she had been with the sign for eight years. Lobmans was able to challenge her claim with images from the garden on Google Maps.
Anna Shrack, a member of Lower Merion's school board, is said to be blocking signs that support university students at the University of Jews for their second signing. (Commentary: Jeff and Rachel Robman)
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Lobmans contacted local officials about the ongoing situation. Jeff Robman later described the conversation with Kramer as “invasive and intrusive,” and said the commissioner asked him to correct his signature while speaking in official abilities.
In February, Robman presented the lawsuit during a committee meeting. In his presentation, Jeff Robman told the board, “The net effect of Anna's actions is to reduce our freedom of speech, to convey that her message is valuable and that our message is not a similar theme to what she has publicly advocated in her elected role.”
However, the signs attracted attention from other neighbors, and other neighbors began to tell Robman what was going on in the local school district.
When they put up the sign, Robman, who has children in private schools, was unaware of the ongoing fight in his local school district about handling anti-Semitism.
“A few weeks ago, Jeff Robman told the board: “We made a connection with our signs and realized how wrong Anna is for us to censor current local issues in her political campaign.”
A side-by-side comparison of Jewish university students and Robman's signatures supporting Anna Shrack's “We Believe” signs. (Commentary: Jeff and Rachel Robman)
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Jeff and Rachel Robman were not alone in their concerns about freedom of speech. Steve Rosenberg, a Jewish community consultant who serves as the Philadelphia Regional Director of the North American Value Institute, agreed.
“The idea that elected school board members go to such lengths to interfere with the indication that “Jewish students deserve to be safe on campus” is beyond the awkward thing. This incident is not just a sign. This kind of blatant threat cannot be raised. Especially in districts where parents are already deeply concerned about anti-Semitism,” Steve Rosenberg told Fox News Digital.
Shurak did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
