Stand Up For Schechter
Stand Up For Schechter
The Issue
# STANDUPFORSCHECHTER
We are community leaders, faculty, parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents and students of Schechter School of Long Island and feel compelled to speak up in defense of our community leaders, Ofra Hiltzik, Dr. Sokol and Mike Hirsch. Their characters have unfairly been assassinated and their lives are being ruined in the aftermath of the indictment of the school’s former CFO. The fact that they and their families are now being badgered and abused by some in this community is extremely troubling.
We are calling upon the members of the Schechter community to demonstrate the values we strive to instill in our children through a Jewish education, the same values that Dr. Sokol, Ofra Hiltzik and Mike Hirsch have been teaching our children. We will not be bullied. We must be upstanders.
We are troubled by the spread of baseless allegations that seem to be circulated carelessly as so-called facts. Here are some FACTS:
NO victims have come forward at Schechter.
NO lawsuits have been filed against Schechter.
There is NO evidence of sexual misconduct or abuse by any staff member, including Mike Hirsch.
According to the Board, the only allegation of wrongdoing has been leveled by the Suffolk County District Attorney, who has indicted our former CFO on multiple felony counts.
Many emails with ambiguous statements or partial truths have been distributed anonymously but with NO corroborated FACTS. To those that are acting on these uncorroborated facts, you are allowing yourself to be misled by others with a hidden agenda.
Here are some additional FACTS:
Ofra Hiltzik has been tirelessly working at Schechter for the past 40 YEARS, as a teacher, administrator and trusted educator. She has proudly been involved in the upbringing of generations. We have never had a doubt about her prioritization of our children’s safety, well being and success. Those of us with children who have graduated from the school are grateful to have had her partner with us in our children’s education.
Dr. Sokol, while relatively new to our community, has come to us with decades of experience as an educator and with a deep commitment to the well being of children. He led Schechter through the consolidation of campuses and through the pandemic; He has guided us through one of our most trying periods as a community and throughout it all has been a steady force for our school at a time of great need.
Mike Hirsch worked at Schechter for 15 years. He has been more than an employee. He has worked tirelessly as a dedicated teacher, administrator, and mentor to students. His commitment to the Schechter community is unparalleled. We have trusted him with our children and he has responded in kind. We acknowledge there is some disagreement as to how Mike was brought back to the school. That is not the point of this letter. At all times, the children have been in a safe learning environment.
These individuals have made Schechter a safe space for our children to learn and thrive in a nurturing environment for generations. We encourage you to speak to students past and present to understand just how truly special a role these individuals have played in their lives. The FACTS are that Ofra Hiltzik, Dr. Sokol and Mike Hirsch have been committed, selfless and tireless leaders. They deserve to live in the same environment we have called upon them to create for our children. They deserve our support, acknowledgement and thanks. They have earned no less than that.
From our perspective, it seems rather obvious that falsehoods and rumors are being spread with the sole intent to detract attention from the wrongdoing alleged by the Suffolk County District Attorney against our former CFO and to destroy the fabric of our community in the process. We should not allow ourselves to lose perspective about the true wrongs perpetrated against our community.
The Torah teaches us to be upstanders. We are not willing to stand by while good names and reputations are harmed. We invite you to stand with us and show your support for Ofra Hiltzik, Dr. Sokol and Mike Hirsch and the Schechter School of Long Island.
You can demonstrate your support by:
Joining us in signing this letter
Writing your own personal letter to the school
Stop the spreading of uncorroborated rumors
We teach our children to be upstanders; we will do the same.
307
The Issue
# STANDUPFORSCHECHTER
We are community leaders, faculty, parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents and students of Schechter School of Long Island and feel compelled to speak up in defense of our community leaders, Ofra Hiltzik, Dr. Sokol and Mike Hirsch. Their characters have unfairly been assassinated and their lives are being ruined in the aftermath of the indictment of the school’s former CFO. The fact that they and their families are now being badgered and abused by some in this community is extremely troubling.
We are calling upon the members of the Schechter community to demonstrate the values we strive to instill in our children through a Jewish education, the same values that Dr. Sokol, Ofra Hiltzik and Mike Hirsch have been teaching our children. We will not be bullied. We must be upstanders.
We are troubled by the spread of baseless allegations that seem to be circulated carelessly as so-called facts. Here are some FACTS:
NO victims have come forward at Schechter.
NO lawsuits have been filed against Schechter.
There is NO evidence of sexual misconduct or abuse by any staff member, including Mike Hirsch.
According to the Board, the only allegation of wrongdoing has been leveled by the Suffolk County District Attorney, who has indicted our former CFO on multiple felony counts.
Many emails with ambiguous statements or partial truths have been distributed anonymously but with NO corroborated FACTS. To those that are acting on these uncorroborated facts, you are allowing yourself to be misled by others with a hidden agenda.
Here are some additional FACTS:
Ofra Hiltzik has been tirelessly working at Schechter for the past 40 YEARS, as a teacher, administrator and trusted educator. She has proudly been involved in the upbringing of generations. We have never had a doubt about her prioritization of our children’s safety, well being and success. Those of us with children who have graduated from the school are grateful to have had her partner with us in our children’s education.
Dr. Sokol, while relatively new to our community, has come to us with decades of experience as an educator and with a deep commitment to the well being of children. He led Schechter through the consolidation of campuses and through the pandemic; He has guided us through one of our most trying periods as a community and throughout it all has been a steady force for our school at a time of great need.
Mike Hirsch worked at Schechter for 15 years. He has been more than an employee. He has worked tirelessly as a dedicated teacher, administrator, and mentor to students. His commitment to the Schechter community is unparalleled. We have trusted him with our children and he has responded in kind. We acknowledge there is some disagreement as to how Mike was brought back to the school. That is not the point of this letter. At all times, the children have been in a safe learning environment.
These individuals have made Schechter a safe space for our children to learn and thrive in a nurturing environment for generations. We encourage you to speak to students past and present to understand just how truly special a role these individuals have played in their lives. The FACTS are that Ofra Hiltzik, Dr. Sokol and Mike Hirsch have been committed, selfless and tireless leaders. They deserve to live in the same environment we have called upon them to create for our children. They deserve our support, acknowledgement and thanks. They have earned no less than that.
From our perspective, it seems rather obvious that falsehoods and rumors are being spread with the sole intent to detract attention from the wrongdoing alleged by the Suffolk County District Attorney against our former CFO and to destroy the fabric of our community in the process. We should not allow ourselves to lose perspective about the true wrongs perpetrated against our community.
The Torah teaches us to be upstanders. We are not willing to stand by while good names and reputations are harmed. We invite you to stand with us and show your support for Ofra Hiltzik, Dr. Sokol and Mike Hirsch and the Schechter School of Long Island.
You can demonstrate your support by:
Joining us in signing this letter
Writing your own personal letter to the school
Stop the spreading of uncorroborated rumors
We teach our children to be upstanders; we will do the same.
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Petition created on November 6, 2022