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Comments (0)Bicyclists protested the removal of a bike lane through the fervently Orthodox Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg.
The protesters reportedly had planned to ride topless through the neighborhood at the end of Shabbat on Saturday night—the bike lane reportedly was removed because the Chasidic community is offended by scantily dressed riders.
Extreme cold and the beginning of a snowstorm in New York caused the several dozen cyclists to remain fully clothed, however, though some pinned plastic breasts over their jackets, The Associated Press reported.
Teacher Sent Home After Alleged Holocaust Denial
A Las Vegas school district has sent home with pay a teacher who allegedly denied the Holocaust in the classroom.
Students at Northwest Career and Technical Academy reported to their parents that Lori Sublette, a gym teacher, launched into Holocaust denial during a casual chat session in an “advocacy class,” which prepares students for life after high school, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Dec. 18.
Sublette made the alleged comments the Wednesday before Thanksgiving; Sublette was still permitted to teach until Dec. 18. A school district spokesman said last Friday that Sublette was being disciplined but would not elaborate.
A decision on Sublette’s future at the school reportedly will be made after the holiday break in early January.
The students quoted Sublette as saying that information on the Holocaust in history books was doctored or distorted.
Sublette apologized to one parent, the Review-Journal said, but only for conveying her opinion in class and not for denying the Holocaust.
Students have said that Sublette has yet to apologize to them for her comments and have reported anti-Semitic taunts in the wake of the incident. Police are investigating one such incident, in which a student allegedly texted a number of Jewish students and threatened to slit their throats.
Oregon Jewish Museum Reopens
The Oregon Jewish Museum in Portland opened in a new location.
The 6,400-square-foot building that opened Sunday offers more storage space for archives and artifacts, and allows more exhibits to be held at the same time, the local Jewish Review reported.
The building, converted from its original use in the film industry, features screening rooms and better access for the disabled, among other facilities.
The premiere exhibition at the new space is called “The Shape of Time: accumulations of place and memory.” Five photographers contributed to the exhibit, which touches on issues of collective identity through the lens of the local community.
Philly Students Dunked After Holocaust Taunts
Some Philadelphia-area high school students were disciplined after they allegedly taunted an opposing basketball team with Holocaust slurs.
Police, school authorities and the Anti-Defamation League are investigating an exchange of taunts at the Dec. 15 game in suburban Philadelphia between Upper Darby and Lower Merion high schools, local media reported.
Lower Merion has a large Jewish population, and as the game progressed taunts from a small group of students supporting Upper Darby turned anti-Semitic.
Among the taunts reported: “Warm up the ovens,” “You’re so Jewish, get your yarmulke,” and “We’ll write you letters when you’re in Auschwitz.”
School officials said the Upper Darby students who shouted the taunts were identified and that the school took “very serious disciplinary actions.”
Lower Merion won the game, 51-27.