The Values Foundation has urged the government to set up a safeguarding committee to protect children from the possible harmful effects of a course of an explicit nature that will become compulsory in British schools next summer.
The foundation, headed by Judith Nemeth – former head of the National Association of Orthodox Schools (NAJOS) – wants an independent watchdog to be established.
She said, “Many schools have become subject to ideological capture, promoting materials from political lobby groups which teach children misleading and harmful concepts such as gender identity or being born in the wrong body. These undermine parental beliefs and values as well as conflicting with the science curriculum.”
She added, “The future for Jews in Britain is never a surety. But allowing all UK children to be exposed to explicit content and engage in graphic conversations of an adult nature will not only allow force children to lower their boundaries, making them open to exploitation, grooming and abuse, but will also widen the gap between Torah concepts of morality and modesty and that of the rest of the UK.”
After leaving NAJOS, when it was superseded by Chinuch UK, Nemeth realized that Orthodox objections to the explicit course of study were on point – not just for Jews, but for all British citizens.
She told the Jewish Press, “It’s a British problem. The foundations of Britain are set up on Judeo-Christian principles, which were being whitewashed. It is not just about Jews. It is about anybody who wanted to support and promote other faith or traditional family positions.”
Leeds Eruv Is a Go
Leeds City Council has given planning permission for an eruv to go ahead in the north-eastern English city.
Leeds Eruv committee member Hilton Lorie told the Jewish Press, “We are tremendously excited. It is going to be a game-changer for the Leeds Jewish community.”
“In many ways it is the last piece of the jigsaw,” he said. “We recently established a Jewish high school. We have a vibrant kosher butcher and deli and a great Jewish youth centre. We think that once the eruv is up we can absolutely start to pro-actively try and get young people interested in re-locating to Leeds.”
The cross community eruv committee is made up of one person from each of the city’s three Orthodox shuls plus the president of Leeds Jewish Representative Council.
Labour Party Receives Anti-Semitism Report
The Labour Party has received a draft copy of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on its handling of anti-Semitism.
The report was demanded last year by the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM).
A spokesperson from JLM said this week, “As a third party to the investigation, we have not had sight of the draft report. We hope that when it is published, it will provide the kind of impartial and independent scrutiny required to force the party to comply with its duties under the Equality Act.”
On receiving the report, Labour General Secretary David Evans said, “Anti-Semitism has been a stain on our party in recent years. It has caused unacceptable and unimaginable levels of grief and distress for many in the Jewish community.”
Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Angela Rayner has accused the Conservative Party of inaction over accusations of anti-Semitism in its ranks.
Girls Placed in Quarantine
Eight girls at Stamford Hill’s Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School have been quarantined for two weeks after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.
Lubavitch primary schools in London’s Stamford Hill re-opened last Wednesday after a deep clean after a girl there had also tested positive.