H EADLINES
Antisemitism Small
by the Bucks County Courier
Times. “Currently our days off are
recognized by state holidays,
with the exception of the
Jewish holidays, which maybe
we need to re-look at how those
were decided and we need to
fi rm up our policy.”
Finally, at the board meeting
on Nov. 9, a Doylestown man
named Art Larson got up during
the public comment period
and made several infl amma-
tory comments about Jews.

He said the Anti-Defamation
League has Mafi a ties, that
Jews in general have a problem
with organized crime and that
former Israel Prime Minister
Menachem Begin called Jews
“the master race,” a quote that
is not corroborated.

Parents say Larson is
known in the community for
spreading conspiracy theories
about Jews.

“Nobody listens to him,”
said Richard Tems, a Jewish
Doylestown resident who does
not have kids in the district.

Yet Jewish parents were
concerned that, aft er giving
is the one time a year where
we get highlighted and can
really make an impact on our
revenue.” Th ese businesses not only
rely on Small Business Saturday
— which falls on Nov. 27 — as
a means of keeping themselves
afl oat, but also the local
economy. According to the U.S.

Small Business Administration
Eastern Pennsylvania District
Director Steve Dixel, small
businesses employ half of the
state’s workforce and comprise
almost all Pennsylvania
businesses. Sixty-eight percent
of the money spent at small
businesses stays in the local
economy. To ensure a successful Small
Business Saturday, businesses
are hard at work.

Marlyn Schiff , owner of
wholesaler and boutique
Marlyn Schiff Jewelry, plans
on extending her Haverford
store’s hours, staying open
an extra hour on both Black
Friday and Small Business
Saturday, as well as staying
open on Sunday, when the
store is usually closed.

Schiff hopes that deals will
also help draw in customers:
“Th ere’s a gift with purchase
and 30-50% off of everything
in the store.”
For businesses with a
smaller workforce, the day
looks diff erent.

“For my small business,
it’s not really about the deals
or savings, but I’m trying to
give more value, more exciting
product offerings,” said
Danielle Abrams, owner of
HamsaMade, an online-based
mosaic art store that upcycles
glass objects to create person-
alized Judaica.

Abrams also will off er gift s
with purchase but wants to
continue her messaging to
customers that she is there to
provide a personalized service,
not mass-produced products.

Dixon Spence will host a
one-year birthday celebration
Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
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12 NOVEMBER 25, 2021
Jewish Doylestown mom Lela
Casey is worried about what she
sees as antisemitism in the district.

Jewish Central Bucks mom Daniela Burg with her son Ethan.

Courtesy of Daniela Burg
Photo by Charlie Casey
Larson time to speak, none of
the board members denounced
his comments.

Four CB board members
— Jodi Schwartz, Lorraine
Sciuto-Ballasy, Karen Smith
and Tracy Suits — did send out
a press release saying they don’t
support Larson’s comments, or
those made by another speaker
at that meeting, Ed Mackouse,
a Jewish Buckingham resident
who argued that transgender
women shouldn’t be allowed to
use the women’s bathroom.

“While we unequivocally
support the opportunity for
the community to exercise
their right to free speech, we
do not support this infl am-
matory speech, nor do we
believe it refl ects the values
of the Central Bucks School
District or the community,”
the board members said, per
reporting from Patch.com.

“We stand with these groups
and any others off ended by
these troubling comments.”
Despite that release, Jewish
parents are worried about
what they say in a culture in
which it’s OK to make what
they interpret as anti-Jewish
statements. Lela Casey of Doylestown
has three kids in Central
Bucks schools. She has lived
in the district for 11 years but
never attended school board
meetings until the past year.

“How far are we going to let
this go?” she said.

Adi Strigl,
also of
Doylestown, has two kids in
CB schools. Th e family moved
to Central Bucks in 2007 and
never went to board meetings
before. Now though, if she can’t
attend in person, she listens to
the recording on the district
website. Strigl said she wants board
members to better understand
their position.

“You’re an infl uence. It
legitimizes it to the rest of the
population,” she added, refer-
ring to antisemitism. “Where
do we draw the line?”
One mother, Daniela Burg
of Furlong, recalled a story
from last year when her son
was told on the playground that
he couldn’t be trusted because
he was Jewish and wearing a
mask. Th e student who made
the comment also wore a mask.

“It trickles down to the
kids,” Burg said.

Some Jewish
parents suggested that the board
should limit public comments
to items on that night’s agenda
or specific school district
policies. Th ey also pointed to
a district policy that allows
board members to cut off
JEWISH EXPONENT
irrelevant statements.

But most concluded that
they just wished the board
members would condemn
antisemitic comments aft er
speakers like Larson fi nish.

“People can use it as a pulpit
for whatever they feel like
saying,” said Steff any Moonaz,
a Doylestown resident and
mother of two kids in the
district. Tems, who is not in the
roughly 50-person group,
disagrees with his fellow Jews.

He said that even though
nobody listens to Larson, he
still deserves his time during
the public comment period,
just like anyone else.

“We believe in free speech,”
Tems said. “Even stupid free
speech.” Robin Schatz, the director
of government aff airs for the
Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia, plans on arranging
a meeting between the Jewish
Federation, Bucks County
rabbis and the Central Bucks
school board members who will
take offi ce in December.

“We hope to do some
education on antisemitism,”
Schatz said. “It’s all about
conversation.” ●
jsaff ren@jewishexponent.com;
215-832-0740 JEWISHEXPONENT.COM