NYC principal blocks Holocaust survivor from speaking at Brooklyn school over pro-Israel views

A middle school principal at a Brooklyn high school, MS 447, denied a parent’s request to have a Holocaust survivor speak to students about antisemitism, the New York Post reported.

“In looking at his website material, I also don’t think that Sami’s presentation is right for our public school setting, given his messages around Israel and Palestine,” the principal, Arin Rusch, said. “I’d love to explore other speakers.”

Rusch said Sami Steigmann‘s opinions wouldn’t be “right” for the public school because of his pro-Israel views. However, Steigmann has said he is a proud Jew who supports Israel and its right to defend itself, but he doesn’t directly discuss the Israel-Hamas war on his homepage or bio, the New York Post reported.

Steigmann told The Post that he does not discuss Middle East politics in public school settings and argued that the principal was wrong to deny him the opportunity to address students.

Brooklyn City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, a Ukrainian-born Jew, told The Post: “It’s particularly abhorrent to deny someone who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust the opportunity to share his experience with students — particularly during a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing among our youth.”

“Not only is this behavior repugnant, but the school is potentially engaging in viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment and of Equal Protection that covers religious or ethnic discrimination,” she added. “To see public schools engaging in this conduct is unsurprising, and we will not sit idly by.”

However, the New York City Department of Education defended Rusch’s decision to bar Steigmann from speaking at the school.

“We do not shy away from teaching history in our classrooms, and we are proud to have welcomed many Holocaust survivors into our schools, including MS 447, to share their stories. We thoroughly evaluate every classroom speaker and are careful to ensure speakers maintain political neutrality, especially on contentious current events, as required in a public school setting,” DOE spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein said.

Mayor Eric Adams’ office also said Steigmann “wasn’t the right fit” to speak at the school.

“Mayor Adams is dedicated to ensuring all New Yorkers — particularly our students and young adults — hear stories from the genocide and oppression of the Holocaust, so we never again perpetrate such evil,” a City Hall spokesman said. “While this speaker wasn’t the right fit, we will continue to ensure our students hear from the living survivors of this history into the future.”

Moshe Spern, president of the United Jewish Teachers, emailed Brooklyn District 15 Superintendent Rafael Alvarez and aides to Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, stating the refusal to host Steigmann “begs the question of, ‘Are we now censoring Holocaust survivors for their views of Israel?’ ”

Spern said the principal’s stance was “appalling,” “discriminatory” and “personally offensive.”