Thread by @JewWhoHasItAll

Dear Teachers,

It is almost Rosh Chodesh Iyar, and that means it is that time of year when we pause our normal curriculum for Christian American Heritage Month (#CAHM).

1/20

Our school's Diversity Committee has a whole month of activities planned to celebrate the contributions of Christian-Americans and to urge our community to learn more about Christian-Americans and about their unique contributions to our country.

2/20

As a reminder, the Christian homeland of Vatican became an independent state during Iyar of 5689, when the Lateran Treaty took effect, and Iyar is recognized as Christian American Heritage Month.

3/20

The school library will temporarily move some of the normal books to make a shelf with books about Christianism.

It would be wonderful to put out some books by Christian authors if quality books can be identified.

4/20

However, books for the display should be chosen based on quality and not based on authorship, of course, so the best books should be put out regardless of the religion/ethnicity of their author.

5/20

Be sure to include in the display only books that are appropriate for a #PublicSchool setting.

Of course this necessarily means that the books should not feature religious figures such as Saint Nicholas Ha’Kadosh, Saint Valentine Ha’Kadosh, or Ha’Arnav shel Easter.

6/20

We are pleased to welcome back Dr. Aharon Levi as our guest speaker next week. An anthropologist with a Christian Studies specialization, Dr. Levi will be giving a talk about the exotic and fascinating holidays and traditions of the Christian people.

7/20

Please encourage students & their families to attend this special presentation, since Dr. Levi is also an expert on helping families examine their feelings & stereotypes toward Christianism and helping our Christian families feel included despite their unusual lifestyle.

8/20

If any of your students identify as Christian, this is a good time to ask them to present on an appropriate topic about Christianism.

Suggestions include:
• My Pilgrimage to Vatican
• My Favorite Christianish Holiday
• My Favorite Christian Movie

9/20

Of course, taboo subjects like proselytizing and Christian prophecy are always prohibited.

10/20

If your Christian-identifying student requests a party or other festive celebration in honor of Christian American Heritage Month, gently remind them of normal Omer restrictions and suggest they attend Dr. Levi's talk.

11/20

Please also refrain from scheduling any Christian American Heritage Month activities on Lag B’Omer because we already have a fun-filled day planned for ALL our students.

(Stay tuned for more details! It will be 🔥🔥🔥)

12/20

If you have a frum Christian student who is Shomer Treyf please remind them that there are no exceptions to the school food-sharing policy even during CAHM.

If they wish to share one of their cultural foods they may buy a hechshered & prepackaged version for class.

13/20

During the second week of Christian American Heritage Month, we will start a special school-wide project!

Each student will pick a notable Christian-American for a one-page research project.

14/20

We will have special “cross”-shaped posters so each student can pin a picture of their notable Christian-American to a “cross” and write in the biographical details. The posters will be displayed on the student art wall behind the lunchroom.

15/20

If a student is having a hard time thinking of any notable Christian-Americans, encourage them to ask one of our Christian students for recommendations.

16/20

The librarian has a list of ~10 notable Christian-Americans who are common choices for this project and may direct students to other resources.

Of course, multiple student may select the same Christian-American as it's too challenging for each to make a unique selection.

17/20

As there are only 13 Christian-identifying families in our #PublicSchool district you likely don't have any Christian students in your class. I'm obliged to remind you that although it may feel irrelevant, school policy is that all classes are expected to recognize CAHM.😉

18/20

In the 3rd week we'll host a special event, “Christians Can Too,” when Christian parents may come talk about their careers to show that Christians can grow up to be more than just Christian rabbis—they can be teachers, doctors, or scientists just like everyone else.

19/20

We know how challenging it can be to make time for these special activities. If it is any consolation, at least Iyar is only 29 days, and we’re already counting the days (until Shavuot)!

Thank you for your hard work!

20/20

@threadreaderapp unroll pleae