Baltimore Private School Alums Outraged Over Headmaster’s Condemnation of Anti-Semitism

A group of self-described "white alums" from a historically Jewish private school in Baltimore excoriated the institution's leadership this week after they condemned anti-Semitism from black students, alums, and parents who demanded the school implement a wide-ranging series of reforms.

Baltimore's Park School, which was founded in 1912 by Jews who were barred entry into the city's existing private schools, vowed to work in partnership last month with a cadre of activists calling themselves the "Black at Park Organizing Collective." The group demanded the school change its leadership, curriculum, and hiring practices. It also accused the school of inappropriate "wealth hoarding" and "tolerance of Zionism"—prompting Park School leaders to condemn the collective's use of anti-Semitic language.

Former students calling themselves "white alums to the Park community" in an open letter this week scolded school headmaster Daniel Paradis for condemning the collective's anti-Semitic rhetoric. The alumni suggested that concerns about anti-Semitism are the product of "far right" media outlets, including the Washington Free Beacon, which first reported on the controversy in early September. "As white alums we stand in solidarity with them, doubling down on all of their demands with a renewed emphasis on the critical exploration of the links between Zionism, settler colonialism, and anti-Blackness," the alumni wrote in their open letter, which includes a link to the Free Beacon‘s report.

The unfolding controversy in Baltimore is playing out against the backdrop of nationwide protests by the Black Lives Matter movement against what it claims is systemic racial injustice. These efforts have been marred by the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the BLM movement, which has not shied away from anti-Israel activism. BLM activists across the nation have defaced Jewish establishments and feted notorious anti-Semites like Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

The Black at Park group's initial September letter demanded "an examination of Park's history: its inception, early exclusions, culture of whiteness and wealth hoarding, its tolerance of Zionism, and its parasitic relationship to Baltimore City."

Park School headmaster Daniel Paradis, in a response to the activists, denounced the inclusion of "language and imagery that is, in its own right, rooted in hatred." "Specifically, I am referencing the use of pernicious anti-Semitic tropes that have been applied throughout history—and you now apply to Park's history—including ‘wealth hoarding,' ‘tolerance for Zionism,' and ‘parasitic relationship,'" Paradis wrote.

Paradis's condemnation of this rhetoric prompted the group of white alumni to pen their own open letter defending the Black at Park Organizing Collective's original statements.

"As white alums we feel the need to weigh in on the hollowness of Paradis's accusations and the failure of white Park students, parents and alums to be true allies to the Black Lives Matter movement," the group wrote in a letter currently circulating among Park School families and officials.

Among those who signed the letter are Vice editor Bernard Feinsod, Whole Foods employee Benjamin Redgrave, Baltimore public school teacher and union head Corey Gaber, filmmaker Margaret Rorison, and Annajane Yolken, executive director of a Rhode Island-based nonprofit. The alumni accused Paradis of being "backed by a far right media outlet, white parents, alums and board members."

Their letter includes harsh criticism of Israel, including the group's explicit opposition to "the creation of this homeland [Israel] by settlement on land already occupied by other people, ethnically cleansing Palestinians, [and] forcibly removing those people from their homes."

In defending the accusation of "wealth hoarding," the alumni claimed the Park School "shields their money from taxes that would serve the public good … by housing their funds in offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands."

"Park not only hoards its political connections for its own financially and geographically isolated community, it diverts public funds away from the segregated black Baltimore that it helped to create," the activists claimed.

They also denounced the school's support for Israel, writing that "Zionism isn't just tolerated at Park, it's celebrated—and opposing perspectives are shunned by the curriculum and faculty."

"As white alums we stand in solidarity with them, doubling down on all of their demands with a renewed emphasis on the critical exploration of the links between Zionism, settler colonialism, and anti-Blackness," the alumni wrote in their open letter, which includes a link to the Free Beacon‘s report.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.... And they can split hairs and talk in nuances all they want, but anti-Zionism and anti- Israeli activity like the BDS movement are just anti-Semitism in camouflage.

Some American Jews need to open their eyes. Farrakhan, Ilhan Omar, AOC..... they hate you!

Well isn’t this a kick in the nuts and groin for former Park alumni including both of my first cousins. It was a very good school but for the wealthy, not us commoners. I went to City, a great academic school, the third oldest high school in the country.

I don’t think Park had a football team. Afraid of breaking nails or something. /sarc, I think.

Don’t recognize the names of any of the leaders of the protest letters. Would love to see a more complete listing. One bigtime communist in Baltimore, Kevin Zeese (Occupy movement leader), just croaked. Made my week, plus the left lost Florence Howe, red feminist leader.

Wonder what my deceased male cousin would think about this? In fact, the only time I went to visit Park was with him about 1970 or 71. His sister is a flaming ahole liberal as is her professor husband, but she was a nice person though slightly above we peasants in the immediate family.

I was born and raised in Baltimore, went to all my K-12 and Hebrew schools there, then left for college. Never came back to live there (I was in grad school in DC and stayed down around here because of work).

The riots in 1968, very anti-Semitic, which occurred with the “turn a blind eye” to the blatant black anti-Semitism in the burning and looting by Pelosi’s brother, the Mayor, convinced me that I had made the right choice.

Today I would be afraid to walk near the Preakness/Pimlico Racetrack because of the crime right down the street in the Park Heights/Belvedere Ave. area. My girlfriend back then lived right across the street from Pimlico and we would walk over there without any fears.

There hasn’t been a Democrat leader (black or white) except Donald Schaefer, who really did anything to keep Baltimore a really good place to live.

They are going to need more jails for their local politicians the way the convictions are going. Might as well nuke the North & Penn/Mulberry avenues area, lots of West Baltimore, some of Liberty Heights/Liberty Road, and lower Park Heights, just to be sure.

Druid Hill Park was once for visiting, seeing a carousel, etc., feeding the ducks. Now it is a dumping/burial ground for victims of black crimes, and the victims are almost always black themselves.

Old political boss Jack Pollack wouldn’t have put up with that shit. He played softball down there.

(Not to be confused with the artist Jackson Pollack who was a friend of my uncle).

Meanwhile, the Park School attack is just another example of when black Marxists/racists and a few self-hating white Marxists, piss in the pot and crap in the stew.

Shit in (unchallenged), shit out, destruction and more crime.

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