CRC to welcome athletic directors for discussion on inclusion and culture

A learning opportunity is bringing athletic directors to the forefront of the ongoing conversation on antisemitism. “Building Inclusive Athletic Spaces; Understanding the Jewish Community,” a one-day program hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council, will provide athletic directors’ “practical insights and tools” to support local Jewish students, CRC Assistant Director Beth Vander Stoep said.

The Sept. 9 program is a response to unwelcome behavior, she explained. “In general, we are getting more calls from concerned parents about the rise of bullying that is happening in K-12 spaces, and athletics are definitely a part of that.”

Bullying, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes physical, psychological, social or educational harm inflicted on a victim.

Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Within schools, 15% of high school students reported observing bullying at least once a week. A quarter of high school students reported observing cyberbullying either at school or outside of school at least once a week, according to the United States Department of Education.

Allegheny County possesses 43 public school districts, according to the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

Federation’s catchment area extends beyond Allegheny County and includes nearly 100 districts, Vander Stoep said.

The Jewish communal professional hopes to work with as many districts and athletic directors as possible.

“Athletics are such an important part of community building and identity formation,” she said.

Accordingly, the Sept. 9 program should enable participants to understand the broadness of “what it means to be a Jewish American.”

Vander Stoep and fellow program organizers were quick to explain that Judaism, whether in the U.S. or globally, is not monolithic.

By identifying specific Jewish holidays and periods, Vander Stoep said she plans to make clear the intricacies of observance and why the availability of Jewish athletes is not homogeneous.

Just because one Jewish athlete is available to compete at a particular time doesn’t mean all Jewish athletes are, she said.

Discussions during the program will cover “what it means to have Jewish students of different religious observances” and how athletic directors can proactively employ inclusive language, she continued. “The more we can possibly front-load to athletic directors that Jews are really diverse, and that the needs of one Jewish family are not necessarily going to be the needs of the other Jewish family, then all the better.”

While explaining communal diversity and the individuality of Jewish observance is one aspect of the program, tackling hatred is another.

“We want to empower athletic directors to be able to address antisemitism when it happens,” Vander Stoep said. Whether it’s students who’ve demonstrated poor sportsmanship or others exemplifying bad behavior, “within our work here we’ve gotten some calls.” It’s imperative for athletic directors to “be able to identify what is antisemitic-based bullying, and then what are the active steps that they can take to address it.”

Athletic directors possess sizable abilities to drive school sentiments, David Knoll, the Federation’s associate vice president of public affairs, told the Chronicle.

“Athletic teams have a direct impact on the culture of a school. That being said, when a culture could have antisemitism baked into it, that trickles down to the entire school,” he said. “We’ve seen many programs where athletes are partaking in antisemitism — whether it’s within their own teams or within other teams — and we’re trying to put an end to it.”

The Sept. 9 program is set to welcome Rabbi Larry Freedman, director of the religious schools for Congregations Beth Shalom and Beit Kulanu, for an address on antisemitism.

That such a presentation is necessary is saddening, he said. “I can’t believe we’ve arrived at a time when we actually need to explain to people why antisemitism is bad, but that is where we have arrived.”

What he hopes to convey to athletic directors is that “this is not your grandparents’ antisemitism,” he said. There’s a willingness today, among numerous individuals, to claim that “Jews are bad people, Jews as a group are genocidal, Jews as a group are undeserving. That’s what’s coming, and that is what is here.”

Freedman wants athletic directors to understand their responsibilities in cultivating positive and safe environments for youth.

The Sept. 9 gathering, which will include a kosher lunch, is a reminder that Federation is a resource for local entities, Vander Stoep told the Chronicle.

“We really want to be partners,” she said. As opposed to hearing from athletic directors after an incident occurs, “the more honest and open dialogue that we can create, all the better.” PJC

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.