Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 16, 2017

Lenape Regional High School District students run an award-winning safe driving campaign.

Lenape High School student representatives are shown at the Walnut Street Theatre on June 6 where their school was among those celebrated for being designated as "No Place for Hate" by the Anti-Defamation League. Lenape earned the status for the fourth straight year.(Photo: Photo provided)

MEDFORD For the fourth straight year, Lenape High School earned a designation from the Anti-Defamation League as No Place for Hate.

The initiativeenables schools and organizations to challenge anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry in all forms, according to the ADL website.

About 10 Lenape High School student representatives accompanied Principal Tony Cattani to Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia on June 6 for the inaugural No Place for Hate Designation Celebration,which recognized schools for participating in the initiative for the 2016-17 school year.

Cherry Hill West also had a contingent there after earning the No Place for Hate designation as well. The school, which has also earned the designation multiple times,was also singled out for piloting a newly developed ADL program to more effectively reduce bias and bullying in schools.

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The Anti-Defamation League celebrated schools for their efforts to combat bullying, biasand bigotry. About 450 attendees from 50 schools in South Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware attended the event, although not every school which participated in the initiative attended the event.

It was a great, informative experience, gathering schools from districts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware to be honored for their accomplishments in anti-bias and anti-hate activities throughout the 2016-17 school year, Lenape student Trevor Montgomery said. This was Lenape High School's fourth straight No Place For Hate designation, and I am honored to have been selected by my principal to help receive this designation.

The presentation displayed all different examples of what each school did to avoid hate and bias in their academic community, which was very helpful for the future of our own school, as we are now able to reflect on these activities and try a few out in years to come.

While theinitiative runs nationally, in this region it'scurrently active in 220 schools and organizations throughout eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, according to the ADL website.

Schools receive their designation by:

Overall, 15 South Jersey schools earned the No Place for Hate designation this school year, and 10 of those were present at the celebratory event.

Cherry Hill High School West students hold up their "No Place for Hate" poster. The school earned the designation from the Anti-Defamation League for its efforts in combating anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry in all forms.(Photo: Amit Gabai Photography)

The celebration honored winners of the No Place for Hate Essay Contest and highlighted Cherry Hill High School West for its participation in the pilot for a newly developed No Place for Hate PLUS program this year, an intensive program that wraps numerous ADL education initiatives around the No Place for Hate framework, to more effectively reduce bias and bullying in schools.

The ADL's Philadelphia regional officefirst implemented No Place for Hate as a community-based initiative in 2001 and adapted it for schools in 2005.

Lisa Friedlander, the ADLs education director for No Place for Hate, said the organization currently has a waiting list of about 40 schools who want to be part of the program.

We have been increasing our numbers year after year, Friedlander said.

Some schools are being reactive to the incidents that are happening. Other schools are being proactive because they recognize what a volatile environment the world is experiencing right now and they really want to get ahead of it and say We are a school that respects all of our students and treats all of our community members with respect and acceptance.

Celeste E. Whittaker; (856) 486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com

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SJ schools earn designation as 'No Place for Hate' - Cherry Hill Courier Post

Category: Anti-Defamation League
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