Is a moment of silence the key to stop bullying in Wayne schools? One rabbi thinks so
WAYNE — The leader of a local synagogue has offered to help stem a rise in school bullying after parents complained to the Board of Education that their children were victims of frequent ridicule by their classmates.
Rabbi Mayer Gurkov appeared at the most recent school board meeting to propose a program that would have students observe moments of silence as part of their morning routines.
Gurkov, 32, who leads worship services at Chabad Center of Passaic County on Ratzer Road, suggested that trustees pilot the initiative at Anthony Wayne Middle School, where the recent complaints originated.
The rabbi said he would gladly volunteer to launch the program. “The will to power is what prevails in our society,” he said. “The will to meaning is what needs to be implemented in children, and if we can do it in the schools, why not?”
His comments came two weeks after a group of parents publicly reported a series of alleged bullying cases at the middle school on Garside Avenue. The cases dealt with their own children, who have special needs.
Schools Superintendent Mark Toback said the K-12 district was aware of the cases and that they were being handled.
There has been a considerable uptick in bullying cases throughout the district, according to school officials, who say reports at Anthony Wayne have outpaced every other building this year.
The school board has acknowledged the disturbing trend.
Trustee Matthew Giordano said its communications subcommittee discussed ways to bring anti-bullying education to larger audiences. One of its ideas, he said, was to present a program during sixth- and ninth-grade orientations.
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“It can’t just be the schools fixing it,” Giordano said. “This is a societal issue, and societal issues are fixed by society.”
In a phone interview after the meeting, Gurkov said his proposal should not be interpreted as a type of prayer. State law allows public schools to observe one-minute moments of silence to be used “solely at the discretion of the individual student” for “quiet and private contemplation.”
The rabbi said the meditation time should be for meaningful reflection for students to think about “who they are” and “why they exist.”
“It’s not a prayer — it’s a thought,” Gurkov said. “If a student chooses to think about pizza, he can think about pizza.”
Some states obligate teachers to set aside periods for quiet reflection in their classrooms.
In April 2022, then-Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona signed a law to require no more than two minutes per day. The bill was reportedly inspired by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who advocated for moments of silence in U.S. schools after the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., in March 1981.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne NJ rabbi wants moment of silence to combat school bullying
