In a press release yesterday, The Mizel Jewish Community Day School questions a proposal for a Jewish Charter School writing, “Jewish education flourishes when it is built in partnership with the community it intends to serve. The Jewish community of Oklahoma is deeply committed to Jewish education and serving the needs of our community. Our local boards, organizations, and donors have invested heavily in our local Jewish educational system through a dedication to learning. This investment can be seen by the vibrant Mizel Jewish Community Day School in Tulsa and the plethora of offerings from our synagogues and communal organizations.”

The statement continues:

It’s with that commitment to our communities that we feel compelled to address the application currently before the Oklahoma Charter School Board proposing the establishment of a Jewish charter school in our state.

We are deeply concerned that an external Jewish organization would pursue such an initiative in Oklahoma without first engaging in meaningful consultation with the established Oklahoma Jewish community. Had such consultation occurred, the applicant would have been made aware that Oklahoma is already home to many Jewish educational opportunities.

Our concern is first and foremost for the well-being, sustainability, and integrity of the Oklahoma Jewish community. Meaningful engagement with local leadership and institutions would have surfaced and addressed any educational gaps or concerns the applicant believes exist.

We live, work, raise our families, and build our Jewish lives in Oklahoma. To bypass community consultation in favor of an externally driven initiative is a serious error, one that must be clearly recognized and addressed by the Oklahoma Charter School Board as part of its review process.

Amanda Anderson, Executive Director, Mizel Jewish Community Day School

Batsheva Appel, Interim Rabbi, Temple Israel

Jim Jakubovitz, Executive Director, Zarrow Pointe Retirement Center

Daniel Kaiman, Principal Rabbi, Congregation B’nai Emunah

Joe Roberts, Executive Director, Jewish Tulsa