‘DEI’ Brooklyn Middle School Blocks Holocaust Survivor Over ‘Pro-Israel’ Views

A Brooklyn middle school principal has ignited a firestorm of controversy after denying a parent’s request to host a Holocaust survivor, claiming the 85-year-old’s “pro-Israel views” made him inappropriate for a public school setting.

The decision comes from the administration of MS 447, a Boerum Hill school that used to admit students based on merit, but shifted towards a lottery system in recent years to improve “diversity.”

Principal Arin Rusch rejected the proposal to host Sami Steigmann, a survivor of a Nazi labor camp and medical experimentation, in a November 18 email to a parent.

“In looking at his website material, I also don’t think that Sami’s presentation is right for our public school setting, given his messages around Israel and Palestine,” Rusch wrote.
While Rusch insisted she would “love to explore other speakers” to discuss the Holocaust and antisemitism, she maintained that Steigmann’s presence would not be “right.”

Steigmann, who spent his early childhood in a labor camp in Transnistria (modern-day Ukraine) where he was subjected to Nazi medical experiments, centers his lectures on a message of moral courage. His website urges students to “Never be a bystander — be an UPSTANDER,” and he has been honored by the New York State Assembly for his work with students. While he does not discuss the current Israel-Hamas war in his bio, he is openly proud of his Jewish identity and Israel’s right to exist.

Formerly known as “The Math & Science Exploratory School,” the school officially dropped “Math and Science” from its name in 2023 following the diversity initiative. While over 95% of students tested proficient in math in 2018, that number tanked to just 69% by 2022 after the program kicked off.

Mayor Eric Adams’ office stood by Principal Rusch’s decision. A City Hall spokesperson stated that while the Mayor is dedicated to Holocaust education, “this speaker wasn’t the right fit.”

Moshe Spern, President of the United Jewish Teachers (UJT), reacted with fury to the decision, issuing blistering statements regarding the principal’s vetting process and the City’s response.

In a statement to the NY Post, Spern, himself the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, called Rusch’s stance “appalling,” “discriminatory,” and “personally offensive.”

“There are only so many survivors out there who still speak,” Spern said. “This is not meeting the moment. This is sending a message to Jews in [New York City Public Schools].” He noted that the rejection “begs the question of, ‘Are we now censoring Holocaust survivors for their views of Israel?’”

Spern went even further in comments to Belaaz, characterizing the move as a betrayal by the current city administration.

“This email from the principal and the decision by the Department of Education is an example of Jew-hatred,” Spern told Belaaz. “It is the censorship of a Holocaust survivor who literally does not even talk about Israel, outside of having an Israeli flag on their website and a few past statements made in a non-public school. He even said he wouldn’t talk about Israel if that’s what they wanted.”

Spern continued, drawing a sharp political contrast regarding the Adams administration:
“Is this what we’re going to do? We’re going to censor Holocaust survivors? Honestly, this is what I would have expected from a Mamdani administration, not the Adams administration. What a huge letdown, and what a huge letdown by the Department of Education. Way to backstab all the Jews in New York City.”

“I’m extremely disappointed in the decisions made by this principal, by the Department of Education, and by the Mayor’s office. We need to do better. Do better for the Jewish community. Censoring Holocaust survivors is not how you do it. This is not how you make Jews feel safer in 2025; it’s how you make us feel smaller and less supported.”

The defense from the Mayor’s office has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders, including Brooklyn City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, a Ukrainian-born Jew.

“It’s particularly abhorrent to deny someone who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust the opportunity to share his experience with students — particularly during a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing among our youth,” Vernikov told the Post. She warned that the school is “potentially engaging in viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.”