Commentary: A roadmap for Montgomery County schools to address antisemitism

Chaperoning my 7th grade Hebrew school class on a recent trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., a featured quote from renowned survivor Elie Wiesel stood out: “The Museum is not an answer. It is a question.” As Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) continues to grapple with an explosion of antisemitic attacks against our children — one that mirrors a deeply troubling increase nationwide — Wiesel’s words resonate as much today as they did when he declared them at the Museum’s dedication 30 years ago. Nobody has the answer to combating antisemitism; if that answer existed, antisemitism would not fester across generations. But that doesn’t mean progress is impossible; we can and should do much better than we are now. To mitigate the damage antisemitism adherents inflict while’ making meaningful inroads toward prevention, MCPS must start by asking the right questions.