By COLlive reporter
Students in Florida may soon be required to take between a one to two minute “moment of silence” to start off each school day, thanks to the work of a group of Shluchim in Florida.
The group of Shluchim, led by Rabbi Schneur Z. Oirechman, Shliach to Florida’s State Capitol, has been working for months on getting Florida lawmakers to sponsor a bill mandating a Moment of Silence in the state.
Rabbi Oirechman was galvanized into action after the shooting at Chabad of Poway in California last Pesach.
“Since the Poway attack, I have been working with a group of Shluchim to get a law passed for a Moment of Silence in Florida,” Rabbi Oirechman told COLlive. “We all know how important this was to the Rebbe.”
On multiple occasions, the Rebbe urgently called for a daily “Moment of Silence” in U.S. public schools, where most American children receive their education.
The Rebbe articulated his position with great urgency, all but warning that if the current path of education continues without incorporating a Moment of Silence, calamity is bound to come.
“This was my dream for a long time, to give this as a gift to the Rebbe for yud aleph Nissan,” Rabbi Oirechman said. “After the Poway shooting, I visited the Rebbe’s Ohel, and at that time I committed to the Rebbe to get it done.”
The vaad of Shluchim working on the project also includes Rabbis Yoel Caroline, Mendy Weiss, Yossi Hecht, Shlomo Litvin, and Binyamin Murray. They also received support and assistance from Rabbi Avraham Frank, longtime advocate of the Moment of Silence campaign.
Through the work of Rabbi Yossi Hecht of Ocala, FL, and Rabbi Oirechman, Senator Dennis Baxley and Rep. Kimberly Daniels of Florida are sponsoring the bill which would make a Moment of Silence a law in Florida public schools.
Many teachers already offer students the option, but the new legislation would make the reflection period mandatory.
The legislation also directs teachers to encourage parents to discuss how to best use the period of silent reflection with their children.
“Our goal is to get the bill passed in the upcoming January and February sessions in Florida,” Rabbi Oirechman said. “We are so grateful to Senator Baxley and his assistant Debbie Dennis, for all their assistance.”
If the bill becomes law the silent reflection period would start during the 2020 school year.
Below is what I wrote about Moment of Silence, following a PragerU event… The PragerU Summit took place the weekend after the deadly attack that had been perpetrated in the Chabad House in Poway, CA. We were north of Los Angeles, Poway is south. But we were still in the vicinity. Friday night Dennis Prager mentioned the attack. He also mentioned that just days after coming face to face with death, the rabbi of the Chabad House, Rabbi Goldstein, with his bandaged injuries in full view, had spoken at the National Prayer Breakfast at the White House. After Shabbos I… Read more »
about time someone did something about this.thanks.
Yasher Koach! 👏🏻💪🏼👍Thank you dear Shluchim😇😇😇😇 for bringing more light☀️☀️ to the world🌎 Soon all the other states and countries WILL follow just as the Rebbe envisioned✅ Moshiach brings clarity and peace for ALL Mankind
This is beyond amazing if passed. Yasher koach and may the Rebbe’s
solution to the problems be enacted all over.
He’s been working in this for a long time. Yashar Koach!
Public schools should respect the border wall between Church and State. Religious minorities will feel alienated when they are forced to be around other religious exercises. Specifically, I do not go into a church because I do not want to be part of another’s religion. Conservative Jewish kids will feel out of place in Florida when all the other kids are holding hands in a prayer circle praying to Jesus and there is one Jewish kid dovening by himself. The irony is that the Haredi Jewish children will not be in these very public school classrooms, and the conservative Jews… Read more »
A moment pf silence is not a prayer it is a moment of reflection of meaning for whatever that child decides. The parents need to educate their children what is important to reflect on. Whatever religion, even an atheist can think in whatever is meaningful to them (hopefully something moral). Actually it would remove the current law which allows for prayers in school.
It is a moment of SILENCE! If a teacher is actually foolish enough to allow an atmosphere of “all the other kids are holding hands in a prayer circle praying to — and there is one Jewish kid dovening by himself,” that is NOT a “moment of silence,” and it will be challenged and stopped ASAP. “A moment” is not long enough for davening shacharis, minchah, etc. It’s just a moment to connect with whatever each child’s parents say the child should connect with, and it’s SILENT. And Conservative Jews already have ample stimulation in school toward going astray, r”l.… Read more »
Maybe we should institute such a program in our own schools and Chadarim. so many of our children are passing through the elementary years with out the proper recognition of Our Aibeshter.
Thank you, Devorah!