I just returned from an incredibly inspiring rally in support of the Newton Teachers Association at the Newton City Hall. Over 1,000 teachers, students, and community supporters were out in full force, braving the cold and chanting “enough is enough,” in support of a new, fair contract for the teachers. With so much going on in the world that tends to make me feel helpless to effect change, it was a wonderful reminder of the power of people gathering together for a shared purpose: in this case, in support of teachers and students here in Newton.
We have long had Newton public school teachers as members of our community, as well of course as many families whose kids are in the Newton public schools (and members who are the products of those schools). Our own Elana Cutler (nee Rome) is on the negotiating committee that has been working for nearly a year and a half to reach an agreement with the Mayor, Ruthanne Fuller. I personally have been quite disturbed at the tone of the letters that the mayor has been sending out to the community, and the more I have learned about the situation, the deeper my disappointment (if you are interested, you can learn more about the negotiations and the roadblocks here, as well as ways to be of support). I know that Newton can do better.
In our Torah reading cycle, we are in the midst of the Exodus story, which some have characterized as the first (recorded) successful labor action in history. After the Israelites are freed from slavery, when they arrive at Mt Sinai and receive the covenantal laws, prominent among those laws are instructions for fair treatment of workers. In listening this afternoon to the testimony of hard-working teachers and their appreciative students, I was reflecting on the huge value that Judaism puts on education and educators. There is a teaching in the Talmud that a person who teaches another’s child is as if they have given birth to that child. May the teachers who are putting their jobs on the line in this action, and who want to be back in the classroom as soon as possible, be successful in their efforts to win a fair contract. May this action find speedy resolution, and bring inspiration to the larger community within Newton and beyond.
