Thirty parents at Sartorette Elementary School in San Jose, California staged a walkout on Friday morning
The parents were upset after a Jewish mother named Talia successfully petitioned the school to cancel a visit to Santa Claus
The parents took the children on the trip regardless, having the kindergartners skip class for the day
Talia claims she had been attacked by some of the parents ever since, and one told her; 'You’re the one who started the war on Christmas'
A Jewish mother is under attack after she successfully petitioned her child's public school to cancel their annual trip to visit Santa Claus.
The woman, whose name is Talia, has a daughter at Sartorette Elementary School in San Jose, California, did not want her to participate in a kindergarten field trip where the children write letters to Santa then go to deliver them, drink hot chocolate and sit on his lap.
She decided to write a four-page letter to the school committee, and now the decade-long tradition has been canceled by the principal and superintendent.
This move however has angered other parents, who staged a walkout on Friday with their children and took them to see Santa.
Thirty students were photographed walking away from the school alongside their parents who were wearing Santa hats.
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Peace out: Thirty parents at Sartorette Elementary School in San Jose, California staged a walkout on Friday morning (above)
Anger: The parents were upset after a Jewish mother named Talia (above) successfully petitioned the school to cancel a visit to Santa Claus In charge: Parent Vanessa Howe (above) decided to lead the walkout Friday
In charge: Parent Vanessa Howe (above) decided to lead the walkout Friday
'This is not a Jewish issue for me. It’s an inclusion issue,' Talia told NBC Bay Area.
'We can’t spend five days on just one culture. That’s fostering intolerance. When Christmas is given the same time, or less time, than American holidays, like Veterans Day, then kids don’t feel as American.'
Talia also added that in her family her grandparents told stories about getting beaten for being Jewish in Poland prior to the Holocaust.
After meeting with Superintendent Carrie Andrews, the two woman came to a compromise - the children would go on the field trip and drink hot chocolate, but there would be no Santa.
Then soon after, the school principal elected to cancel the entire trip.
Talia said that now some of the other women have terminated their online Facebook friendships with her, and one even yelled; 'You’re the one who started the war on Christmas.'
Poster Comment:
Good for these parents that they are fighting back. This would not have happened 10 years ago. Surprised that these are white parents leading the fight though Hispanics followed along. There is more resistance to Jews in non-white neighborhoods.