Turin, a minute's silence at school for Gaza. The Union of Jewish Communities: dangerous

The new school year opened in Turin with a minute's silence for Gaza. The appeal - launched by the informal network 'School for Peace Turin and Piedmont' - was taken up by numerous schools in the Piedmontese capital where students and teachers wished to show their closeness to the Palestinian population who have been living under constant bombardment for many months now. In some schools the minute's silence was observed immediately after entering the classroom, in others during the morning. Parents from numerous schools also wanted to participate in the demonstration of solidarity with Gaza.

"Faced with numerous initiatives that invite on the first day of school to devote attention in different forms" such as "a minute's silence, only to the suffering suffered in Gaza, we feel the duty to point out the dangerousness of such choices, for the commitment that the school system must instead generate in terms of respect and balance". This is the appeal of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, also addressed to the Minister of Education. "It is a precise duty on the first day of school to remember all those who cannot carefree and freely live this moment," the Ucei emphasises, "with our thoughts also turned to the Israeli children, former hostages and orphans, wounded and suffering from the crimes suffered by the Hamas massacre of 7 October" or to the "Ukrainian children".

"In these initiatives," writes the Union of Italian Jewish Communities regarding the actions planned for the first day of school aimed at Gaza, "there seems to be a lack of recognition of the complexity of the situation and the context that has led to the escalation of the conflict, starting with the terrorist attack of 7 October 2023, carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians". "With the opening of the new school year," the Ucei explains, "the Union of Italian Jewish Communities would like to call the attention of all those involved - ministers, headmasters, inspectorates, teachers, students, families, trade unions - to their degree of participation and responsibility, to encourage attendance in a welcoming and protected environment. To protect and experience the educational pathway in a school context of unity and civilisation. Only in a balanced space can students acquire, with gradualness and maturity, the skills that will guide them to develop a personal, conscious and autonomous conscience, in the face of the challenges, moral and lacerating dilemmas and tragedies of our time", Ucei concludes.