Locust Street Art said local Jewish school supported 'genocide' then apologized after backlash
Locust Street Art apologized to Ohr Temimim School, an Orthodox Jewish school, for initially refusing to teach classes due to conflicting ideologies about the Middle East war. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has impacted Western New York, leading to a dispute between an Orthodox Jewish day school and a local nonprofit arts organization. Locust Street Art, which offers free or low-cost art classes, initially refused to collaborate with Ohr Temimim School in Amherst and stated in an email that their missions were not aligned. However, after backlash, Locust St. apologized following the backlash. Executive Director Rachelyn Noworyta stated that the arts are for all and that it would be wrong to deny arts access to the youth of Ohr. The attorney for Ohr, Michael Berger, condemned the organization's decision to refuse collaboration, accusing them of supporting genocide. This incident is not the first time that the conflict has impacted the area.
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The ripple effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have made their way to Western New York again.
This time, it led to a dispute between an Orthodox Jewish day school and a local nonprofit arts organization.
Locust Street Art, which offers free or low-cost art classes, initially refused to collaborate with Ohr Temimim School, an Orthodox Jewish day school in Amherst and said so in an email. But following backlash from the community, Locust Street retracted the statement the same day and apologized.
"I am incredibly ashamed of our lapse in judgement," Executive Director Rachelyn Noworyta said in her email to the school. "At Locust Street Art, we know and believe that the arts are for all, and it would be deeply wrong of us to deny arts access to the youth of Ohr Temimim School."
Rachel Shanowitz, an administrator at Ohr Temimim School, was spearheading the project to get nearly 50 students at the school exposed to the enrichment Locust Street provides through artwork. Having joined its program in March with her children, she found the experience "welcoming and accommodating."
However, after six to eight weeks of communication, mainly involving logistics, Shanowitz said she was shocked to receive an email last week that the nonprofit group no longer wished to collaborate with the school, due to ideological disagreements.
"Unfortunately, upon further review of your organization, we have found our missions are not aligned and we will not be able to set up programming with your school," said the email sent by Morgan Arnett, an offsite instructor at Locust Street. "It seems we are on opposite sides of a great ethical divide and cannot in good consciousness work with a pro-Israel organization that supports the ongoing genocide in Palestine."
Arnett also added that the decision "was not taken lightly."
"I did not see it coming. It was a very surprising message. There was no hints and other communications that this is about to come," Shanowitz told The News.
About seven hours later, Shanowitz said she received the apology email from Noworyta.
Shanowitz, who had grown up in Argentina and faced antisemitism before coming to the United States, said the letter left her shaken.
"The claim was that we support genocide. And that was a little bit appalling to me because I never saw any political aspects or matter of discussion throughout my experience of going there," she said.
Noworyta's follow-up email said the school does not take sides in political matters and believes that art has the power to bring people together.
"We try to always lead with positive intent and love for all people. We failed to abide by that core philosophy today and let misguided interpretations cloud our judgement," she said, adding that they would aim to do better in the future.
This is not the first time that the current strife in the Middle East had an impact in Western New York. In November, the Western New York chapter of the Muslim Public Affairs Council's bought space on digital billboards on Buffalo's most heavily traveled expressways, the I-190 and I-290, calling for the end of violence in Gaza. Lamar Advertising took them down without explanation within a few days sparking outrage in the community. MPAC-WNY partnered with the Buffalo chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace in January to try to send the same message and criticized the agency's prior decision to crack down on free speech.
In October, The News reported two incidents of students tearing down Israeli flags displayed in school building at the Sweet Home School District, leading several members of the Jewish community to point out the concerning rise in antisemitic behavior since Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel.
StopAntisemitism, a U.S.-based organization fighting antisemitism, tweeted Tuesday evening about the incident.
"Shocking discrimination as a Jewish Day school was denied services by Locust Street Art instructor Morgan Arnett due to the school being 'pro-Israel'," the tweet read, adding, "According to their website, "Art is for Everyone". Except half of the world's Jews."
Michael Berger, the attorney associated with Ohr Temimim, sent the arts organization an email condemning its decision to refuse collaboration.
"I am in absolute disbelief at the statements set forth in the letter," he said. "For her to even begin to allege that our school supports genocide is an absolute libel. Just because a group may support the State of Israel does not by any admission equate to supporting genocide."
Locust Street Art did not make Arnett available to comment on the issue.
"A misguided email was sent to the school and within hours, I sent a formal apology and redacted," Noworyta told The News Wednesday. "That apology was accepted, and we are looking forward to being able to work with the Ohr Temimim School."
She is working with the board to create a policy that will require any denial to go through the board of directors.
"We are an art school that is for everyone, regardless of religious beliefs, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, color of your skin. It does not matter for us, art is for everyone and we staunchly stand by that," Noworyta said.
Topik: Jewish