NEW YORK — In response to President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch, CEO of Women of Reform Judaism, released the following statement strongly condemning this misuse of presidential authority to subvert the education system in this country:
“The Department of Education serves as the sole federal body that makes the interests of students its top priority. These responsibilities include enforcing protections granted in both Title VI and IX such as banning sex-based discrimination, prohibiting harassment based on race, color, or national origin, and ensuring sexual assault survivors can receive adequate education.
“Women of Reform Judaism has a long legacy of speaking up for a strong public education system and advocating for needed protections for survivors. Without an entity enforcing these nondiscrimination mandates, the safety of our students will be in jeopardy.
“The dismantling of this department does not benefit the country’s most vulnerable students like the Trump administration claims. It erases the protections and federal oversight needed to best guarantee students have the tools they need to succeed in and beyond the classroom.
“Education is a central Jewish value. As we approach Passover, we prepare to sit around our seder tables and fulfill the mission of the haggadah: “and you shall tell your child (Exodus 13:8)” - we continue to teach and educate the next generation.”