Mayor Adams Acknowledges Holocaust Survivor Should Have Been Allowed to Speak at Brooklyn School
In a surprising reversal, New York City Mayor Eric Adams admitted early Thursday that Holocaust survivor Sami Steigmann should have been permitted to share his experiences with students at MS 447 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The 85-year-old survivor had been prevented from speaking about antisemitism at the middle school due to his pro-Israel views. Adams, who initially supported principal Arin Rusch’s decision through a statement from his office, later claimed this position “went out prematurely” and clarified his actual stance: “Let me be very clear, I’ve previously met with Sami Steigmann and he is ABSOLUTELY the right person to speak with kids about the atrocities of the Holocaust.” This reversal came after significant public attention following The Post’s reporting on the controversy, placing the incident in the broader context of debates about how schools should approach discussions of both historical and contemporary Jewish experiences.
The situation began when Steigmann was denied an opportunity to speak at MS 447 last month, apparently due to his strong support for Israel. What makes this particularly troubling is that Steigmann had made it clear he had no intention of discussing current Middle East politics with the students. His planned presentation would focus exclusively on the Holocaust and antisemitism—topics directly connected to his lived experience as a survivor. Despite these assurances, Principal Rusch rejected Steigmann’s appearance, and a mayoral spokesperson initially backed this decision, stating that Steigmann “wasn’t the right fit” while promising to feature other speakers with similar experiences. This reasoning struck many as a form of political filtering that prevented students from hearing directly from someone with firsthand experience of one of history’s greatest atrocities.
Steigmann himself was understandably upset by the rejection, characterizing it as censorship. He pointed out that the principal never spoke with him directly to understand the content of his planned presentation, which would have clarified his intentions to avoid current political controversies. The situation highlights a growing tension in educational settings around topics related to Jewish identity, antisemitism, and Israel. While schools must always consider age-appropriateness and educational value in their programming, the decision to exclude a Holocaust survivor from sharing his historical experiences because of his contemporary political views raises serious questions about where educational institutions draw the line between protecting students and filtering knowledge based on political considerations.
Mayor Adams’ midnight reversal came while he was attending the Combat Antisemitism conference in New Orleans, suggesting that the context of rising antisemitism may have influenced his reconsideration. “As our Jewish community faces increased antisemitism and persecution across the globe, it’s more important now than ever that we learn the lessons and stories of the Holocaust,” Adams wrote on social media. This statement acknowledges the educational importance of firsthand Holocaust testimony, particularly at a time when antisemitic incidents are rising in New York City and around the world. The controversy demonstrates how schools have become battlegrounds for larger social and political debates, with decisions about speakers and curriculum often scrutinized through political lenses rather than purely educational ones.
The incident at MS 447 reflects broader tensions in how American schools are navigating discussions about identity, history, and current events. Holocaust education has traditionally been viewed as a non-partisan issue, with survivors like Steigmann serving as irreplaceable primary sources who can connect students directly to historical events that might otherwise seem distant or abstract. However, in the current climate, even these educational opportunities are sometimes filtered through contemporary political frameworks. For many Jewish families and antisemitism awareness advocates, preventing a Holocaust survivor from speaking because of his support for Israel represents a troubling conflation of historical education with current political debates. They argue that students should be able to learn about the Holocaust from those who lived through it, regardless of the survivors’ views on contemporary issues.
Mayor Adams, a Democrat who will leave office at the end of December, has consistently supported Israel throughout his term. His eventual correction of his office’s position on this matter aligns with his previous stances, though the initial support for blocking Steigmann raised questions about coordination within his administration. The Department of Education, which also originally supported the decision to prevent Steigmann from speaking, did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the mayor’s reversal. This incident serves as a reminder of how educational institutions must balance multiple considerations when bringing speakers to schools, but also highlights the unique value that Holocaust survivors bring to education about antisemitism and genocide. As the generation of survivors continues to age, opportunities for students to hear their firsthand accounts become increasingly precious, making decisions to exclude their voices particularly consequential for both educational quality and historical memory.
