Slow-lounge story merits public apology

The slow-lounge students.

I’m only 15, my brother is 19, my parents are nearly 50, and my grandparents are all over 70. None of us found it funny. In fact, my grandparents were so horrified by it, they were put off supporting the SA Jewish Report. So am I.

I’ve sent the articles to my friends at King David, although most of them have already seen it. I’ve sent it to friends at Yeshiva, Herzlia, and Crawford. Even my non-Jewish friends didn’t find it funny.

First, I want to know why you think it’s funny to hate on a Jewish school, one that’s probably giving you most of your business.

Second, I’d like a public announcement. Not just a small apology written in the paper, because I refuse to support the SA Jewish Report, not after this article. I want to hear you go up on stage at King David Linksfield (and the other King Davids you publicly hated on, if possible) and apologise to all of us hardworking students, teachers, and staff.

Furthermore, your company needs to make an overture to Ms Srage and Morah Sacks. Ms Srage is principal of King David Linksfield. She has helped many of us get through tough times, she has made many of us laugh, she has celebrated our successes, she puts all her time and energy into making our school one of the best. She doesn’t deserve this hate after all her hard work.

Morah Sacks, our deputy principal as well as the head of our Judaica committee, has put hours of work into our school. She has made a huge effort to make us a school without any harshness, where we are all equal. She has done this so that we will be the opposite of what your article said we were.

Finally, does it bring you joy to make students at King David feel worthless? Just smokers, vapers and drinkers. Does it bring you joy to look down on us, and make us feel like we are a disgrace to Judaism? Does it bring you joy to make 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18-year-olds read this article and feel that this is the only name they will ever have, that even their own community views them as drunks, partying vapers, and nothing more?

I enjoyed reading the SA Jewish Report. I would read every article on a Friday. This article was heartbreaking for me.

We hope you read this email with courage, and put our complaints to rest by apologising publicly.

I believe in the work that the SA Jewish Report does. You amaze me with your incredible articles sometimes. I hope that you take this email seriously, and make some changes.