'Night of Unity' to be held for Commack students

A "Night of Unity" will be held for Commack students this weekend after pictures surfaced online of two high schoolers wearing T-shirts with swastikas at an off-campus spring break party. Rabbi Mendel

News 12 Staff

Apr 18, 2015, 7:09 AM

Updated 3,461 days ago

Share:

A "Night of Unity" will be held for Commack students this weekend after pictures surfaced online of two high schoolers wearing T-shirts with swastikas at an off-campus spring break party.
Rabbi Mendel Teldon is discussing the goals that the Commack community is trying to reach after the images surfaced.
"There are survivors of Auschwitz here in the community, their children, their grandchildren," Teldon said. "Part of the pain is that the kids didn't even realize why there's pain."
A school spokesperson said of the incident, "While there are legal issues dictating how we proceed and what we can share, I can assure you that the district will mete out consequences to those involved as legally permissible."
Rabbi Teldon says that some of those consequences may include sensitivity training, community service and removal from leadership positions in student government.
Community members will be present at the "Night of Unity" to discuss the cost of hatred and the value of tolerance. The event will feature speeches from a Holocaust survivor and law enforcement officials.
Teldon says that the father of the female student involved in the incident apologized to the local rabbis for his daughter's actions. Teldon called the apology brave and appropriate.
The "Night of Unity" event will be held this Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Chai Center in Dix Hills.