Shalom, Arabic School!
Whats the best way to allay fears that your new Arabic school will be a jihadi academy and a breeding ground for hate? How bout hiring a Jew as your principal? In a move that the Posts Andrea Peyser describes as [the worst joke ever to hit Brooklyn,] Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has [appointed Danielle Salzberg](http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=72618) to temporarily head the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn, which will open in September as the city's first Arabic school. Salzberg currently serves as a senior program officer at New Visions for Public Schools, and [according to school officials](http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/83889), has already done some work to support the Academy. Salzberg also happens to be Jewish. She was raised in an Orthodox home and doesnt speak any Arabic, [leading many to wonder](http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=31278388) whether the appointment has less to do with Salzbergs teaching credentials than her religious background.
The appointment comes after former Principal Debbie Almontaser was [forced to resign Friday] after she defended the sale of t-shirts bearing the slogan Intifada NYC, saying that, in Arabic, the term basically means shaking off. The ousted educator is [now charging](http://www.nysun.com/article/60428) that it was not the controversy, but her religion, that prompted her dismissal: Unfortunately, a small group of highly misguided individuals has launched a relentless attack on me because of my religion," Almontaser reportedly told Klein in a resignation letter written Friday.
The Arab-American Family Support Center, however, [sounded pleased with the decision]: Ms. Salzberg is a seasoned small school leader and teacher who will ensure that students receive an exemplary public school education consistent with the highest academic standards of the New York City public school system, they said in a statement issued yesterday.