A Skokie high school board member’s decision to wear a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf when she appeared at the Niles West High School graduation ceremony has led to both angry feedback from Jewish residents and a June 9 rally in the board member’s defense.
Jill Manrique, who was elected to the Niles Township High School District 219 Board of Education in 2019, wore the keffiyeh on May 22 to the Niles West High School commencement. She said she knew the scarf, which has become a symbol of the Palestinian cause, would be controversial in Skokie.“I was terrified to put it on,” Manrique said, referring to commencement day. “I didn’t feel safe.”
Rabbi Rachel Marks of Temple Beth Israel in Skokie said she believes it may have been a mistake for Manrique to wear the keffiyeh at the graduation ceremony.“I think the core issue here is making a political statement during an event that’s supposed to be about the graduating seniors and their accomplishments and this life transition,” she added. “I think this detracts the attention from the seniors who should be celebrated.
During the rally supporting Manrique’s actions and during the June 9 District 219 Board of Education meeting, many speakers said the voices of Palestinian students in the high school and community have been suppressed. She told the board she was harassed by a Niles West parent after a day of fundraising for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. When she reported the harassment, she said she felt the school administration victim-blamed her.
“In a school as diverse as ours, we want students to seek understanding by attending the many events and being amongst their peers,” it said. Marks, referring to Manrique’s decision to wear the keffiyeh at commencement, noted the graduating seniors have been through a lot these past two years.“I think that the day should have been about the kids and about those seniors who graduated,” Marx said.