Rachel Writes

The photo that appears above was posted on the Facebook page of a local elected leader.  Some of the comments that this photo elicited were disturbing to me.  A number of commenters seemed to take the sight of Muslims praying on the beach as an affront to their Christianity at best and, at worst, a sign that terrorists were invading Wakulla County. A few comments represented less alarmist, more accepting perspectives. Reading this thread reminded me of something that happened when I was a teacher at Wakulla High School.  I occasionally wear a Star of David and I tend to be very open about my Jewish faith.   My identity as a Jewish woman was not an every day topic of conversation, but I did not hide it and during the holidays my classroom decor reflected the diversity of my students. In my second year teaching at Wakulla High, several Jewish students approached me and asked if I would be the faculty sponsor for a Jewish Student Association.  They told me...