Kesher Talk

Jews in odd places: Czech Republic: Not only Jews, but porn! A fight over porn found on a school's computer server has broken the reigning Jewish leadership in Prague:

Community representatives voted 13-11 ... [in November] to remove the principal of the Lauder Jewish community school from her post following a fight over the discovery of pornography hidden on the school’s Internet server.

The principal, Vera Dvorakova, is bring dismissed for firing a senior teacher in connection with the discovery, despite a lack of concrete evidence of his involvement.

The meeting also voted to hold early elections next year for a new Jewish parliament, the body that elects officials in the community.

Insiders say the unexpected move was a direct attack on the leadership of Tomas Jelinek, who won the chairmanship in 2001 on a pledge to bring the 1,500-strong community into the modern age.

The decision to hold early elections comes after months of strife at the community-run Lauder school, which houses both a high school and an elementary school. Teachers and students have staged repeated protests over the appointment of Dvorakova, a former head of the Jewish community’s secretarial department.

Community insiders say the scandal at the school unleashed feelings of discontent with the community’s leadership.

posted by William @ 1/19/2004 03:48:00 PM