Jewish Family Flees Town After Being Blamed for ‘A Christmas Carol’ Feud
A Jewish family had to flee their hometown in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after conservative news outlets suggested they were to blame for shutting down their local school’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”
The family, which said it only asked that their child be excused from performing in the play, got spooked after the news broke on Fox News and on Breitbart. The attention sparked fears of a backlash similar to the one in which a North Carolina gunman entered the Comic Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C. after right wing sites alleged that it was home to a Hillary Clinton-led child sex ring.
“There’s no way we’re going to take a chance after the pizza incident,” the unidentified parents told LancasterOnline.
Image by Lancaster Public Schools
Articles in both outlets partly blamed the family for the school’s decision, though the school called that information inaccurate, writing in a statement that it had canceled the performance because it conflicted with curricular needs.
The family said that it had merely asked for their child to be excused from the performance, in which Tiny Tim says us “God bless us, everyone.” The school granted their request, but the family said their child was subsequently bullied by other classmates over the non-attendance. The family said they hoped to return home after the controversy had died down.
News of the family’s situation stirred outrage on the Internet. The news Web site Slate ran article titled, “Jewish Family Flees County After Fox News, Breitbart Falsely Blame It for Cancellation of Christmas Play.” Author Gary Shteyngart expressed more pointed sentiments, seeming to blame President-elect Donald Trump and his family for the episode. “Happy Hanukkah, Jared and Ivanka! Thank you for all your good work this year,” wrote on Twitter.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
