History Made In Arizona As Governor Signs Moment of Silence Bill
After months of tireless work, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey today signed into law today, Arizona House Bill 2707, also known as “the moment of silence bill.” This new law now requires all public and charter school children in Arizona to begin every school day with a moment of silence and reflection.
“This will enable our children, in this age of distraction inundated by Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, and so many other intrusions, to take a moment at the beginning of the day, to focus inward, and anchor themselves in the moral and spiritual values that will be suggested to them by their parents,” said Rabbi Allouche. “So that they can thrive not just intellectually, but also spiritually and emotionally; not just as human doings, but also, as human beings.”
This bill was inspired by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe – whose 120th birthday falls out today – who called upon the United States of America to implement this bill in all public schools after the attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981, in the hopes of restoring emotional and spiritual health, sanity and accountability, to the children and to a society that can produce such an assassin.
In the words of the Governor in his address today: “This new exercise will let our kids escape from all their distractions — if only for a minute or two — so they can think, feel, reflect, and breathe. I’m confident this will have a significant impact on the mental and emotional health of our kids.”
The law, which was passed by the Arizona Legislature in April, prohibits teachers from making suggestions to students about what to think about or do during the Moment of Silence, and instead encourages parents or guardians to discuss with their children how the student can best utilize the moment of silence.
“I want to thank Representative Alma Hernandez for sponsoring this legislation and leading on this issue. I also want to thank Rabbi Pinchas Allouche from Congregation Beth Tefillah of Arizona for your hard work and support to help get this bill to my desk,” the Governor said.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Alma Hernandez whose tremendous work and efforts were seen at every step of the way as the bill passed through each committee.
A special Thank You was also made to Chabad of Arizona Regional Director Rabbi Zalman Levertov for all of his efforts.
Th governor concluded by saying, “And I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize Rabbi Schneersohn — also known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe — an influential figure of the Jewish community…. I’m eager to sign this bill today, which will further the vision of the great Rebbe, enhance the education of our children, and contribute to their emotional and spiritual well-being.”
For the full transcript of the Governor’s remarks, click here: https://tinyurl.com/2p92tx6r
“Thank you to AZ representative Alma Hernandez for sponsoring this bill, to my dear friend, Adam Kwasman, for stewarding this bill through its many hurdles along the way,” Rabbi Allouch said. “To my dear friend, Maria Cristina Fuentes, for her ongoing guidance and assistance, and to Governor Doug Ducey for your inspiring leadership and friendship.”
