SALEM — Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli and Marblehead High School Principal Dan Bauer were honored with North Shore Community Awards by the Anti-Defamation League Wednesday morning for their efforts in responding to antisemitic incidents.
The awards were presented to Bauer and Ricciardelli at the ADL’s Law and Education Day program, which was themed around combating extremism in local communities. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins served as the keynote speaker for the annual event at Kernwood Country Club, and Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker also offered remarks.
Ricciardelli said he was surprised when he received the call informing him of the award, in part because he believed he handled an incident last September, when a group hung antisemitic banners above the Walnut Street overpass on Route 1, the way “most other chiefs would.” But, he said, it’s “always nice to be recognized.”
Rabbi Yossi Lipsker of Chabad of the North Shore presented the award to Ricciardelli, and said he was honored and privileged to work with the chief in the wake of the incident. Lipsker described the banners as “so beyond the pale” and said he received a number of calls in the wake of the incident from people who were “very alarmed.”
“I just want to say that chief, you and your entire staff were on it right away. You were thoughtful. You didn’t rush to judgment. You did everything in your power to gather as many facts as you could,” he said. “It almost felt like you were on a fact-finding mission which was very, very endearing to me.”
“When I reached out to you and said people would like to gather there wasn’t even a hesitation,” Lipsker added, referencing a rally held outside Saugus Town Hall in the wake of the incident.
Lipsker said he anticipated a relatively small group at the rally, but instead found a “huge crowd.”
“They took your lead, they took your example,” he told Ricciardelli.
As a result of the new relationship between the Chabad and the town, a menorah lighting was held outside town hall in December to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah. There, “everybody came back out again,” Lipsker said.
Ricciardelli recounted the days following the incident, telling the crowd he was on vacation in Las Vegas that weekend and was woken up by Assistant Chief Ronald Giorgetti the Monday of his return. Giorgetti let him know the department had been inundated with calls and emails from members of the Jewish community. When he got to the office, Ricciardelli began calling people back and was urged to publicly denounce the group’s actions. He said he was initially hesitant to do that, fearing it would give them additional publicity. He was told, in response, “that darkness cannot drive out darkness.”
“Light has to drive out the darkness, so they want as much attention put on this as possible,” Ricciardelli said.
“The reason I’m here and the reason I am proud of this award and the things we went through the past few months is we turned very negative and hateful events into at least two very positive events,” he added. “For that, I’m very proud. … I’m just a small part of doing that. There was a lot more people than me that are involved, but I appreciate the recognition and the award.”
After Ricciardelli’s remarks, ADL North Shore Advisory Committee Chair Melissa Kaplowitch introduced two of her children — Averi Kaplowitch, a Marblehead Class of 2018 graduate, and Jared Kaplowitch, a current Marblehead High School student — to present the award to Bauer.
Averi began by describing an antisemitic incident she faced when she was a sophomore at Marblehead High. A peer made a swastika out of pennies while doing a chemistry lab and posted it on Snapchat.
Although the incident occurred before Bauer became Marblehead High’s principal, Averi said he immediately sought to act.
The high school quickly implemented the ADL’s World of Difference curriculum, offering a variety of programs to help participants “recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and society; explore the value of diversity; improve intergroup relations; and challenge racism, antisemitism and all forms of prejudice and bias.” The program is still in place in Marblehead High School, nearly eight years after the incident.
“I certainly don’t know how I would have navigated acts of hate in the aftermath of what I experienced without Mr. Bauer’s guidance, reassurance, and help that I was making the right decision and speaking up even though it’s very scary,” Averi said.
Jared was next to speak, talking about the Hate Ends Now campaign’s work to bring a World War II-era replica cattle car exhibit to Marblehead High School. While the replica was at the high school, students were given the chance to enter it and hear a presentation on the Holocaust. Bauer had “no hesitation at all” when approached about the project, Jared said.
“This is just one example of many programs Mr. Bauer has brought to Marblehead High School that teach students about life and the world more than a textbook,” he said.
Jared added that Bauer has been a “source of strength” at the high school for seven years.
Bauer was then presented with the award by the Kaplowitchs, and expressed his gratitude for the recognition, calling it “humbling.” He spoke at length about the importance of building a culture and community inside the school where students and staff feel empowered.
He said he was proud of the work of teachers and staff, who have provided opportunities for students to bring positive change to the school, often by creating clubs and organizations.
“It’s so important that students have opportunities for connections to make not only their school a better place, but to take those examples for future endeavors,” he said.
“This really is an award for our community, how great they’ve been, and our young people, because they are the hope for tomorrow,” he added.
