PHOENIX — Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation this week requiring public and charter schools to observe a moment of silence at the start of each school day.
House Bill 2707 says the moment of silence is one-to-two minutes and "can be used for contemplation in a manner determined by the student and their parents."
"As we’re working to get Arizona kids refocused in the classroom, we should also work to get them refocused emotionally," Ducey said in a news release. "That’s exactly what H.B. 2707 does, ensuring all schools set aside time every day for students to engage in a moment of silence. This gives our kids the opportunity to take time to remember, reflect, meditate, pray, prepare for the day ahead or anything they—and their parents—choose."
The bill was signed on what would have been Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's 120th birthday, according to the governor's office. Rabbi Schneerson was a powerful figure in the Jewish community who called for a moment of silence in schools at the start of each day after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot but survived.
