Statement by Rhonda Rosenthal, New York City Teacher

As to the lie about education, Ms. Rosenthal says: Not only is it a lie that higher education is discouraged, I am happy to tell that when I learned from Aesthetic Realism that “the purpose of education is to like the world through knowing it,” and what that means, I no longer wanted to drop out of college. I went on to do post-graduate work, and I became a teacher. My respect and high opinion of Eli Siegel, not “devotion,” is based on scholarship.

As to the lie about independence, Ms. Rosenthal says: Contrary to what these web pages want you to think, through my study of Aesthetic Realism I’ve become a more independent and a more thoughtful person. In Aesthetic Realism classes and consultations, I’ve always been asked to see what I feel and to know and state my own opinions. Some of the benefits of this are: I have more self-respect, and am likewise respected at work and in the community. My colleagues have elected me to various positions: for example, as union delegate, and to sit on search committees for principals. Their reason: “We know you will be fair.”

As to the lie about the family, Ms. Rosenthal says: My mother, who is 87 years old, studies Aesthetic Realism. In recent years she is excited to be studying anthropology. Together we are learning to see more meaning in the whole world, and to see the meaning in one another. I love her. I represent my family, most of whom do not study Aesthetic Realism, in saying that through what my mother and I have been learning our family is closer.

Once I was tormented because the way I felt about my father, the person I was most angry with, didn’t make sense to me. This made me cold to him. How swiftly that ended when I began to learn from Aesthetic Realism to see him as having feelings as real as my own. He passed away some time ago, but I’m sure he would join me in protesting the untruthful way Aesthetic Realism is portrayed on those web pages.