Jewish Students Assailed by Antisemitism

 "I live in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, and my child is not in school because she's Jewish. That's insane."

"I can't believe that this is happening. My daughter, who does really well at school, she loves school, isn't able to attend public school unless she is willing to hide her Judaism."

"There are certain levels of antisemitism that I can deal with, however, since October 7, things have gotten much, much worse."

"They [the school] had a huge booth, and it was labelled Palestine. There was a map: the state of Israel we relabelled as Palestine with the Palestinian colours on it; [there was] information such as Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, Bethlehem is in Palestine. So literally a cultural history and rewriting history to suit a particular narrative."

"When I approached the administration -- they were in the room -- they told me to calm down because they were just kids."

"Jews are the only minority marginalized group that gets to be told by other people what is and what isn't offensive. No other group would be told to calm down and to relax."

"When the teachers said those things -- calm down, it's not a big deal -- the students are emboldened and start saying things like 'there is no Israel there is only Palestine'. So don't tell me that that's not inappropriate, calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. the denial of the state of Israel is being endorsed by these teachers and the administration."

Anissa Hersh, Burlington Ontario mother of High School student

A photo from the Burlington Central High School event. Photo by Supplied

"The gross rise of antisemitism needs to be a wake up call to the director and leadership of the Halton District School Board to do something about this disturbing trend."

"I have assured Mrs. Hersh that we will communicate my expectations to the director that the Halton District School Board take action on these unacceptable incidents and apply the same level of concern and enforcement to hate as they would for anyone else."

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce

"The Halton District School Board does not tolerate the erasure of any nation or identity and views the erasure of Israel from a map as antisemitic. I can assure you that staff are investigating this issue."

"The school principal has communicated with students, families and staff about this incident, underscoring school processes and expectations."

"The safety and well-being of students is our highest priority. As educators, we continue to centre human rights and provide an environment that is inclusive and respectful, and where the humanity of all students, staff and communities is upheld."

Halton District School Board statement

Jewish mother to a teen-age girl in Grade 11 at Burlington Central High School, Anissa Hersh has made it her business to inform the larger community of the circumstances in which her daughter and other Jewish students are expected to attend public school, while tolerating verbal and physical manifestations of Jew-hate emanating from other students from within the Muslim community. A situation that had been steadily growing as Palestinians and others from the Middle East have migrated to Canada bringing with them their violent antipathy toward Israel, and extending it to the Canadian-Jewish demographic.

She has felt she has no other choice but to take her daughter out of the high school she has been attending in fear for her safety in an atmosphere the school is actually encouraging, charged with antisemitism. "Since October 7", her daughter stated while having her name withheld, "I've had a hard time going to school. Mentally I have had to prepare myself each morning." Students lobbing antisemitic comments at the girl and to her friends emphasizing her Jewishness. An incident of a van on school property with those inside shouting that everyone should rise up and free Palestine. 

"But this is not anything that I would have pulled my daughter out for school for; I wasn't happy about it, and we always contacted the school, and the inaction of the school is infamous", Ms. Hersh commented. Even the student walkouts focusing on Gaza were shrugged off. Until a school exhibit for student artwork in the school auditorium hosted an "Arts & Culture" event at which her daughter had art on display. Students were given permission to wear T-shirts and jewelry where eradication of Israel was depicted. That and a display of a map where Israel was eliminated.

 

Although the board acknowledged the map represented antisemitism they described the event as an after-school activity "organized by students to celebrate different cultures within the school community". When Mrs. Hersh complained the result was unsatisfactory. "The only thing they did was they sent me information on how my daughter could finish school at home. That was their solution. Let my daughter finish school at home. Then they can wipe their hands."

"She didn't do anything wrong, and now she is paying the price for inaction of the schools. We don't know what we're going to do next year. Do we have to move? Do we have to relocate so that our daughter can go to a school where we can be assured that it won't matter that she's Jewish.?" 

 

Burlington Central High School in Burlington, Ont. Photo by Google Maps / Screenshot

"Discriminatory behaviour was also directed toward some students at our school who were targeted by a community member for wearing a kaffiyeh and jewelry with a Palestinian flag. This behaviour demonstrates anti-Palestinian racism and is not tolerated in our school."

"We are deeply concerned by these events and share our community's concerns that these incidents are harmful and unacceptable."

"Antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and racism in any form, is not tolerated at our school."

Halton District School Board letter disseminated to the Burlington Central School community