UK Teacher Blames Jews for Oct. 7 Hamas Attack; Boy, 9, Leaves School
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
A nine-year-old Jewish boy in North London left his state primary school after a teacher blamed Jews for the October 7 Hamas attacks. The school administration reportedly refused to provide antisemitism training, citing that staff could not be forced into political matters. The boy's father described the incident as a repeat of previous antisemitic experiences at the school, leading the family to enroll him in a Jewish school. Jewish organizations have condemned the incident and called for action against antisemitism in educational institutions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A nine-year-old Jewish boy left his North London school after a teacher blamed Jews for the October 7 Hamas attacks.
- The school administration reportedly refused to provide antisemitism training to staff, stating they could not be forced into politics.
- The boy's father compared the incident to historical antisemitism, stating he would never send his son to a non-Jewish school again.
- This was reportedly not the first antisemitic incident the child experienced at the school.
- Jewish organizations condemned the event and emphasized the need to address antisemitism in schools.
- The boy has since enrolled in a Jewish school, where his emotional state has improved.
A nine-year-old Jewish boy in North London was forced to leave his state primary school after his teacher told him that Jews were responsible for the October 7 Hamas massacre, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The boy's family approached the school administration demanding antisemitism training for staff, but were told that staff could not be forced to engage in politics. The incident occurred earlier this year when the boy discussed the Hamas attack on the Nova festival with his father. The next day, when he shared this conversation with his teacher, she responded, "Actually, the opposite is true." The father interpreted this to mean the teacher was suggesting Jews attacked Palestinians and that Hamas's actions were justified as "freedom fighters." Following the incident, the father met with the deputy headteacher, who took notes and promised to address the matter with the teacher. However, the school administration failed to follow up, despite repeated attempts by the father to get an update. When the father suggested the teacher visit the Nova exhibition in London to understand the events of October 7, he was again told staff could not be forced into political matters, to which he responded that the massacre of innocent people was a historical event, not politics. The father eventually approached the headteacher on the last day of the school year, but was dismissed. The Jewish Chronicle reported this was not the first antisemitic incident the child had experienced at the school; the previous year, a classmate had hurled curses at him for praising an Israeli singer, while others chanted "Free Palestine." Feeling despair, the family decided to remove the boy from the school. He has since enrolled in a Jewish school, where his emotional state has improved. The father stated he would never send his son to a non-Jewish school again, comparing the situation to his own grandfather removing his mother from school in 1940 due to antisemitism under the Vichy regime. Jewish organizations in the UK reacted strongly. A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews highlighted the need for the findings of Sir David Bell's review into antisemitism in schools. The Community Security Trust (CST) stated that schools should be safe spaces and expressed deep concern that Jewish students face hostility, urging families to report antisemitic behavior to schools, police, and the CST.
Mentioned
