Jewish Mother Removes Son From German School Due To Classroom Anti-Semitism
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A Jewish mother in Germany is taking her son out of a public high school because of frequent anti-Semitic comments in the classroom.
Though her son was not personally targeted by the comments, the atmosphere at the school in the city of Offenbach, near Frankfurt, led Alina R. to make the move.
She told the German news media that teachers and administrators had failed to react to the anti-Semitic comments thrown casually around the classroom. Comments such as “It’s as hot and humid as Auschwitz in here” or “you Jew” are common, she said, noting that her son’s Jewish identity is not public.
The 16-year-old will transfer to a private school where, Alina R. said, such problems are less common since the private school takes greater care to call out and punish such behavior.
According to German news reports, Alina R. had encouraged her son to speak with a teacher about the problem and the teacher did not take any action.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Justice will increase the punishment for crimes with anti-Semitic motivation.
Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht announced her planned amendment to the law on Thursday, saying that she was “ashamed of the fact that Jews in Germany no longer feel safe, that even many think about leaving the country.” She expects the parliament to pass the change by the end of the year.
Josef Schuster, head of the the Central Council of Jews in Germany, called it an “important step.”
“Anti-Semitic motivations must be considered separately and as aggravating circumstances in the sentencing,” he said.
Schuster had argued for the inclusion of “anti-Semitism” in the list of motivations drawing a harsher punishment. The list currently includes racist and xenophobic motivations, among others.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
