Media reports on NSW antisemitic school incidents impact on the JBOD reporting
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has tweaked its online portal for Jewish students and their families across NSW to report incidents of antisemitic bullying in schools.
It comes after a Sydney Morning Herald report detailed a number of antisemitic bullying incidents in Sydney and regional NSW schools.
In one incident, a year 7 boy from a Northern Rivers high school pretended to shoot his peers and uttered the despicable words, ‘Shoot the Jew’.
In another incident at an eastern suburbs public high school, the Board was made aware that a 16-year-old Jewish boy in year 10 is constantly being called ‘Fat Jew’.
This same student then made a comment that he would go back in time and become Hitler so he could (verbatim) ‘hunt down (my son’s) family and stop the bloodline’.
A parent who phoned the Board said her son witnessed a Jewish boy being stuffed into a locker while a group of students watched on, while deodorant was sprayed into the locker with the student inside to simulate a gas chamber.
The parent did not wish to share the name of the school; said she understands that students laughed and filmed the incident; and said she believes that the school is aware the incident took place.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip said: “Since the launch of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies’ online reporting portal last week, we have been inundated with horrendous reports of antisemitic bullying across NSW schools.
The fact that children are being bullied simply because they are Jewish is intolerable. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies will continue to work with schools, the NSW Government, the NSW Education Department and our interfaith partners to address this unacceptable behaviour.
We are presently working with a number of schools to assist them in educating their students about the harmful consequences of dehumanising others. Many schools will now, at the Board’s insistence, participate in the Board’s Respect, Understanding and Acceptance program, mandate that students attend the Sydney Jewish Museum and otherwise introduce new programs for students and teachers which will address antisemitism and other forms of hate.
I thank community members for reporting these incidents to the Board and I implore the community to continue to do so, particularly in cases where victims are not being supported and perpetrators are not being held to account.
I also encourage victims and their families, where necessary, to reach out for support to JewishCare, which has a dedicated team available to assist victims of antisemitic bullying.”
NSWJBD CEO Darren Bark added: “These incidents demonstrate a broader cultural problem that is systemic to our schools. This is playing out at schools across our state, and we cannot let the normalisation of this destructive and disrespectful behaviour continue.
They also highlight the importance of students, and their parents, being able to report incidents as they happen. It is vital so that the school can provide support to the victim as well as take appropriate action against the perpetrator.
No matter what the school, public or private, it should be easier to stand up, say something and report the bullying, than it is to commit the act. This is currently not the case. Our schools must be equipped with the reporting tools necessary to ensure everyone feels safe.”
The NSWJBD’s September plenum will address the rise in antisemitic bullying in Sydney schools. Members of the community are encouraged to attend the in-person plenum on Tuesday, September 20 at 7.30pm. To register: www.nswjbd.org/plenum.
