"I wish I wasn't born Jewish": British schoolchildren hide their ethnicity out of fear

A parent organization in the UK has reported over 110 cases of antisemitism in educational institutions. Among the testimonies are a 15-year-old girl who hid her Jewish identity, a student who took exams in isolation, and children who mocked the Holocaust. The organization "Parents Against Antisemitism" is passing the data to the CST and a government commission.

The parent organization "Parents Against Antisemitism" (PAA) has reported over 110 cases of hatred in British educational institutions, from nurseries to high schools. Among the testimonies is the story of a 15-year-old girl who hid her Jewish identity from classmates, saying she was from Turkey. Returning home, she would cry bitterly and tell her parents she "wished she hadn't been born Jewish." In another case, a Jewish teenager was forced to take final exams separately from other students due to safety concerns. Other children covered their ears when Judaism was mentioned, mocked the stabbing attack in Golders Green, questioned the testimonies of Holocaust survivors, or claimed the Holocaust was fabricated. Volunteer Sasha Hoffman called antisemitism an "epidemic" and noted that conspiracy theories spread even in classrooms without Jewish students. The organization passes collected information to the Community Security Trust (CST) and a government commission. Many parents fear reporting incidents, worried about worsening their children's situation. School principals, according to the organization, often ignore complaints or justify the incidents, and suspending students for antisemitic behavior is extremely rare.