Jewish residents in Massachusetts town condemn increase in public-school antisemitism

Swastikas and hearing “I wish Hitler had finished the job with you” are just a few of the antisemitic incidents brought before a recent public-school committee meeting in Bedford, Massachusetts.

The town of approximately 14,000 hosted a May 28 hearing where several Jewish residents highlighted multiple incidents of hatred against them, according to the Bedford Citizen.

“Silence and inaction allows hate to fester, and our children deserve to feel safe, respected and seen,” said one parent who shared her children had seen swastikas, Nazi salutes and other threatening actions in John Glenn Middle School.

A lack of consistent, firm action from educational officials only affirms “hate can exist in our schools without consequence,” she argued.

The Bedford Citizen withheld the names of residents speaking before the committee, citing concerns about an increase in hate crimes statewide.

“Several people at the School Committee meeting referred to the charges of antisemitic materials in the Massachusetts Teachers Association resources,” editors noted. “This is a topic we are exploring for future coverage.”

As previously reported by The Lion, the teachers’ union drew public outrage after linking to offensive materials as recommended resources to explain the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The union later promised to remove the links to such content – including imagery of Hamas fighters calling for intifada, as well as U.S. dollar bills folded to resemble a Star of David. 

“We are cautiously hopeful that the MTA will … step back from its recent pattern of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish activity that risks polarizing and politicizing classrooms, and harming students across Massachusetts,” said Rob Leikind, regional director of the American Jewish Committee New England. 

‘Safe, welcoming and inclusive community’ 

Meanwhile, the school committee urged students to report any instances of hate or bias to a trusted adult in a statement before opening its meeting to comments. 

“We reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive community,” said committee chair Sheila Mehta-Green in the prepared statement. “The Bedford Public Schools stand firm against antisemitism and all forms of bias and hate.” 

However, many of the commenters criticized the district over policies failing to be “clear or consistently applied,” Elizabeth Hacala wrote for the Bedford Citizen. 

“What are our guardrails in Bedford?” one parent asked the committee. “What are the red lines of unacceptable behavior?” 

This parent urged the town to set “a more public ownership” over behavioral expectations for all residents. 

“In addition to the private conversations with students involved,” Hacala wrote, “there needs to be a public assertion of our standards for behavior in the community and particularly in our schools.”