A mother from Surrey has warned that growing anti-Semitism in schools is leaving Jewish parents "scared" following a series of alleged targeted incidents.
The woman - referred to as Sarah - said her son was left "very upset" after a fellow student said "Heil Hitler in the classroom, the school corridor and the playground."
She added that her son, who attends a state secondary school, has faced further anti-Semitic abuse since Hamas launched its attack on Israel.
One child also targeted him on Snapchat, telling him "your Jewish a** must be stopped."
A mother from Surrey has warned that growing anti-Semitism in schools is leaving Jewish parents "scared" following a series of alleged targeted incidents (stock image)
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"That incident was really worrying for us," Sarah told The Telegraph.
"I’m now scared to speak to my son in Hebrew [in public]. You take off your symbols and change your language to try [and hide].
"I feel like my children are a target and that’s very scary. It shouldn’t happen to children, no matter what background they’re from."
The family reported the incident to the police, who initially took the allegation seriously.
However, Sarah says a month later, the suspect is yet to be spoken to.
Another Year 11 boy at the same secondary school has also reportedly received abuse when another student waved a can of deodorant and said: "Gas the Jews".
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It comes after a swastika and the words "Kill Jews" were found in the toilets at Channing, a private girls’ school in north London.
A total of 325 incidents of anti-Semitism in British schools were recorded in 2023, according to The Community Security Trust.
Another Jewish mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said her children have also been the victims of anti-Semitic bullying at their school.
On one occasion, a pupil opened the gas taps during a science lesson and asked the woman’s child "if they were having flashbacks".
One child psychotherapist - whose family are British but were living in Israel until the war started - said her daughter, who is in year five, has been targeted by other children.
A total of 325 incidents of anti-Semitism in British schools were recorded in 2023, according to The Community Security Trust (stock image)
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"She was told she wouldn’t be played with because she’s from Israel," the mother said.
The psychotherapist believes children are being influenced both by social media and, at times, what they hear at home.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said she is worried about how easy it is to find anti-Semitic content online,.
She said: "You have to ask whether the young people who are saying these things even fully understand what it is they’re saying, the impact it has and how hurtful and wrong it is.
"We now live in a world where at the click of a button you can access Holocaust denial and distortion, anti-Semitic jokes and a huge amount of misinformation in general.
"If we want our future generations to grow up in a society that embraces difference, tolerance and respect for others, we need to redouble our efforts at teaching that to our children."
