Jewish pupils bullied after Holocaust education classes, shock report reveals

It also documents the physical intimidation of Jewish children and in some cases attempts to ostracise and isolate intended victims.

There are now calls for better handling of compulsory education about the Holocaust in response to the revelations.

Holocaust Education Trust chief executive Karen Pollock reacted saying she was “deeply concerned” by the findings.

She said: “Teaching this subject is not easy, but when done well it can have a profound impact on young people. At the Holocaust Educational Trust, our internationally recognised teacher training programme supports schools and educators to teach this history responsibly and effectively.

“We would encourage any teachers looking for support or guidance to get in touch with us.”

20.01.2014 © Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. Images from the Holocaust Educational Trust, Lord Merlyn-Rees Memorial Lecture at the Houses of Parliament. www.blakeezraphotography.com © Blake Ezra Photography 2013© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd.

Conservative Party chair and MP for Thirsk and Malton Kevin Hollinrake called for better guidance around Holocaust education and contemporary antisemitism.

“It is deeply concerning to see antisemitic behaviour among children and especially troubling that some are responding this way to Holocaust education. Jewish children should never have to face such intimidation in the classroom or anywhere else.

“Teachers need proper support and guidance so that every child grows up with a genuine understanding of the Holocaust and of antisemitism in our own time.

“Kemi Badenoch has been clear that the rise of antisemitism in this country is an emergency. The government must act now to stop this hatred in its tracks,” Hollinrake said.

It comes as a Jewish teenager has garnered nearly 40,000 signatures for a petition calling for compulsory education about antisemitism in all British schools.

Jonathan Frisher, 16, began the campaign after experiencing antisemitism at his secondary school.

The Cheshire schoolboy said that when the rabbi at his youth club asked how many of those present had experienced antisemitism “every single person put their hand up”. Calling for mandatory lessons on contemporary Jew-hate, he said: “Education is key to rooting out antisemitism, and the government must ensure that students learn about antisemitism.”

The PAA has documented rising levels of anti-Jewish abuse in British schools and growing isolation among Jewish children in non-Jewish education. For Suzy, the problem emerged shortly after her son Sam, 13, took part in Holocaust Memorial Day activities at his non-Jewish secondary school, including a visit to a synagogue for a talk from a Holocaust survivor.

The family welcomed the school’s efforts to teach pupils about the Shoah. But days later, Sam came home distressed and unwilling to explain why.

“Eventually we were able to find out from him that two boys in his class were saying repeatedly, ‘gas the Jews’, whenever they got an opportunity,” Suzy said. “When no one else was looking, they would do Nazi salutes at him.”

The boys also targeted Sam over the Magen David necklace he had recently begun wearing publicly after years of avoiding overt signs of his Judaism following October 7.

“They had been physically pushing him whenever they got an opportunity, one would sit behind him and slap his neck when they got the chance,” Suzy said.

The abuse was particularly painful because the boys had previously been friends with Sam and had attended his barmitzvah.

Sam initially feared reporting the incidents in case he was targeted again. Suzy later learnt that during the Holocaust survivor’s talk, “a lot of the kids were not paying attention and were not very respectful”.

“For my son, as a Jewish child who was very moved and upset by what he was hearing from the survivor, to be surrounded by kids who did not seem to care and then two or three days later have this attack against him – that was really unfortunate,” she said.

After Suzy contacted the school, the two boys were suspended for one day and staff were told to be vigilant around antisemitism.

Suzy said the incident had shaken her confidence in mainstream education and she even considered moving Sam to a Jewish school, even though the family made a “conscious decision not to continue with Jewish education, for him to be in a wider environment” after Sam’s Jewish primary school experience.

“That was a bit painful to feel like we are trying to be part of the local neighbourhood and wider society and for this happen,” Suzy added.

Months later, Sam still struggles to discuss the incident. “He shuts down whenever I ask him about it,” Suzy said.

Kimberley described a similar experience involving her son Jamie, then ten and the only Jewish child in his year at a London primary school.

The class had recently finished reading The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas as part of its first lessons about the Shoah when the school held a cultural dress day. Jamie chose to wear a yarmulke.

“I was initially concerned about this,” Kimberley said. “But I didn’t stop him. I thought he is so innocent and proudly Jewish. I thought that was good for him. Why should I quash him and fill him with fear?”

In the playground, another boy approached Jamie, pointed at the kippah and asked: “Are you Jewish?” When Jamie replied yes, the boy responded: “We better call Hitler then, we better get the Nazis.”

Jamie immediately reported the comment to a teaching assistant. The pupil who made the remark was suspended for a day after telling staff he had said it “because he is Jewish”.

Kimberley praised the school for acting quickly, but said her son still felt there had been a “lack of justice” because the boy never apologised and remained on the school council.

The incident ultimately changed the family’s approach to secondary education.

“Because of that we decided, even though he didn’t have Jewish education for primary, he had to go to Jewish secondary,” she said. “The only schools we considered were Jewish after that incident.”

Jamie now attends a Jewish secondary school, where Kimberley said he feels “much more safe” and “free to be who he is”.

At a recent school review, she said, he told teachers: “Everyone is Jewish and it feels safe.”

The PAA report also documents how one child cited was told by his peers “1,2,3 Jew run or I’ll gas you”. Another said they were threatened, with a child saying, “I want to build a gas chamber and chain up all Jews” and many reported being told by their peers that “Hitler was right”.

One primary school child was sent a picture of Hitler accompanied by the caption “6 million victory” and others reported hearing Hitler Youth songs being sung in the classroom.

A Jewish teacher, Laura, who works at a non-faith comprehensive school, said she had experienced “20 to 30” antisemitic incidents in classrooms and playgrounds, with the atmosphere worsening after a parent recognised her at a counter-protest.

Pupils shouted, “free Palestine” and “f*** the Jews” at her, and swastikas were daubed around the school.

“All of the Jewish kids here have experienced antisemitism and reported to me they don’t feel supported,” she said. Laura claimed senior leadership had been reluctant to involve parents or confront the issue directly.

“Look at what happened with that teacher in Batley,” she said, referring to the religious studies teacher forced into hiding in 2021 after showing a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad at Batley Grammar School.

​

For information about Parents Against Antisemitism or to report an incident, visit parentsagainstantisemitism.org.uk

​

Names and genders have been changed to protect the identity of some of the victims.