‘How could this happen’ here?
Anti-Semitism at Amity High leaves many wondering
Shocking revelations of rampant anti-Semitism at Amity High School left many wondering: “How could this happen in a wealthy, educated community with a high Jewish population?”
The answer, experts say, is that hate knows no socioeconomic boundaries and happens in every community — rich, poor, white, black.
“None of these (wealth, education) are protection from the outside world,” said Andy Friedland, AntiDefamation League Connecticut office associate director. “A high percentage of hate comes from ignorance, but a person could have all the education in the world and there could be something different affecting them.”
The Amity community was stunned Monday when dozens of students, many of them Jewish, streamed to the podium at a Board of Education meeting with compelling testimonies about a longstanding climate of anti-Semitism in the school.
Students said they were “horrified and terrified,” by the sight of swastikas on a bathroom stall and desk, as well as hate talk from certain groups in the hallway saying, “We are the Nazis” and “The Jews Deserve to die.”
One student said she shouldn’t have to hear Holocaust jokes since family members survived it. Teenagers wept, as they spoke of being afraid to walk to their cars. Adults, too, spoke about anti-Semitism emerging in the community — houses being egged, a Facebook meme showing a Holocaust oven with the family name appearing on it.
In what was apparently an orchestrated effort, each teen ended their comments with, “I do not feel safe here.” Many were members of BBYO, a Jewish teen movement.
Hundreds of teens and parents packed the small meeting room, spilling into the hallway. The teens went before the BOE as any other citizen would because they perceived the administration had not taken their concerns of anti-Semitism seriously enough.
One teen said that even as she was in a class learning about the similar genetic makeup of every human being, she found a swastika drawn on the desk.
“I was reminded of the hate that tears us apart,” she said.
Hate has been around forever
Hate has been around since the beginning of time, said the Rev. Shepard Parsons, pastor of First Christ Church, and one of many on a list the community can reach out to regarding the Amity situation.
He said hate began with Adam and Eve’s two sons, Cain and Abel; Cain killed Abel, according to the Bible
Parsons said a branch of theology wrestles with the question, “How can there be an all-powerful and good God with evil in the world?”
Parsons said there really is no answer to that, so the next question is, “When we see evil, ‘What are we going to do?”’
He said you identify it, confront it, look to overcome it.
That’s just what Amity High School did after hearing the stories. The morning after the meeting they went into action, beginning with administrators acknowledging student pain in an email. The school immediately provided counseling, brought the Anti-Defamation League in to conduct workshops and devise a longer-term education plan. A day later, Amity officials also brought to the table rabbis, other religious leaders, educators and community members to face the issue head on.
Amity even upped security inside and outside the high school so students felt safe.
“In Hebrew and Christian scripture, there are stories of people confronting evil and the great hope in the end is it will be overcome, and God’s justice will be love and peace in the world,” Parsons said.
Amity is not alone
Friedland said Amity is not alone — ADL Connecticut responds to numerous high schools and middle schools in the state regularly — at a rate of about once a week — to address problems involving not only anti-Semitism, but racism, LGBT and gender identity discrimination, xenophobia. He wouldn’t give specifics, citing confidentiality.
Friedland said the biggest thing he is learned is that one can’t make assumptions or generalizations about kids or community because its every- where. Anti-Semitic hate crimes happen most often in places with many Jews, he said.
The Anti-Defamation League uses education, tailored to the situation to fight hatred and bigotry.
He said there is a spectrum — from organized hate groups to a minor who may have seen something on television and is trying to get attention, the latter of which can turn to hate, he said.
“We try to address the actions and their impact,” Friedlander said.
Friedland said he did not want to comment on the quality of Amity’s response to the crisis, because it wouldn’t be fair to other districts he wasn’t ever asked about.
But other stakeholders offered opinions.
“Within 48 hours of the Board of Ed meeting, BBYO members at Amity told me that school was different, that the climate at the school had improved drastically,” said Tyler S. Pepe, regional director for BBYO Connecticut Valley Region. “I know that Amity has listened to the students, and that the students have listened to each other … Allies are proud to show that they stand with their Jewish classmates.”
Rabbi Michael Farbman of Temple Emmanuel of Greater New Haven, located in Orange, said he thinks Amity is taking the right steps, but that the situation “is not as simple or straight forward as one would hope.
“Amity, of all places, has multiple diversity and tolerance programs in place, and is quite intentional about making this part of its regular ethos — and yet, this has not prevented the existence of ‘casual’ antisemitism, homophobia, racism and sexism in its hallways and beyond,” Farbman said.