Acts of antisemitism have been on the rise here in Massachusetts.
The Anti-Defamation League reports that antisemitic incidents against the Jewish community are up 41% in one year. 2022 was also the largest level ever reported in New England with 204 incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault.
The Lappin Foundation recently went to Danvers High School to talk to students about the roots of antisemitism. The Beverly-based group that promotes Jewish identity is working to help stop the hate before it begins. Their visit happened before the terror attack in Israel but the message is more important than ever.
Students were shown a short movie called, “Swastika: A Symbol of Hate.” It features testimonials from holocaust survivors about the power and fear of the symbol used by Nazis.
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“It’s about educating students about the power of symbols, the power of words,” said Deborah Coltin, the president and executive director of the Lappin Foundation.
The foundation was invited by Danvers High principal Adam Federico. Two years ago, a swastika was found drawn in a high school bathroom.
“At first you’re upset, you’re angry,” said Federico about the incident in 2021. “And in that case, those were the feelings.”
Those emotions turned to condemnation and a vow to not let this happen again.
Students from all walks of life came to watch, listen and learn.
“I think it was kind of scary, but it's really, really important to have the conversation,” said student Timothy Bowler.
“I just didn’t realize how much antisemitism really goes on in our school and what my Jewish peers face,” said student Lauren Ahearn.
Among the students who watched the video and took part in the conversation was Norah Hass.
“I thought was really powerful. It was heavy, but in a good way,” she said.
Hass said being one of the only Jewish students in her school can feel lonely and isolating. It’s why this forum was so important to her.
“It feels really nice, honestly, especially since there's not a large Jewish population,” said Hass. “It feels good to know that people do have my back.”
“I think one thing we learned here in Danvers is we really need to make sure our kids feel safe to come forward and share their experience,” said Federico.
And that’s exactly what happened among the students. Coltin said these are hard conversations to have but ones that must happen in order to prevent acts of antisemitism from happening in the first place.
“I feel that they left their vulnerabilities outside of this room and they came to the circle with a full heart in all good intention of wanting to learn and to and to do something about it,” said Coltin.
