Navigating Antisemitism in K-12 Public and Non-Jewish Independent Schools
A Toolkit for Families
Encountering antisemitism in school can be shocking and upsetting for both students and families. You may feel overwhelmed at the idea of confronting the discrimination while protecting your child. This toolkit is designed to help you navigate these incidents.
How can I help my child?
When your child tells you about experiencing discrimination at school, listen and offer support. It’s normal for you to feel upset, but it will be more reassuring to your child if you can keep emotions in check. Gather as much detail as you can and take notes for reference.
BC schools are responsible for providing a safe learning environment for every child, and all school districts have policies on discrimination, bullying and harassment. Before reaching out, familiarize yourself with your district’s regulations. If you can’t find these online, call your school board office to ask.
Who should I talk to?
Contact these people, in the order below, to report an incident. If you don’t get a satisfactory response, escalate the issue to the next level. Information for all personnel listed below usually is available on your school and/or district website. (Check the side or bottom of the home page, or search the site.)
If you can’t find it, call the school office or your school district to ask. You don’t have to identify yourself.
If the incident crosses the line from antisemitism to threats or hate crimes, you need to report it to the police – you can find that process here.
Public Schools
- Your child’s teacher
- Your school administrator (principal* or vice principal): You are entitled to bypass the teacher and go directly to the principal. You may prefer this option if:
- you don’t feel comfortable talking to the teacher
- the teacher is the source of the concern
- the issue doesn’t involve the teacher, or it happened outside the class setting or in a broader school context (a sporting event, in a washroom, on the way to/from school)
- please notify the principal so the school is aware something happened and can document it - even if the situation is already resolved
- Your school’s Director of Instruction (DOI) or Associate/Assistant Superintendent (the title varies) at the school district is the next step. These staff members share oversight for schools in their district.
- Your School Trustee: School board trustees are elected, and one of them is your school liaison. (You may choose to contact the Director of Instruction and your School Trustee at the same time.)
- If you haven’t had an acceptable resolution by this point, please follow the next two steps concurrently:
- Email AICRT (the Antisemitism and Israel Crisis Response Team) at aicrt@jewishvancouver.com
- Submit a complaint about the teacher or principal: Certified teachers and principals must meet certain standards for educators that outline how they must act in their jobs. A complaint about the teacher’s conduct or competence must be in writing. See this page for more information.
- While policies may vary slightly, BC school districts generally require principals to follow a set process when they learn about an incident of antisemitism or other discrimination. This can involve steps such as protecting affected students and witnesses, documenting the event and contacting their supervisor at the district level. Ask your principal for more information.
Independent Schools
- Your child’s teacher or guidance counselor
- Your school administrator (principal or vice principal): You are entitled to bypass the teacher and go directly to the principal. You may prefer this option if:
- you don’t feel comfortable talking to the teacher
- the teacher is the source of the concern
- the issue doesn’t involve the teacher, or it happened outside the class setting or in a broader school context (a sporting event, in a washroom, on the way to/from school)
- please notify the principal so the school is aware something happened and can document it - even if the situation is already resolved
- Your school’s Head of School
- If you haven’t had an acceptable resolution by this point, please follow the next two steps concurrently:
- Email AICRT (the Antisemitism and Israel Crisis Response Team) at aicrt@jewishvancouver.com
- Submit a complaint about the teacher or principal: Certified teachers and principals must meet certain standards for educators that outline how they must act in their jobs. A complaint about the teacher’s conduct or competence must be in writing. See this page for more information.
What should I say?
While it can feel awkward or intimidating to tell a teacher or principal about antisemitism, it’s critical to report these issues. Your school is there to help you find a resolution. Below, you’ll find sample language for these conversations; you can adapt them and make them your own.
Requesting and preparing for a meeting
- Keep your email request short and neutral in tone. Example:
“Hi, Mr. Smith — Michael had an experience in class today that left him feeling uncomfortable (OR: anxious/unsafe). I’d like to meet with you to get your sense of what happened and discuss how to address it. Please let me know your availability.”
- An in-person meeting is ideal for best communication. Second-best is a virtual meeting; third is a phone call.
- Plan ahead what to say and consider your goals. If you’re nervous, practice with someone else or in front of a mirror. Make and bring notes to stay on track.
- If possible, bring another person to the meeting who can take careful notes. That will allow you to participate more actively in the conversation.
In the meeting
- Stay calm. This might be difficult, but it gives you a better chance of being heard. It can help ease tension if you admit at the start that this situation is upsetting to you. Remember that you’re there to get a fuller understanding of the event and be willing to collaborate on a resolution.
- Relay what you’ve heard from your child and explain how they (and you) feel.
- Get their observations, ask many questions and restate what they say to confirm:
“It sounds as if your view of the situation was ABC …. You mentioned that you had observed XYZ. Am I getting that right? …. I want to be sure I’m understanding this correctly…”
- Take notes.
- If the issue involves another student, try—at least at first—not to judge. Social media is full of misinformation (inaccurate) and disinformation (deliberately wrong). It’s common for kids to repost or say things without fully understanding their meaning or impact (e.g., “From the river to the sea”).
- Always ask for a response by a set time and follow up if you don’t hear back. You may have several conversations at one level as you work toward a resolution. If you don’t see progress or a good-faith effort within a reasonable time, escalate the concern.
- If the teacher or administrator asks for educational materials to use in the classroom, please provide them a link to the toolkit’s Background Resources page here.
- If appropriate, the local police are also a resource. You can connect to them with the information here.
After the meeting
Email your thanks and summarize the meeting, points of agreement, loose ends, next steps and timeline for the expected response. This provides you with a necessary paper trail. Do this after each meeting:
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. To help us keep track of the details, I’ve summarized our discussion in the points below. Please let me know if I’ve missed anything.”
Remember
- Avoid getting worked up or visibly angry. (If you tear up or cry, it’s OK.)
- Don’t issue threats or ultimatums.
- Take notes on every conversation and keep them in one place.
- Don’t leave without a clear understanding of what’s next, and a timeline.
What else can I do?
It’s a good idea for parents to be proactive in building strong relationships with teachers and administrators. Developing regular communication with school personnel early on makes it easier to reach out later if you have concerns about antisemitism (or anything else).
If you feel comfortable, consider letting teachers and administrators know that your family is Jewish. This information will improve the school’s awareness of Jewish families’ presence and needs. Start by getting to know your child’s principal, guidance counselor and teachers. Here are some ideas:
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Show up. Attend PAC (Parent Advisory Council) meetings or other school events. Administrators often are there; go meet them.
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Volunteer. Offer time for your PAC. Even a small amount of time can provide a window into the workings of the school and make you a familiar face.
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Introduce yourself. If you can’t get to school in person, email the principal and teachers to tell them about your family and anything you want them to know, such as:
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if you keep Kosher
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your level of observance
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if your child wears a kippah
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any lived experiences with antisemitism
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You might ask questions, too. (Does the school have a Jewish club? Are there other Jewish students/families?) Mention you look forward to seeing teachers and administrators at parent conferences.
If your child will be starting at a new school in the fall, contact administrators the previous spring with the information above.
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Share important dates. If your child will be absent for Jewish holidays, your introductory email is a good opportunity to let the principal and teachers know.
Even better—every February, send your school the dates of major Jewish holidays for the following two school years. Let them know you’re communicating early with the hope of avoiding scheduling conflicts. In the fall, follow up by sending a reminder of these dates.
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Plan ahead for trips. Multi-day school trips are usually planned months in advance. If you know there is a regular trip at your school, it’s easy to give a heads-up well ahead of time. If the Grade 9 class goes to a wilderness camp every March, for example, contact school when your child is in Grade 8 to ask that this not be scheduled during Passover, when dietary laws can make travel a challenge.
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Visit the classroom. If your child is in elementary school, reach out to the teacher and ask about coming in to teach the class about Hanukkah (and/or Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot or Passover). If you’d like resources to help with this, please contact AICRT: aicrt@jewishvancouver.com
Template for informing schools about Jewish holidays
Customize this template to reflect your family’s needs. Send it at the start of the school year to your school principal, as well as to your child’s teachers and guidance counselor.
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It’s even more effective if you send the letter twice: Once to give a heads-up in February when schools are starting to develop their fall schedules, and again as a reminder in September.
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Multiday/overnight school trips often get booked a year ahead, so if there is a regular trip at your school (Grade 8 camp, etc.), contact your school well in advance and ask them to avoid a scheduling conflict.
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Adjust the wording and dates throughout the template to reflect the time of year you’re sending this (e.g., in February: “As you look ahead to plans for the fall, we are writing to alert you…”)
Letter Template
(DATE)
Dear (“TEACHERS,” “PRINCIPAL” OR SPECIFIC NAME):
As you are planning for the rest of this year, we are writing to alert you to the dates of the major Jewish holidays. We are an observant Jewish family, and (CHILD’S NAME) will be absent for various holidays in the fall and spring.
Please see below a list of the major holidays during the next two academic years, as well as some information about the restrictions involved. For instance, (CHILD’S NAME) is unable to complete homework during the upcoming major holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
(CHILD’S NAME) will talk with you to find out the best way to ensure (SHE) receives and completes (HER) assignments, and we will send notes ahead of time about upcoming absences.
We look forward to seeing you at the first parent-teacher meeting.
Best,
(PARENTS’ NAMES)
(EMAIL)
(PHONE NUMBER)
Major Jewish Holidays, 2024-2025
This list has dates for the three holidays that are most widely observed by the general Jewish community. These are the most common holidays for which observant families would keep their children out of school, and they are on every major calendar.
Many Jewish people refrain from school, work, or travel during these periods. We ask that major school events not be scheduled on these dates.
Holidays begin at sunset on the first date listed below and last until nightfall on the second date. Please note that all Jewish holidays start at sunset the night before the date listed on typical calendars.
Rosh Hashanah (New Year):
| Year | Days/dates |
| 2024 | sunset Wed., 10/2 through Fri., 10/4 |
| 2025 | sunset Mon., 9/22 through Wed., 9/24 |
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement):
| Year | Days/dates |
| 2024 | sunset Fri., 10/11 through Sat., 10/12 |
| 2025 | sunset Wed., 10/1 through Thurs., 10/2 |
Passover (Festival marking the Exodus from Egypt):
- Passover is the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday worldwide. Primary observance takes place during a ritual meal on the first two nights (e.g., in 2024, the evenings of 4/22 and 4/23).
- ((CHILD’S NAME)) will most likely be absent on the first and last days of this festival. Still, most other Jewish children attend school during these days.
- There are significant dietary restrictions on Passover. Many Jews bring their food from home for the extent of this holiday. Please note that the dietary limitations make overnight school trips difficult for Jewish students during this week.
| Year | Days/dates |
| 2024 | sunset Mon., 4/22 through Tues., 4/30 |
| 2025 | sunset Sat., 4/12 through Sun., 4/20 |
- The other major holiday is the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat), from sundown Friday through sundown Saturday. For this reason, it would be helpful to avoid scheduling major school events on Friday evenings.
- Jewish holidays follow the lunar calendar, which is why they seem to “move around” in relation to the Gregorian calendar.
- Hanukkah is actually a minor holiday, but it gets outsized attention because it falls near Christmas.
- There are other holidays on the Jewish calendar that I haven’t listed but that we and other families at ((SCHOOL NAME)) may observe, including a harvest holiday in the fall. We’ll alert the school ahead of time when ((CHILD’S NAME)) will be absent due to any holiday, and ((SHE)) will check with teachers to make up work.
Thank you for your attention to this. Feel free to forward it on as necessary and to contact us with any questions.
Mental Health Support for School-based Antisemitism
Are you (or do you know) a young person affected by antisemitism? You are not alone; we are here to help.
Antisemitism is on the rise around the world, and Canada is not immune. Alarmingly, the Jewish community remains the most targeted religious group for hate crimes in Canada, accounting for 67% of religiously motivated hate (Statistics Canada 2022). Although the Jewish Community makes up 1% of Canada’s population, the community was targeted in 14% of all reported hate crimes. On average, more than one hate incident targeted Canada’s Jewish community every day in 2022. Anti-Jewish hate crime has increased 52% since 2020. In British Columbia, we have seen many of these sharp increases (CBC Canada, 2022).
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and Jewish Federation recognize that antisemitic incidents happen to our young people in schools, post-secondary institutions and the community. These experiences may affect feelings of safety, belonging and mental health.
CIJA and Jewish Federation are working together to offer free, culturally sensitive, hands-on, confidential support to young people and their families affected by antisemitism:
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Crisis response through a trauma-informed lens
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Mental health support
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Advocacy and education
If you, or someone you know is being affected by antisemitism please contact either:
Nico Slobinsky
Vice President, Pacific Region, CIJA
nslobinsky@cija.ca