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.
Resources: K-12 Parents
This guide will help you respond to incidents of antisemitism in public and independent schools should they arise.
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.
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 the Jewish Federation at [email protected]
- 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, 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
1. Your child’s teacher or guidance counselor
2. 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
3. Your school’s Head of School
4. If you haven’t had an acceptable resolution by this point, please follow the next two steps concurrently:
- Email the Jewish Federation at [email protected]
- 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.”
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 |
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 we are not immune. Alarmingly, the Jewish community remains the most targeted religious group for hate crimes in the US, accounting for 67% of religiously motivated hate. Although the Jewish Community makes up 1% of our population, the community was targeted in 14% of all reported hate crimes. On average, more than one hate incident targeted Jewish communities every day in 2022. Anti-Jewish hate crime has increased 52% since 2020.
The Jewish Federation recognizes 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.
The Jewish Federation is working to offer free, culturally sensitive, hands-on, confidential support to young people and their families affected by antisemitism:
- Crisis response through a trauma-informed lens
- Mental health support
- Advocacy and education