To ask you to help with a cover story for my Jewish child

I have done. Nothing changed 😔

It is endemic in the culture of the school, and takes the form if both micro and macro aggressions. For example a teacher making outwardly Anti-Semitic tropes to the class and promoting conspiracy theories around Jews. Another time a child (not mine) mentioned a Jewish relative and their achievement, and the teacher said 'they must have been a money lender'. Only some small examples, I could make many more but worried about it being too identifiable.

I can't think of any Eastern European country that would immediately make a child identifiable as Jewish. Are you from Israel?

If yes, your child needs to say they're from where you live now. Do they have a definite Israeli accent?

If not from Israel, I'm not sure what's happening. If children say they're from Poland, Belarus, Ukraine etc, it's usually not assumed that they're Jewish.

I'm surprised too. Maybe because I frankly don't expect people that age who are bullying to know very much about the history of the Jews in Poland, I'd expect people that unpleasant to likely be ignorant too.

Why does the well known world wide phenomenon of rising anti semitism sound “odd” to you when someone gives an example. Is it more you feel uncomfortable?

They are questioning why it's apparently useless saying "from London" when Londoners are the most diverse population in the UK

It could be that the people persistently asking the questions do not identify as (first and foremost) British either, even if they were born in Britain, so telling them you are British won't satisfy them. I'm a second generation Indian, and I get persistently interrogated about my background from people within the Pakistani community locally (with whom | work). Telling them I am a born and bred Midlander just results in the, "Where are you really from" question, before they move onto religion. Telling them I am an atheist doesn't satisfy them either. The very purpose of the questioning is to establish your differences, not to accept that you are the same as them.

That's the whole point. The kids asking the questions don't consider themselves British first and foremost. So they don't accept another "foreign looking" person identifying themselves as British. I - British born, Indian heritage, proud Brit - get this all the time from other people who look like me, but who don't identify as British the way I do; and who can't accept that my Indian heritage isn't my foremost concern and that I don't identify as "Indian", so persistently ask the "where are you really from" question until they get the answer they want.

Ashkhenazi Jews do have some features often in common despite some being in Poland,,some in Germany etc. But I agree the whole situation sounds odd. Unfortunately there's a lot of odd stuff on SM, to say the least. I'm sure that's fuelling this hatefulness.

Jeepers I've curly hair and a massive nose and im as Irish as a potato. I thought these were smear tropes to use against Jewish people no?

That's the whole point. The kids asking the questions don't consider themselves British first and foremost. So they don't accept another "foreign looking" person identifying themselves as British. I - British born, Indian heritage, proud Brit - get this all the time from other people who look like me, but who don't identify as British the way I do; and who can't accept that my Indian heritage isn't my foremost concern and that I don't identify as "Indian", so persistently ask the "where are you really from" question until they get the answer they want.

You need to contact the governors of the school. Is it an academy or a local authority school? Academies tend to be a bit of a law unto themselves but still have to deal with racism.

I don't know what stereotypically Eastern European Jewish looks like and how on earth do teens know what they look like? Even if they've been brought up with pictures of Anne Frank, she was (Western) German!

From what the OP has said their child is at a school where most children are not what she calls ‘British looking’ so I don’t know what this ‘where do you come from’ question is about. it just doesn’t seem to make sense. I’m not disputing it. It just doesn’t make logical sense.

From what the OP has said their child is at a school where most children are not what she calls ‘British looking’ so I don’t know what this ‘where do you come from’ question is about. it just doesn’t seem to make sense. I’m not disputing it. It just doesn’t make logical sense.

Not necessarily. As I said, saying they’re say Greek might satisfy the bullies as an explanation as to why they are darker toned/ Mediterranean.

there aren’t any Jews in Greece so it doesn’t signal confirmation of Jewishness

What is it that makes your child "identifiably Jewish?" Is it what they wear or do they wear a Star of David pendant?

I am asking because one poster said "I’m quite shocked by the comments about looking Jewish. Jews come in all shapes sizes and colours".

The region we originate from has been part of different countries over the years, which is why it is not just one country. I am not naming them for privacy, but the answer may be fairly obvious to those with knowledge of history.

I have done. Nothing changed 😔

It is endemic in the culture of the school, and takes the form if both micro and macro aggressions. For example a teacher making outwardly Anti-Semitic tropes to the class and promoting conspiracy theories around Jews. Another time a child (not mine) mentioned a Jewish relative and their achievement, and the teacher said 'they must have been a money lender'. Only some small examples, I could make many more but worried about it being too identifiable.

Sorry to hear your son is experiencing this OP. As for people interrogating you about mentioning Eastern European countries, have they not heard of Ashkenazi Jews?

I have Ashkenazi descent and most of my family on DF side look Jewish. However me and my brother often get mistaken for Slavs.

My xh is from a neighbouring country to Isreal. Very fair skin but dark features and was often mistaken for Greek, Spanish, Italian Balkan or Cypriot even by the local Arabs.

Your dc shouldn’t have to hide the fact they are Jewish and the school sound useless but if pressed by other kids, they could just say one of the above countries and a one like Poland. I myself am part Russian/Polish on one side and Spanish on the other.

From what the OP has said their child is at a school where most children are not what she calls ‘British looking’ so I don’t know what this ‘where do you come from’ question is about. it just doesn’t seem to make sense. I’m not disputing it. It just doesn’t make logical sense.

The first time we had to report a hate crime to the police it was a group of white Scottish girls who surrounded my daughter while yelling terrible things. She was 9.

The next meeting with the school was one of those girls following my daughter around and whispering more of it. Also 9

The next time was an Italian boy and a Syrian boy telling her they hope her whole family dies and they’re going to find her wee brother. 10 here.

The next time was a group of Muslim teenagers surrounding her in the stairwell and telling her they were going to call their older cousins to follow her home so they ‘know where you Jews live’. Police involved here too. 11 here. First month of high school.

The next time was a handful of white Scottish children telling her Anne Frank was weak and the Jews should have tried harder. Then they blocked her from leaving the library and asked her if she was weak. She is not. We signed her up for self defense classes after the last incident. 12 here and about to have her Bat Mitzvah.

There were a handful of other things too but these were what first came to mind. I don’t think there are particular groups of people more or less inclined to be bigots. It’s everywhere.