To feel uncomfortable about the Nazi symbols on ds's shirt and arm? (Y11 shirt-signing day)

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Y11s were signing each other's schools shirts today, the last day before Study Leave begins.

There's the expected complement of hearts and cocks-and-balls on ds's shirt. (Surprisingly little swearing.) Also many Stars of David - which I have no issue about, we're Jewish.

But I feel uncomfortable about the many swastikas and the number inked onto his left forearm.

Ds says that he wasn't picked out for the swastikas. Some boys were signing there name with one on everybody's shirt. TBH I don't know whether to believe him.

The swastikas are pure bad taste IMO. But the number on ds's forearm really bugs me.

I don't know what, if anything, to do about it.

I'd be furious about the swastikas anyway but in addition to you being Jewish and the numbers on the arm that is completely horrendous. I'm disgusted. Definitely speak to school. That's not a joke from some idiot teenagers (like the odd penis and swear word) it's 100% inappropriate and needs to be addressed. Quite possibly school wide if kids who have spent 5 years there think it's acceptable to belittle the horrors of the holocaust + the nazis and make a joke of it like that 😳 I suspect your son doesn't want to cause a fuss but is a bit hurt by the whole thing too. I know I would be!

May I recommend this book for the school library?
We must NEVER forget.
And direct witnesses and survivors are getting older and dying.

The above accounts are very non-histrionic if heartbreaking, the humanity and stoicism is humbling and the dignity of those who agreed to be part of this book is without doubt and v well documented.

It is interesting how historical events creep in to common parlance (anybody want to look up where 'beyond the pale' comes from? ) but the Holocaust, the Third Reich and WW2 are all recent enough that we must do a better job at teaching our children just quite how inhuman human can behave to human.

As a secondary school teacher I once taught a Year 11 class (my class, I'd had them 2 years) on a day when they were being noisy and difficult. I cut my losses and gave them exam practice to do, in silence. One boy, sitting at the front, drew a massive swastika on his book, wrote HITLER on it with an arrow pointing to me, and held it up so the rest of the class could see it. Obviously their reaction gave it away and when I saw his book I sent him to his Head of House. I got called in and told I'd over reacted and it was the kind of offence that only warranted a quiet word outside the classroom. I disagreed!

OP I think given the context the drawings on your son's shirt are more shocking than that! The school definitely needs to be made aware. Unfortunately I've seen a lot of demob happy behaviour from year 11 boys about to leave school (including one shouting 'get yer tits out' at me in the playground). They think they're untouchable at this point.

I don't teach secondary any more. Can't think why!

Report to the school, definitely!

Either this peer group has a serious racism issue or, in the best case scenario, these kids are just so painfully clueless that they urgently need some serious educational intervention.

I'm not Jewish but I actually find this very offensive.

Please report. The school will investigate this but presumably will also put a plan in place to avoid this happening next year. It's hard for current year 11 as no more assemblies or lessons but can certainly be addressed for future year groups.

It's awful and you need to complain because, apart from anything else, you need to demonstrate to your son how awful it is.

that's so awful. Yes report to the school, with photos. He must know who wrote the number on his arm and drew swasticas?

Because anti semitism is so constant and prevalent it can get dismissed as 'banter'

This is utterly utterly unacceptable and is hate crime. Report.

Swastikas are NOT typical 'rebellious teenager' antics!! Not round these parts. Most teenagers would be as offended by this as we are

Something similar happened when I was at primary school, I think I was about 9. Someone went round drawing swastikas on people's hands/arms, like a kind of "gang" thing.

Our teachers took it really seriously, we had a big talk about the Holocaust, which to this day, I've never forgotten.

Talk to the school OP, things like this continue because no one says anything. The number on his arm is obviously motivated by him being Jewish and nothing else, a Jewish girl had her shoes hidden from her when we went out for games and although the 'joke' wasn't said out loud the implication was that it was funny because Jews had their shoes taken at concentration camps. Looking back now it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I also sadly know of another similar situation, the only black boy at the boys school joined to my secondary was nicknamed 'Slave' and it was often overheard by teachers who said nothing. My DP is mixed race and was called 'coon' by his friends at school and went along with it, but now thinks it was because he felt uncomfortable 'making a fuss' as again teachers ignored it. It's disgusting and often people who are at the receiving end feel that they can't object and go along with it and so it goes on and on. Your DS might not thank you now but once he is older and can think about it more maturely he will be proud that you made a stand against racism.

That is appalling. Even the Star of David in the context that Jewish people were forced to wear it on their arm is inappropriate.

This isn't teenagers being silly boys (like the penis someone mentioned) it's just not funny. Please talk to the school.

Ah Sorry op didn't see the part about numbers on the arm, I'de have a word with the school yes

Is it a Jewish school? I know JFS had awful last day antics (defacing street signs etc that made papers) and used to draw some very offensive stuff on shirts that you could see as they caught tube home. As that makes it inapropiate but not true anti semitism.

If it's not a Jewish school I would be hard pressed not to view it antisemitism.

The school? Just the school? Am I overreacting here (genuinely not sure) or is this not v close to a hate crime? I feel more more than uncomfortable about it, it's not kids being kids, it's rampant antisemitism.

I would give these people a call and discuss how to take it further: www.stophateuk.org/what-is-hate-crime/

Oh my good god. Swastika's are one thing (worrying enough and hateful) but the number on his arm? I'm in no way part of any group affected by the Holocaust but I'd be incredibly outraged by this. I'd be reporting it to the school and considering reporting it as a hate crime also.
I have to say, if i found out my kid was one of the idiots drawing swastikas or writing numbers on anyones arm like a prison camp number we'd be on the first bloody flight to see Auschwitz in person to see how clever they thought it was then. So far beyond unacceptable.

I would go ballistic. I would go to the school and leave them in no confusion about how awful this is. Millions of people died in the most horrific of circumstances and less than 80 years later it is being treated as a joke by stupid children!? The fault lies with schools as well; they NEED to teach this properly.

If nothing else, I would want my DS to see that this isn't something to be treated lightly and I would want them to see how inappropriate this behaviour is.

The school really needs to consider what it has been doing with those children for the last 5 years

littleducks The OP and her family are Jewish.

I can't believe people are excusing the swastika!

My DS2(13) just told me that swastikas were seen as 'cool' and often doodles on jotters etc

As many of you here know, I am German, born 20+ years after the end of the war, daughter of a refuge, not of Jewish origin.
It sickens me to the core that us human fail to remember the lessons of history just quite so quickly.

I am going to speak to my boys' school tomorrow.

Well to play devils advocate smitff it is a sacred symbol to Hindus, Buddhists and is a familiar symbol in India and Indonesia.

Saying that, it is predominantly know for the association with Nazism and certainly coupled with the number it leaves no doubt to the meaning behind it.

I agree with everyone else that this is appalling, OP, and would be telling the school so in no uncertain terms. If they don't take it as seriously as they should you might want to mention the Prevent strategy. That's about all forms of radicalisation, not just Islamic fundamentalism, including this sort of anti-Semitic hatred. They should be taking this very, very seriously.

Thats awful. I would report to school no question. Its not normal. We certainly wouldent have done it at school and I know alot of teachers of this age group and they would come down like a ton of bricks on this now. Its not acceptable. Its sad that people are forgetting the lessons of the past. The kids who did it need a wake up call to realise how many people died in camps and also to realise how many people fought for us to have the life we have today.

Definitely tell the school.

Many people confuse anti-Zionism with anti-semitism.

Only joking op, surprised that the typical response to ant-semitism on mumsnet hasn't yet come up.

I had a shock the other week. I watched a you-tube live stream- (trump thing) - people comment as you watch. I'd say about one in five comments were 'fuck kikes, gas Jews, Hitler was right' etc etc. Kids are being bombarded with those messages (and the social media companies are doing fuck all about it...

It must have been distressing op. I would go to the school.