Racism at School - WIBU to put something on the WhatsApp group?

[CatherineCarwoodgoals]

Dd8 came home complaining about some of the children at her school being anti-Semitic towards her (she didn’t use those words - more being mean because she is Jewish).
She is at a very ethnically diverse school but is the only Jewish child in the class. Basically one of the other children raised the Palestinian conflict with her and made aggressive gestures - punching his hand into his fist. Dd knows nothing about the conflict in Palestine.
The teacher has talked to the other pupil and parent involved and dd received an apology - however she said it has happened from more than this one child.
My main concern however is that 8yr old children must be hearing at home that Judaism is linked to the conflict - this conflation is one of the root causes of anti-semitism.
I am really keen to clarify that just because we are Jewish doesn’t mean we have a pro Israeli view and it is totally irrelevant to my daughter being proud of her own culture and heritage.
WIBU to put a message to this effect on the WhatsApp group, for background the WhatsApp group got very heated when one parent suggested buying the teacher some champagne as part of her Christmas gift so cultural awareness sensitivities have been discussed on there.
I am really torn about just letting it go or standing up for my daughter and a bit of education around the difference between being Jewish and being a Zionist.
WWYD?

I have a boss I've worked closely with for 8 years; I only know he's religious because of a gossip from another colleague. Sometimes people do religion privately. My cousins have a zero-politics policy (about what they post) on their Facebook; it's only because of family gossip that I know cousins are fervently right-wing. They think Obama was evil, for instance, and have extremely strong anti-abortion views: never mentioned on their Facebook. People can do politics privately, too.

Calling out anti semitism is "undeserved lecturing"?!

And it's that attitude which helped the Nazis to power.

You carry on dear.

I think the school should prioritise racism awareness within school and a letter home to parents.

I was raised Catholic and spent some of my childhood in Northern Ireland. I experienced lots of IRA slurs and it was absolutely awful.

Adults don't need - yes, actually. Many of them do. Evidently, given the OP.

Or deserve - if they're raising children to be anti-semitic, yes, they do.

Your unsolicited - it was solicited, by the anti-semitic behaviour OP's DD was at the receiving end of from a child whose parent either behave like this at home, or need to be made aware that their child behaves like this at school.

Lecturing - it's a single WhatsApp message.

Wrong, on every single point. Nice work

Judaism is not necessarily about religion it’s culture and heritage - religion doesn’t show up in dna tests!

And politics has nothing to do with it - that’s my point.

It’s just not the place and will probably cause more shit and not solve it

but I’m sorry this happened to her x

Our school has a diversity library donated by one of the parents. Just a small bookshelf with children's books about disabilities, racism etc. The children can borrow them. maybe that might be an idea.

Do you mean my 8yr old dd?

Yes…

who else would I be referring to?

Why would my 8rd old know about this? She is far too young, the teacher said it was a totally inappropriate topic for discussing at school.

I am 99% confident that not one 8 year old in my class could tell you anything about Palestine.

But that is an adult. Children really do talk about all sorts at school - I know far more details about their family lives than I expect their parents would like!

Does she not watch the news?

I’m shocked she has no idea about current (or what was current) events. Raising an ignorant child isn’t the best idea

@CatherineCarwoodgoals Sorry to hear that your DD has experienced anti Semitism.
I remember a Jewish girl being picked on when I was about 9 and I tried to defend her.
Also in the workplace I have heard quite a few anti Semitic comments (from white British people not that it really matters) and challenged them.
The situation online with popular conspiracy theories doesn't help as most of these conspiracies have anti Semitic roots. So many people are becoming anti Semitic because of stupid conspiracy theories... also they listen to the Alt Right.. also certain groups & individuals can't seem to separate the situation in Palestine from any random Jewish person (as you are sadly aware).

One of my great grandparents was Jewish & his daughter (my late Nan) went to school in the 30s with lots of Jewish girls who were refugees from the Eastern European pogroms.

I think anti Semitism is just.. the hatred that never dies. I don't know why.

Regarding the WhatsApp group, you could say something.. or just speak to the school. I'm not sure really.

So your response to an 8 year old child being victimised by racism and anti semitism is to criticise them for not being informed about Palestine?!

This is ignorant, and false.

Face to face: do you expect the OP to call a meeting, requiring mandatory attendance, of all the parents of all the children in her class? Do you think the school (don't know if state or private) is going to do this?

Formal complaint letter: to whom? The school? They've done what they were going to do. It's dealt with. The parents? Excellent way to build bridges and bring people onside.

Not at all: let it slide, you mean? Allow this shit to continue unchallenged? Because the only medium of mass communication available to the OP is reserved for teenagers in your single opinion?

You can tell people who don't understand or care about racism a mile off. I'm not even Jewish btw.

Your poor poor girl, and you. Racism is utterly vile. I remember being your daughter's age when I had my first experience of racism (I'm mixed race, not Jewish). I still remember it now and I'm nearly 40.

I've no advice, but I want to send sympathy and love.

She is not ignorant - she watches news round, she is fascinated by history, she goes to museums, art galleries, theatre l, travels she learns about all different cultures and faiths. She is 8.
do you mean she should know about it because she is Jewish??

funny enough, one of my genetic half brothers got 2% Jewish on his DNA test. That result caused a lot of chatter in the older generation.

A 6yr old girl (neighbour I was friendly with) warned me about the Pakistani kids playing 100m away. I had to go look up the Bangladesh Liberation War to understand why the girl had concerns. I suppose it's true some kids get taught prejudice young.

It’s really sad that your daughter has had to be on the receiving end of that.
I also agree WhatsApp message isn’t the way to go.
BUT I do think that Israeli/ Palestine conversation is an important one. Is your daughter in Yr 3 or 4?
My DD has just turned 8 and she is in Yr3, we talk a lot about this. Could you perhaps ask the teacher to cover it for one PSHE or RE lesson?
The only way we stop anti-semitism is by challenging and educating as early as possible. This could be a good opportunity for that.

Perhaps @Pizzamyamour thinks she bears some sort of responsibility?

Nope, my response to you is why haven’t you bothered to educate your child about something so important to her culture.

Especially when it can lead to conflict for her, my DS is 7 and knows about the conflict, as we are a Jewish family and knew it might have been a ‘thing’ when he started primary.

Its your job as a parent to manage topics that can impact your child, just like my Russian coworkers had to go into a lot more detail about the Ukraine war with her kids than she’d have liked since, again it was likely they might get hassled at school.

This is my whole point though - why should she know about it, she is too young and it’s totally irrelevant to her culture. Why should she know about this conflict and not all others ? Again … because she is Jewish?