To stop my son from presenting as Jewish at school

[Wonderberry]

I really wish this wasn't the case.

My son wants to wear his kippah (skullcap) at school. This is entirely his choice, and something that he has chosen to start wearing recently. He just wants to express his religious and cultural background.

Unfortunately, I don't feel like he would be safe to do so. I hate that this is where we are at currently in the UK, but I know it is the reality. He goes to a community school in London, and doesn't understand why he cannot wear his kippah at school. On cultural days, he also cannot share his culture either.

@Wonderberry - I’m sorry this went like this but it is absolutely true that it will go like this in person as well so maybe better to see how it feels remotely first. There is no great answer and nothing wrong with whatever you decide to do.

...and the gaslighting continues.

"what they call genocide?"
What do you call it?

Or just disagreeing...

The fact they are not worried about offending people, by taking the view that genocide is wrong, does not mean they lack critical thinking.

That is your interpretation.

And you have told your daughter not to wear her astar of David necklace as people with the Free Gaza badges may be antisemitic and want to harm her.

This the cycle of social conditioning and prejudice continues...

Sharing upsetting pictures of what is happening in Gaza, not antisemitic. It's a legitimate way to raise awareness of what is happening

Context is everything though @CleverButScatty If a Jewish content creator posts something about music, fashion, fitness, make up etc and someone posts an image of Gaza being bombed...then yes I consider that anti semetic.

They want to raise awareness.
The assumption that you must be pro Israel because you are Jewish is definitely antisemitic.
The sharing images is not.

Hi OP,
I am so sorry you have this dilemma.
Of course your son should be able to wear his kippah safely and with pride to school in the UK in 2025.
Tragically, as this thread demonstrates, it is not safe to do so.
I hope the school will be supportive as I think you should let your concerns be known.
Your DS is still so young to have this type of conversation with and I am angry that a Jewish mother should have to do so in this country.

Within the UK we should all be concerned with the rise of antisemitism post October 7th.
It has always existed.
My DS witnessed horrendous treatment of Jewish students at a Russell Group university years before Oct 7th.

For the millionth time, British Jews are not responsible for Israel, Palestine and Gaza.

Laïcité is just used as a stick to beat minorities with.

If Catholics want to stage large public protests against abortion or same sex marriage or IVF, they're just exercising their right to freedom of belief and expression. (Despite the fact that they are literally protesting against liberté and égalité for other people.)

But if a Muslim woman wants to wear the veil, that is unacceptable.

It's deeply hypocritical.

Laïcité just means that if you must practise a minority religion you're supposed to do it out of sight of the rest of society.

What about this thread demonstrates it's not safe to do so?

That's absolutely unbelievable that you think that it's not anti semetic. What other minorities do you think should be subject to this kind of behaviour?

It's not that anyone who opposes genocide in Gaza is antisemitic, it's that you never know how extremist they are. They might be sympathetic or they might be the type to project and think that all Jews deserve to suffer.

@CleverButScatty is that a genuine question?
Have you read the thread?

We’re talking about a young boy being safe going to school and in school in the UK and there are pages and pages about Gaza and the actions of the Israeli govt.
Not to mention the posts that have been deleted.

This 'extreme type that feels all Jews deserve to suffer' is where you are making the leap from fact to fiction.
That is not what the protests are about. You are literally making this up. And your daughter will have the same anxieties and do the same because you are telling her to do so.

He should absolutely be able to wear his religious attire.
The problem is the implications on the thread that if people protest genocide in Gaza, they must be wanting to attack a little boy.
It's ridiculous.

Of course he should be able to wear it. I can't believe anyone would suggest otherwise.

This!

If you're too dim to see that making political statements - regardless of your view - in your profession is wrong, that's on you. I would say I'm surprised the NHS allow it but sadly, I'm not.

France is massively hypocritical. It preaches secularism but has about 100 Catholic bank holidays a year

Quite!

There is a time and place to protest about Gaza and a thread posted by a Jewish woman worrying about her son being a target for antisemitic abuse is not it.

It is clearly antisemitic to insist on bringing up Gaza in this conversation.

Because that is a symptom not the cause. If Palestine were not forcibly occupied and it's citizens being mistreated, there would be no motivation for a group like Hamas (and I absolutely condemn their actions) to exist.

Although I am not sure what this has to do with the headwear of a little boy.

A war.

I guess i just dont understand the huge focus on Palestine from my secular western peers. There are genocides and atrocities happening the world over. What is it about Palestine that creates such a club-like feel? Why don't we have weekly free Ukraine rallies and marches?

This thread demonstrates that the UK is full of people who clearly believe that, on some level, Jewish people deserve what they get, because of Gaza.

You're gaslighting right now. No idea when to stop, do you? Get yourself back to the CITME board and leave more empathetic comments to others.