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

[Aislyn]

My eldest is at secondary school and has suffered horrific racist bullying due to being identifiably Jewish. She never told anyone, but they guessed due to her appearance, and her saying Eastern European countries when asked 'where are you from?'

Unfortunately the school has been completely unhelpful, and refused to tackle this.

My second child is starting at second and has sen. They are at even higher risk of bullying. They have an appearance that would mean that they could be identified as Jewish, especially when citing Eastern European countries in response to the above question. Can anyone think of a cover story for my child?

(Yes, I have tried to get them a place at a Jewish school, but there is none available)

Anti semitism is so bad it’s starting to feel like the 1930s Germany. To the point Jewish families are feeling under threat outside Jewish schools and environments.

All these stupid stupid useful idiots with their Palestinian flags in windows going on marches repeating their little pre learned mantras so not to fall foul of the secret (social media:playground) police. All these middle class stupid stupid idiots waving their Iranian flags whilst actual Iranians who fled the terror of the regime scream the truth at them, but apparently the flag bearers know better from the Facebook/mumsnet posts they read passing on their pseudo liberal hatred to their kids.

Honestly I’m so angry at this country that less than 100 years after the Second World War we have worried mothers coming on here to ask for help in hiding the fact their kids are Jewish and we have posters asking “who looks British?” “Are they from Israel”? Fuck me!

I think it's heartbreaking in this day and age that someone has to hide their heritage or religion.

I agree. I was a young adult in the late 70s and early 80s, when we were "rocking against racism" and marching in opposition to the National Front. I thought we'd consigned this sort of shite to the dustbin of history.

It seems that fascists, like the poor, are always with us.

Anti Semitism is hardly alien to the UK...but we had improved a lot. And now this huge upsurge...

What about all the stupid useful idiots who support Farage, Trump and Netanyahu?

The coalition of evil.

I follow a donor conceived young woman on SM who found out as an adult that her actual biological father was the Jewish doctor who ran the sperm bank. As her parents thought the donor was Western European like her legal father, she had no idea why she had antisemitic comments all her life. There is a look.

@Aislyn my suggestions would be either "nobody really knows, it's all a bit of a mystery" which ties in with the idea that your region of origin has switched countries, or picking a more Mediterranean looking Eastern European country - Bulgaria? Or maybe Romania? (I have seen comments saying that Romanian Jews tend to be more blonde than other Romanians, I have no idea how true that is).

I’m so sorry you’ve experienced that, unfortunately some kids have absolutely treatise useless parents (and teachers).

Most anti-Semitic attacks in the UK are by white propel, so look at those who look like you first.

Exactly and posters like that are the same ones that don’t give a shit about (and even participate in) racism against POC - who btw usually can’t lie about or conceal their heritage like OP is attempting to do with her children.

There’s no “cover stories” available for us.

I’m not even Muslim but my non-white skin and love of wearing headscarves as a fashion accessory has attracted a shit load of Islamophobia.

Most Jews who dress that way are Hasidic, not just Orthodox. Hasidic Jews are stricter than Orthodox Jews and would most likely be at a school specifically for Hasidic kids.

There could have been another clue though.

Total whataboutery and not relevant to this thread. This thread is about antisemitism being faced by teenagers - which is fuelled by Palestinian flag waving usefulness idiots.

Exactly. In the current 21st century era, first they’ll come for the Muslims, then black people, then Jewish people etc No one is exempt.

The thread did not mention Palestinians or flags, that was you. You are extremely obvious.

Buy her an orthodox Cross necklace, get her to say her mums family's from Greece and her dad's is from I dunno somewhere people don't know much about unless they're from the region so they can't place the surname.. Kosovo, Bulgaria? Somewhere with a Christian and Muslim population and where some people are just more olive skinned.

I'm sorry you're having to hide your ethnicity.

Yep it’s all disgusting - anti-semtism, anti-blackness, Islamophobia etc.

Better than supporting the Greens or Labour who are intent on destroying Britain.

Most people in the UK are white, the question is whether Muslims commit more anti Semitic attacks relative to their proportion of the population. I don't think we have the data.

However, surveys show many UK Muslims endorse anti Semitism.

https://www.thejc.com/news/poll-reveals-more-than-a-third-of-british-muslims-believe-jews-have-too-much-power-in-uk-hgt2u74c

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=archive.jpr.org.uk/object-1292&ved=2ahUKEwi038vIjKmTAxXzdUEAHUBhL2kQFnoECCoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw14YqbE4NlBbTusTWf7g3Ch

https://antisemitism.org/new-report-shows-worrying-levels-of-antisemitism-in-britains-muslim-community-including-higher-levels-among-the-university-educated

The answer to antisemitism is hardly racism 🤦‍♀️

so to try and get you back on track- what do you think should be done about the anti semitism in Britain?? How do we stop children such as the OPs facing antisemitism?

Sorry op, it's really sad your child should feel the need to hide her religion. Would you consider moving her to a Christian school in the meantime whilst you are awaiting a Jewish place? You will find she will we be welcomed much more than in a secular school. I'm Catholic and have been concerned about the rise in hatred for Jews.

Just wanted to post in solidarity OP, as I have a Jewish son and when we moved, he decided not to tell anyone he's Jewish because of anti Semitism.

For anyone questioning what could possibly identify someone as looking Jewish, without specifics, some people just look very Jewish (my mums side of the family all look very Jewish). My son doesn't though so noones ever thought about it in relation to him.

Kids who want to bully a kid for racist reasons will and anti Semitism has become socially acceptable for a lot of people now, so I totally get what your concerns are. 'I come from London' or 'oh are you being racist' aren't clever answers that will help.

Turkish or Hungarian might be good options.

I'm really sorry OP this is really sh#t.

Would they get away with saying they’re Italian? But could say they didn’t grow up there so don’t know the language.
This must be awful, your poor kids.
I’m blonde, blue-eyed and was born in Germany and moved to the UK when I was 3 but you can imagine what I was called throughout school.

You support Reform whose leader Nigel Farage said despicable things like ‘Hitler was right’, ‘gas them’ and other stuff that I find too horrible to even type out.

You think Jewish people want your support?

I do think that moving the children to a Christian school (most likely Catholic) would be in the best interests until a place in a Jewish school became available.