I did something Friday never thought I would need to do

[Trulywonderful]

As a British non religious Jew in the multi cultural city that is London I never thought I would have this conversation with my 11 year old son.

My son attends a very nice state school not a Jewish one. However as most the children that attended his primary know my family are Jewish latest events made me nervous. Not that those kids he has attended the primary school would be an issue but that they might innocently tell others he is Jewish. Potentially leading to at best him being questioned about his views on the conflict and at worse a physical assault.

So I had two options Friday morning. Keep him home when I was possibly overly worrying about kids in his nice school or have the one talk I never thought would happen.

So I decided to have the talk. Told him to make sure he didn't mention being Jewish at school from now on. That if anyone started asking to say no or walk away. In RS lessons don't mention it, even if the teacher is talking about Jews. I am gutted still I had to tell him this.

My father was very obviously Jewish and even if he hid it on occasion he still looked Egyptian or something. Therefore growing up I saw regular antisemitism and prejudice because of his middle eastern looks.

It is easy for myself and my children to blend in because we are fairer non religious. I thought a conversation like Fridays would never happen.

I am still very sad to have had the conversation I am sure many Jewish religious families or others abroad etc have all the time.

@TheShellBeach I also reported that, didn't think that doing so would take away from the board, so I'm sorry. I agree, folk should see these attacks.

Saying 'The cult of victimhood' to Jewish people is bloody disgusting.

I am descended from Polish Jews, but look pretty non Jewish. I felt weird today seeing some anti Israel slogans in shop windows. I know, before anyone leaps on me, that people are allowed their views on this issue, that it's very complicated, that it's horrible what's happening in Gaza, but the anti Israeli sentiment to me, makes me feel like people are saying Jewish people don't deserve a safe home to flee to.

I'm sorry you are in this position, OP. To be honest, many of the Jewish people I've known haven't mentioned it until they knew me quite well.

Honestly, have you actually read the news lately, the OP was incredibly brave but sadly correct to do this, the levels of anti - semitism in the last week have risen massively.

So what you actually mean is that you don't know anything about it. You don't understand. You haven't seen / understood news or history (modern or otherwise) but it's still our fault anyway.

Oh yeah and we are overreacting.

I was interested to see all the antisemitism of the last few days on here, and by "interested" I mean "fucking disgusted". I'm equally interested to see Jewish people are also being gaslit about it. And yes, telling them the problem is actually just that they're mentally ill is the very definition of gaslighting.

Yes Anne Frank was hugely anti Jewish and silly.

Do you see what you're doing yet?

I suspect not.
But we all do.

Have you read the news recently? Jewish children being told to not wear their uniforms in public, Jewish schools closing, Jewish businesses being attacked, red paint being thrown at Jewish schools. There has been more than a 300% increase in anti-semitic incidents in the UK, and London is always the worst hit.

Several years ago I got chatting to a couple who were sitting on the next table to us in a pub garden in Harrogate. They were tourists so I naturally asked where they were from. It became obvious that they were loathe to say they were from Israel and that made me feel sad for them. They felt hated. As it happens my mum spent a couple of summers at kibbutzim participating in archological digs years ago, so she had personal experience of being in Israel for many weeks. She loved her time there. The idea that she could have been one of the hostages taken from a kibbutz makes me feel sick.

Several years ago I was heading to the Gard du Nord in Paris in a taxi and couldn't believe that there were armed soldiers stationed outside a synagogue, but I think it was after the Charlie Hebro killings.

I think it is more anti-Jewish to encourage Jews to lie about their Jewishness and keep it underground.

It's no wonder this board was needed, is it?

This is grim.
This should be a safe space for Jews, but they're just being attacked here.

So gaslighting, minimising, accusations of prejudice...

I had the same conversation last week with my children and felt quite sick about it. They're a bit too young to really understand but I told them not to talk about being Jewish outside of the house, and not to talk about Israel. I cried a lot last week.

Be assured I certainly would not mock, minimise or deny the concerns of the OP or of you BlurredEdges.
It was good to follow the thread you started yesterday.

Not read thread just wanted to send love to OP. I’m sorry x

💐

And accounts retained.

Ffs, is this board just going to be overrun by non-jews telling us we're wrong about our own lives and experiences and history and reality?

We get the same on the childfree board- why our choices and our opinions are wrong and here's why; often at length. Black mumsnetters have the same problem - people just can't help giving their opinion even when the board is nothing to do with them.

This is ridiculous (not you op.)

That people have to hide their faith. The world is so fucked up.
Religion is supposed to be a quiet, peaceful thing that make people happy not have to hide who they are because another religion doesn't like them or agree with their religion.

This country needs to come down hard on those who have such extremist terrorist views, I'm so sorry op.

What an absolute tragedy. So much for us in the UK being a multi- cultural and fair society. Only if your not Jewish eh.
Ashamed that innocent kids have to be chaperoned to get a bloody education.
Hang your heads in shame you haters.
PS
OP, you do/say whatever you feel to keep your wee ones safe.
I'm from West of Scotland and we have a lot of religious bigotry here but nowhere near this magnitude, thank goodness

I'm sorry op, it's plain wrong that any person is threatened on the grounds of their religion, well no person should be threatened for any reason.

It was the other way around here, I'm in a not very diverse small town and the only Muslim students were accused of being part of Hamas - one child was punched, they are British born of northern Indian extraction. It's wrong either way

I'm so sorry you've had to do this to protect your son.
I totally understand why you've felt the need and feel sad this is our world.

How can you not realise that they're doing it to hide from people like you?

I’m so sorry OP isn’t this what our ancestors had to do during WW2 I know my Grandmother had to say her family were catholic to survive. Hiding who we are in 2023 what an awful thing to have to do. I totally understand and you must be so scared for your Son. Children know no hate but adults certainly do and so many pass that hate onto children. You did what you believe was right for your son no one can say you are wrong.

Mm hm. I see.

What exactly do you mean by the "flip side" of antisemitism?