Dear LPS 6-12 Educator,

My name is Jenna Barr, a Junior here at Longmeadow High School and a student in Miss Smith’s United States History Honors Class.  Yes, I am a student at Longmeadow High School, but also a Jewish student in Longmeadow Public Schools. Before I urge you all to adjust the History curriculum for students, I want to share a bit of my story.  

My first face-to-face incident of Antisemitism was in 7th grade, on Field Day.  We were playing soccer, and I heard a few kids chatting about Hitler, praising him, and doing the Nazi salute.  Before this incident, I had also heard wind of students doing the Nazi salute in the hallways, using it as a greeting towards other students.  We had been reading “The Diary of Anne Frank” a few weeks before, which I assume is where they got the idea to perform these actions.  

One thing about me is that I am proud of my Jewish identity, so I went up to them and proceeded to tell them to stop.  And I hope that moment stuck with them because it certainly stuck with me.  This moment in time will always be the true beginning of my journey as a Jewish teenager.

Just this past year, I entered my Spanish class to look over at one of my peers saying, and I quote, “I hate all Jews.”  The context shouldn’t matter because those words should never come out of someone’s mouth, especially a student from Longmeadow High School.  Longmeadow Public Schools does not stand for hatred, but with recurring instances, it seems as if they don’t care to combat any hate.

Just a year ago, I had the honor to serve on a panel with antisemitism experts, Jewish community members, and the superintendent to discuss antisemitism and how to combat it in our school system.  I looked into the audience to see family, my youth group advisor, my Rabbi, and Jewish community members I had crossed paths with in the past.  It felt good to feel like I was making a change and talking about something I was passionate about.  But it felt like the people who truly needed to hear what I was saying weren’t present.  We talked about personal experiences, different tropes, and the deep-rooted history of antisemitism, and I strongly believe these topics should be covered in the History curriculum in the Longmeadow Public School system.  

After “Heil Hitler” was written on a bathroom stall in Williams just a few days ago, I’ve lost hope.  This form of antisemitism at the middle school has direct ties to the Holocaust. In middle school, we learn all about the horrible things that happened during the Holocaust, and it is drilled into our brains.  If this student had learned more about contemporary antisemitism and the consequences that came along with it, I feel confident that this form of vandalism would have never occurred in the first place.  

Antisemitism did not end with the Holocaust; it has persisted for centuries and continues to evolve in modern society.  Antisemitic incidents have happened in this very building.  Without understanding these historical foundations and only learning about the horrific things Adolf Hitler did, students cannot fully grasp how antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories persist today.  Holocaust education often focuses on the genocide itself rather than the prejudices and systemic discrimination that led to it, leaving a critical gap in students' understanding of modern antisemitism.

In Longmeadow Public Schools, antisemitic incidents have occurred, whether through casual jokes with friends, vandalism on a whiteboard or bathroom stall, or misconceptions about Jewish people and Zionism. Many students do not understand what Zionism actually is, leading to misinformation and harmful stereotypes. This ignorance allows antisemitic beliefs to spread unchecked, making Jewish students feel unsafe and unwelcome in their school community. Thankfully, I have outside sources where I can proudly be a Jewish teenager, but that shouldn’t have to be the case. By integrating a broader education on antisemitism into the curriculum, we can challenge these harmful narratives before they take root.

Social media has become a breeding ground for antisemitic conspiracy theories, many of which go unchallenged. Every. Single. Day. I scroll on social media to come across multiple incidents of antisemitism across the world.  I am quick to talk about these incidents with my family and Jewish peers.  When students lack the tools to recognize and combat antisemitism, they may unintentionally contribute to its spread. Educators must take an active role in teaching students about contemporary antisemitism, from its presence in political discourse to its role in extremist movements.

I strongly believe that educating students about antisemitism beyond the Holocaust is essential to creating a more inclusive and respectful school environment. By expanding the curriculum to include the history, persistence, and modern realities of antisemitism, we can foster greater understanding and ensure that Jewish students feel safe and valued. A failure to address this issue allows ignorance and hatred to thrive. I urge you to take action and advocate for meaningful change in our education system.

Sincerely,
Jenna Barr