Canadian students give Nazi salute to Jewish teacher whose parents survived the Holocaust

Canada’s largest public school board has apologised after students at one of its schools directed Nazi salutes at their Jewish teacher last week.

The antisemitic incident took place on Thursday at Valley Park Middle School in North York, Canada, which is overseen by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

The unnamed teacher, whose parents both survived the Holocaust, said she entered her classroom to find two pupils making the offensive gesture, while another said “Heil Hitler”.

The event occurred on the same day that antisemitic graffiti was found at the school.

Earlier this week, Colleen Russell-Rawlins, TDSB’s director of education, released a statement apologising for the pain and harm caused by the incident.

“On behalf of the TDSB, I want to apologise specifically to the teacher, and to all the students, staff and families who are impacted by this horrific situation not only at Valley Park, but throughout our system,” she said.

Ms Russell-Rawlins added that TDSB was committed to countering antisemitism and other forms of racism, which she said have risen sharply in Canada.

The education director said steps would be taken to “proactively” inform students “about the roots of racism and hate”.

Shari Schwartz-Maltz, a TDSB spokesperson, said the pupils would be punished but did not give further details. She added that education was the best way to challenge bigotry.

In a letter to parents and students on 17 February, George Bartzis, the headteacher at Valley Park, described the antisemitic incident as “very upsetting and unacceptable”.

“We take great pride in our school as a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place and this has always been our message to students. It is also not reflective of who we are and what we stand for as a school and as a community,” he said.

In light of the abuse, pupils and students at the school will learn about anti-semitism by hearing first-hand testimony from Holocaust survivors and their descendants next month.

The affected staff member remains “deeply traumatised” by what happened, the anti-racism charity Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC) said in a statement.

Michael Levitt, the organisation’s chief executive, called for an emergency response from the TDSB, saying the rise in antisemitism at its schools was “unprecedented”.

He added: “It is unfathomable and shocking that, in 2022, a Jewish teacher is faced with Nazi salutes and a ‘Heil Hitler’ chant in her classroom. Clearly, something is broken in Toronto’s public school system and requires immediate attention.”