A New Jersey high school has banned yellow ribbons meant to symbolize support for Israeli hostages during a club fair – a “blatant” display of antisemitism, critics say.
Some Fair Lawn High School parents and the StopAntisemitism group also complained that the presence of the Israeli flag during the event, which was partly to promote travel to Israel, was not allowed because the government considered it too “political” – while Muslim student members. Associations are allowed to display keffiyeh.
“What happened at Fair Lawn High School is an alarming case of hypocrisy and antisemitism,” said Liora Rez, founder of StopAntisemitism. “This incident is not only a direct violation of the rights of Jewish students to express their identity and humanitarian issues.”
About a third to 40% of the 35,000 residents of Fair Lawn in Bergen County, just 17 miles from New York City, are Jewish.
A Fair Lawn parent said the public school district’s failure to address complaints about alleged antisemitism has been a simmering problem for some time.
“What happened at Fair Lawn High School’s Club Fair was not an isolated event but part of a disturbing pattern of antisemitism that I and other parents have been fighting for years,” said Adi Vaxman, founder and president of Operation Israel, a group that provides aid humanitarian for Israel, for The Post there.
“Despite numerous meetings with the board of education and the superintendent, promises to consolidate anti-anti-Semitism efforts have not been fulfilled,” Vaxman said.
His daughter, Maya, is a student in high school.
“The administrator’s claim that the yellow hostage ribbon – a humanitarian symbol calling for the release of innocent civilians abducted from their homes and held in subhuman conditions by Hamas – is ‘political’ is very offensive and unacceptable,” said the angry mother.
Vaxman claimed that in comparison, the black and white keffiyeh, “a symbol of armed resistance to Israel, was allowed to remain on display for hours.
“This glaring double standard exposes the biases of the schools and administrators in question,” he said. “It is worrying that the school supports the Muslim Student Association which identifies as Palestinian while censoring the Israeli flag for the Jewish Student Union.
“Israel is the only Jewish country in the world, which is related to Judaism and relevant to JSU’s trip to Israel.”
Fair Lawn High Principal Paul Gorski issued a statement defending the school’s actions.
“We are proud of the Student Activities program as well as the leadership shown by students and faculty,” Gorski wrote.
“During this year’s event, the Muslim Student Association and the Jewish Student Union were asked to set up items that were not part of the original display. Both groups received the same instructions and were treated equally,” he said, adding, “no student was disciplined about their participation in the Exhibition club.”
He also said Fair Lawn Middle School participated in the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate” initiative and was “proudly recognized” with the “Gold Star” distinction during a ceremony in May.
“We condemn antisemitism and remain steadfast in our commitment to creating an inclusive community where hate is not tolerated,” the principal said in a statement. “When we return to school after being closed for the Jewish holiday, we will engage in dialogue with students and the community. Hate homelessness at Fair Lawn High School.
But Vaxman isn’t buying the school’s response.
“The application of this selective rule further demonstrates the discriminatory treatment of Jewish students. The school’s response is very disappointing and fails to address this core issue,” Vaxman said.
“Participation in the ‘No Place for Hate’ initiative rings hollow when Jewish students face blatant discrimination and intimidation at school on a regular basis. We call for concrete actions, not empty platitudes, to fight antisemitism and ensure true equality for ‘all’ students .
