A New Jersey high school has been accused of “blatant anti-Semitism” for banning yellow ribbons honoring Israeli hostages and allowing the keffiyeh to be displayed.
In Wednesday’s incident at Fair Lawn High School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, a Jewish Student Union club table at a fair was ordered to remove the tapes.
An Israeli flag that was on the same table was also removed at the request of a school leader. The school’s Muslim club table, which was situated next to the Jewish Student Union table, was allowed to keep a keffiyeh on display.
The mother, Dr. Adi Vaxman, was outraged when she learned of the incident last Tuesday, hours before the Jewish New Year celebrations, Rosh Hoshanah.
‘The vice principal (Dr. Steffany Baptiste-Bosco) told the students manning the table that unless it was childhood cancer, the yellow ribbon was considered political and they were not allowed to display it.
The Jewish Student Union (JSU) table before students were told to remove the Israeli flag and yellow tape magnet.
“He also told them that flags were not allowed,” said Dr. Adi Vaxman, whose daughter Maya is a senior in school and a member of his Jewish Student Union. The Israeli flag was later removed from the Union of Jewish Students.
Vaxman was further incensed to learn that Dr. Baptiste-Bosco allowed the school’s Muslim club to continue displaying a Keffiyeh scarf on the next table.
The keffiyeh is a traditional headdress worn by men in some parts of the Middle East and has become a symbol of support for Palestine since the October 7 attacks.
In a statement issued on Monday, Fair Lawn bosses claimed the incident had been misinterpreted and that Jewish and Muslim student clubs had been asked to remove symbols deemed political.
It is unclear what items the Muslim club was asked to remove.
Vaxman told DailyMail.com that he contacted the school board, superintendent and principal about the latest incident.
“All they care about is appeasing us, shutting us up and making this go away, but it’s not going away, they’re not dealing with it and they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do to stop it,” he said.
The photo shows the table of the neighboring Muslim club.
Video capture showing the Muslim Student Union table with the keffiyeh, but the Jewish Student Union table had to remove the Israeli flag and yellow tape.
‘Unfortunately this is not something new. “It’s a pattern: anti-Semitism in high school,” Vaxman said.
‘I have personally been fighting this for four four years. We have had several incidents over the last four years and it has increased over the last year.
Dr. Baptiste Bosco, deputy director
Vaxman said Baptiste-Bosco told the students that no videos or photographs were allowed and threatened to arrest them, but some of the students captured what was happening.
She said parents and students outraged by the ban contacted her to share their displeasure.
Last week’s incident was just one of many that Vax said have shaken the school in recent months.
Six months ago a drawing of a swastika appeared in the boys’ bathroom, while a Jewish student was allegedly attacked by a Palestinian student in the hallway.
Vax says her daughter is regularly bullied at school, as is her 13-year-old son who attends high school.
Vaxman said her daughter went to school Monday feeling nervous, but wearing an Israeli flag pin and yellow ribbon.
Her son was too scared to go, having suffered daily harassment from other students, she told DailyMail.com.
On Monday morning, the school sent out an email regarding recent media coverage of the October 2nd Club Fair at Fair Lawn HS.
Vaxman shared the letter with DailyMail.com and expressed frustration and alleged that the school district was not being truthful.
Dr. Adi Vaxman photographed outside her home in New Jersey wearing a dress with the Israeli flag
Dr. Adi Vaxman with her husband and children
The email the school issued Monday morning.
The letter referred to New York Post story about the incident.
He said the story “is inaccurate and does not include all faces or share the true context of the situation.”
They went into details about what happened.
“During this year’s Club Fair, both the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Jewish Student Union (JSU) were asked to make adjustments to items that had not been part of their original displays.”
‘The decision to ask both groups to modify their displays was made in response to the disruptive impact that certain elements were having on the learning environment.
‘The school took no position regarding certain symbols or elements that were added to those clubs’ displays, but simply asked both clubs to restore their displays to their original content.
“The school adequately ensured that the Club Fair event provided an open opportunity for students to explore the various clubs on display,” he wrote, in part.
Vaxman, reading the letter aloud, told DailyMail.com that the school district is “lying…this is not true.” He pointed out that the proof is in the video he shared.
He added that on Monday, the first anniversary of Hamas’s massacre of 1,200 Israelis, the director made an announcement about “a moment of peace.”
“He didn’t mention October 7 or the massacre, let’s just say the person who told me I shouldn’t have said anything because this is worse,” he said.
“I’m worried about my children,” she said. ‘My husband and I were raised by Holocaust survivors who fought. We don’t believe in staying silent and neither do our children.’
Vaxman plans to protest outside Fair Lawn High School today and release 101 yellow balloons to pray for the release of hostages held captive by Hamas.