Silver Spring, Montgomery County, MD – Another Montgomery County school, another investigation of antisemitism.
According to Montgomery County Department of Police twice in the past two weeks antisemitic flyers were found at Northwood High School in Silver Spring.
In a letter to parents, administrators say they are working with police to step up security and “to find the individual targeting our school and community.”
It’s at least the fifth Montgomery County school dealing with antisemitic incidents.
“We know we have a problem,” said Adam Zimmerman who is the grandson of holocaust survivors and teaches holocaust history at a Rockville synagogue.
“This problem runs deeper than I think even what we see in here from the headlines,” he said Friday.
Those headlines include swastikas found at multiple schools, “Jews not welcome” spray painted on a school sign, and students accused of antisemitic threats.
“We certainly are seeing a spike. And I think, you know, the why of it is less important to me than the what we do in response,” said County Councilman Will Jawando. He says the county has dedicated more money to help schools with more security.
“We have to say this is wrong, it’s not acceptable, we’re investigating anything that is done like this as a hate crime,” Jawando said.
Zimmerman worries the incidents are escalating.
“Each day that passes I fear we are moving closer to a day where it’s not just scrawled on a sign, where it’s not just drawn on a desk, but that our kids are being placed in physical harm,” he said.
Both men point to the national rhetoric – from politicians to pop stars – as partly to blame for this spike in incidents locally.
MCPS leaders have denounced the antisemitic acts and is working with Jewish community groups in its response at the schools.
