The first time I experienced anti-Semitism, I was just about to embark on my professional career. I don’t mean the kind of stares I experienced on my first trip to Poland with JFS, or the anti-Semitism I experienced when the boys from a rival comprehensive used to throw coins at us from the top floor of the bus whilst we walked to the station. I mean the first casual anti-Semitism. I was teacher training and my getting to know my fellow students in the staff room. One of them, lets name him Chris, dropped some money out of his wallet as he was buying his sandwich. ‘As he scrambled to pick his money up he laughed and said; “how Jewish am I?” Everyone around us laughed except me as I had never heard anything quite like it. Having gone to JFS and then the University of Leeds to study history and economics there were no shortage of Jews in my social life and this was definitely a phrase I’d never heard before. The conversation went as follows:
“Excuse me” said I “I’m Jewish and I actually find that offensive”
An awkward silence ensued
“It’s only a saying” Chris responded.
“It might be only a saying but it’s an offensive one” I replied
“It’s used all the time where I come from” (Bury St Edmunds)
“It might be used all the time but it perpetuates a stereotype and is completely unnecessary”
“I don’t see what the big deal is but if it bothers you that much, I won’t say it again”
The fact that this casual phrase was clearly acceptable in Chris’ life shocked me. True to his word I never heard him utter that phrase again. However, during my years spent in front of the classroom I heard many more casual references from children as young as eleven using the ‘N’ word (not in the historical context) and talking about going to the ‘P’ shop at break. Frequently, children would call each other ‘gay’ when they did or said something different from the norm. These words were not shocking to other pupils or their parents I later found out, only to me. Was I closeted as a child I wondered? Was I really that naive? Was I just a nice Jewish girl stepping out of her comfort zone for the first time? Maybe the answer was yes to all three questions but the use of these words just didn’t sit well with me.
What has got me thinking about this again is the recent fiasco at JFS about a teacher referring to JONAH (the organisation that believes it can cure homosexuality) at the end of a religious studies lesson. As a former pupil I remember the culture that existed at JFS when I was a pupil. Jewish kids weren’t gay was the general attitude of the staff (Jewish kids didn’t take drugs either but that is another blog on another day) and homosexuality was never even discussed, let alone in a Religious studies lesson. Therefore, as a Jewish educator I am delighted that the Jewish studies curriculum has evolved in the past twenty years. However, my issue is that as a teacher the reference to JONAH was part of a plenary, the ending of the lesson which is actually the most important part as it is more likely to be remembered by pupils and leave a lasting impression. Had I been a member of that class I might have thought that being gay was a lifestyle choice, frowned upon by the Jewish community. Thank goodness I am secure enough in my own values that I know accepting LGBT Jews into the progressive community is as important as accepting those who convert or those who are from mixed-faith backgrounds. However, the reference to JONAH in a lesson is not even the most disturbing thing about this whole episode. The fact that is, is that JFS, despite pleas from former pupils, has refused to meet representatives from Keshet to discuss ways in which to present a balanced debate in the future. They have refused to acknowledge that there is a distinct lack of support from those students who are openly gay and furthermore, they have suggested that all pupils have a wonderful time and experience at the school. I think that this shows that JFS is once again failing to accept that the Jewish community has moved on since JFS’s founding. The pupils that go there are in the main fifth or sixth generation British Jews, fully integrated and afraid of nothing! The majority of JFS pupils might live in North London but this doesn’t mean that they live in a shtetl. They are British citizens and with this responsibility comes an acknowledgement and acceptance of multiculturalism. Most areas of society have accepted those who are LGBT and schools need to do the same by acting against those who use the term ‘gay’ as an insult and by not referring to organisations such as JONAH without allowing discussion or presenting alternative organisations that embrace and accept homosexuality. Until this happens this casual homophobia (and the causal anti-Semitism that I experienced as a young teacher) will continue. What are JFS afraid of?
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