Hitler is a star in WhatsApp chats of Swiss school classes – that’s what the expert advises

The crime scene is the locker room. A high school student sprays a Jewish classmate with deodorant and says, “I will gas you like all Jews.”

The example comes from the annual report of ‘Cicad’, the French-speaking Swiss coordination agency against anti-Semitism and discrimination. Last year it registered 944 anti-Semitic incidents in French-speaking Switzerland, almost 70 percent more than the previous year.

After Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, this number exploded to more than 150 per month. The spectrum varies from anti-Semitic expressions on the internet to serious incidents such as the deodorant attack or broken windows in synagogues.

Focus: schools

One conclusion from the “Cicad” report is particularly striking: anti-Semitism is therefore widespread in schools. In some playgrounds, “Jew” has become a swear word, and memes about Hitler and the Third Reich are popular in WhatsApp class chats. Memes are images with text. The fact that the head of an unprecedented criminal regime is being celebrated as a star in student chats and on social media is disturbing. Are schools not doing enough educational work?

Marianne Helfer is head of the anti-racism division of the federal department. In a speech for the SRF program “10vor10”, she criticized the cantons for not paying enough attention to the issue of anti-Semitism and racism in schools. In a survey, teachers complained that they were not sufficiently prepared for the subject during their training.

The Swiss Association of Israelite Communities (SIG) In the meantime, emphasizes the prevention aspect. Secretary General Jonathan Kreutner refers to the “Likrat” project, which started in 2002 and is attracting increasing interest. Last year, Jewish young people visited school classes in German-speaking Switzerland more than 170 times to introduce their religion and break prejudices. They reached more than 1,500 students.

Regarding images of Hitler in class discussions and the like, Kreutner says: “There is usually no solid ideology behind it, but rather historical ignorance and the appeal of provocation.” The best way to combat this is not through punishment, but through discussions and education about National Socialism and the Holocaust.

Teachers are increasingly asking for advice

The rising anti-Semitism among students is also affecting more and more employees in education. Peter Gautschi is professor of history didactics at Lucerne University of Education and co-editor of the book ‘Antisemitism – Explorations in the Education Sector’, published in 2022.

Before October 7, 2023, perhaps two teachers a year sought his advice on how to deal with anti-Semitic incidents in schools. Since then it has been one or two a week. The teachers report everything from playground insults to statements like “Hitler is my idol.” How much of this is due to provocation, ignorance or an ideological underpinning is difficult to estimate, says Gautschi.

The history didactician has a 10-point program for teachers (see below) developed to tackle anti-Semitism and discrimination. An example: Teachers must clearly identify the anti-Semitic statements and take an unequivocal position. It is also important to investigate the motives behind the discriminatory statements. Knowledge transfer only comes at the end. Gautschi himself has successfully applied his recommendations in various situations.

Gautschi does not accuse the schools of neglecting the issue of anti-Semitism. He notes that teachers recognize and address the phenomenon. But there are big differences. Not all teachers are equally successful in creating a climate in which engaged discussions about difficult topics are possible. Gautschi also says:

Gautschi therefore points to an important finding from his latest research project on the subject: all students at educational universities should have access to basic information on how to deal with anti-Semitism. “Teachers have sound knowledge that they can deepen through further training, provided they are given the necessary time and resources,” says Gautschi.

What exactly should teachers do?

* Recommendations for teachers on how to deal with discriminatory/anti-Semitic statements or actions (Peter Gautschi, PH Luzern, after October 7, 2023)

Sources