Eight San Jose high school students formed a human swastika on their school\u2019s football field in a horrifying display of antisemitism that has sent shockwaves through the Silicon Valley community.<\/p>\n
The disturbing scene was photographed and shared in a since-deleted Wednesday social media post that featured an antisemitic 1939 quote from Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevization of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe,\u201d read what appeared to be an Instagram caption.<\/p>\n
Eight students formed a swastika on the Branham High School football field. Sen. Scott Wiener<\/p>\n
Branham High School announced Friday that an investigation has been launched. The eight students have been identified, but their names will not be revealed due to federal law. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur message to the community is clear: This was a disturbing and unacceptable act of antisemitism. Actions that target, demean, or threaten Jewish students have no place on our campuses,\u201d school principal Beth Silbergeld said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Silbergeld, who is Jewish, refers to herself as \u201cEducator, conscious eater, mama, urban hippie, sneakerhead, NJ to CA,\u201d according to her Instagram.<\/p>\n Maya Bronicki with the Bay Area Jewish Coalition (BAJC) told NBC Bay Area<\/a> that a fellow student at Branham High School came across the shocking photo and alerted his parents and other families.<\/p>\n BAJC spokesperson Tali Klima condemned the human swastika display in a blistering statement. <\/p>\n \u201cTo have children echoing Hitler\u2019s words is frankly just shocking and heartbreaking, and the entire community has been rocked by this,\u201d Klima said in a statement, according to The Guardian. <\/p>\n \u201cThis bold and premeditated display has really shaken everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n State Sen. Scott Wiener, who shared a photo of the human swastika on Facebook, applauded the school\u2019s swift response but raised concerns over the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to ask ourselves why these students believed it was ok to do this \u2014 not just the swastika but linking it to extermination of Jews due to \u2018international financial Jews,’\u201d the Democrat wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAntisemitism is pervasive & growing. It\u2019s leading to harassment & violence against Jews. Yet, there\u2019s an orchestrated campaign to deny its existence. We see this in the lies spread in opposition to the Jewish community\u2019s work this year to pass state legislation on school antisemitism,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n Wiener\u2019s post, however, elicited a wave of troubling responses in support of the eight students, including one that read: \u201cThis gives me faith in the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n Another Facebook user wrote, \u201cThe youth are healing.\u201d<\/p>\n The eight Branham High School students have been identified, but their names will not be revealed due to federal law. Sen. Scott Wiener<\/p>\n Branham High School in San Jose responded Friday and said the incident is under investigation. Google Maps<\/p>\n The hateful act has been reported to San Jose Police Department, and the district also stated it will work with Anti-Defamation League, the Bay Area Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area.<\/p>\n The human swastika episode marks at least the second time this year that Branham High School made headlines in connection to antisemitism allegations.<\/p>\n Back in April, the California Department of Education (CDE) ruled that an ethnic studies course discriminated against Jewish students, according to <\/a>The Times of Israel.<\/p>\n The formal complaint was lodged by the Bay Area Jewish Coalition, and accused teachers of presenting biased information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a 12th-grade ethnic literature course.<\/p>\n