(JTA) — A Jewish school in Denmark’s capital city had its windows broken and anti-Semitic graffiti spray-painted on the building.
“No peace in Gaza” and “No peace to you Zionist pigs” were scrawled this week on the walls of the historic Caroline school in Copenhagen, the French news agency AFP reported.
Headmaster Jan Hansen told the news agency that some parents kept their children home from school on Friday. He also said that some of the students who “were sad and a bit afraid we had to send home.”
The incident comes a few weeks after Hansen, citing security concerns, asked students to refrain from wearing religious symbols near school grounds.
Europe has seen a rise of anti-Jewish sentiment and incidents since the start of the latest Israel-Gaza conflict.
Last week, hundreds of demonstrators — many wearing traditional Jewish head coverings and other religious symbols — took to the streets in a heavily Muslim neighborhood of Copenhagen to protest anti-Semitism. Organizers called the demonstration the “yarmulke protest.”
The Caroline school was founded in 1805 and bills itself as the world’s oldest still functioning school.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
