'I support Hamas, you f-king Jew': Antisemitism ends NY girl's hoops game

[Mosby]

Last edited Sun Jan 7, 2024, 01:09 PM - Edit history (2)

A suburban New York City girl’s high school basketball game was stopped in the third quarter after the visiting squad was subjected to a series of antisemitic slurs.

The incident occurred on the evening of Dec. 4 in Yonkers during a non-league varsity matchup between Roosevelt High School, a public school, and The Leffell School, a private Jewish school in Hartsdale.

“I support Hamas, you f–king Jew,” a Roosevelt player barked at a Leffell opponent, according to The New York City Public Schools Alliance, a group of parents and teachers fighting antisemitism.

The Jewish players were eventually escorted off the court by security after a barrage of antisemitic slurs was fired their way.

https://www.jns.org/i-support-hamas-you-f-king-jew-antisemitism-ends-ny-girls-hoops-game/

Eta - Reminder that this is the Jewish group, posters are expected to be mindful that this is a safe space to discuss issues important to Jews.

[DURHAM D]

1. This sort of thing makes me sick to my stomach. nt

[jimfields33]

14. This should be national news

on every news program. This is as low as you can go. Name those girls who disrespected the other team. Ensure they are known by colleges and future employers.

[Joinfortmill]

2. Disgusting.

[JohnSJ]

3. They should have kicked off all those antisemites out of the game, and the place where the game was being played.

In fact the school, Roosevelt should have expelled them.

[CincyDem]

5. But you know they won't. Ya' know...good people on both sides and all that. n/t

[JohnSJ]

8. I know

[RandomNumbers]

13. Yes, if the Roosevelt team couldn't field enough players

after the unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties were issued, then it should have been called a forfeit by Roosevelt.

And like you said, the students committing the offenses should have been penalized - I'm not sure with expulsion, but definitely suspension and academic penalties.

[CincyDem]

4. No surprise.

These kids have been recruited passively by Hamas social media for a long time in preparation for this kind of post 10/7 activity.

And, unfortunately, for every one of these incidents reported broadly, there are probably a dozen or more that don’t get reported. And for everyone that says the quiet part out loud, there are probably hundreds who say it to themselves.

[Deuxcents]

6. So young to be so hateful. I hope the school takes this opportunity

To develop a program where each school’s students can participate in a program and learn from each other their differences and why it is important to be tolerant as each of us have worth. We can’t have another generation of this behavior and expect things to change

[Scrivener7]

64. Looks like that is exactly what they are doing. See the article I linked in post #53

[Deuxcents]

70. Thank you for the follow up. Much appreciated and gives me hope

Suspending or other restrictions would not make the difference that only education can make. I hope this changes the lives of the kids and others are free to participate.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. This is how it starts

*f–king Jew*

These little racist brats believe this is acceptable.

Unacceptable - and their District should disband the team for five years as punishment.

All must be punished. It will cause the offenders to be ostracized.

[Quakerfriend]

11. THIS! n/t

[LakeArenal]

52. Apparently parents think it's acceptable to.

[Raven123]

65. Exactly

[NBachers]

78. Yes- Five years disbanding the team

[byronius]

9. Ignorance everywhere.

I grew up in Saudi Arabia. Beautiful landscape, horrifying humans. I was forced to watch a casual beheading at eight.

These kids hating on Israel are ultra-ignorant.

[RAB910]

10. This comment gave me pause

the opposing team started shouting ‘Free Palestine’ and other antisemitic slurs and curses at us,” Bosworth wrote.

How is "free Palestine" "anti-Semetic" or a "curse".

To me that comment revealed anti-Muslim/anti-Arab bigotry

[Ocelot II]

17. How about "f***ing Jew"?

[Ocelot II]

19. "Both sides"?

This was not a "both sides" situation.

[RAB910]

20. Really? ??? So you believe it's "anti-Semitic" for Palestinians to be free?????

or are you so opposed to their freedom that you agree that even uttering the idea is a "curse"

[Ocelot II]

21. No, calling people "fucking Jews" is anti-Semitic.

Expressing an opinion in favor of a free Palestine is not at all anti-Semitic. What's anti-Semitic is using the term "fucking Jew" to support that opinion.

[Hekate]

71. When you open with a curse ("fucking Jew") everything that follows is a curse

[AZSkiffyGeek]

22. Why are they chanting "Free Palestine" at a high school basketball game in America?

I'm sure they chant that at every game against every other team.
It gives me pause when people try to turn an article about people screaming "Fucking Jew" into proof of Anti-Muslim bigotry.

[RAB910]

23. I am okay with that. I don't expect people who so strongly believe Palestinians shouldn't be free to the point

That such a phrase is offensive and considered "a curse" or "anti-Semitic" to agree with me. Hell, as you demonstrated, not only will they not agree they will try consider my position offensive

[Ocelot II]

25. "Free Palestine" is not an offensive statement. "Fucking Jews" *is* an offensive statement.

Have you figured out the difference yet?

[RAB910]

27. Saying "free Palestine" is "anti-Semetic" or a curse is as equally immoral as shouting "fucking Jews"

[Ocelot II]

34. "I support Hamas, you fucking Jew!" was the specific statement at issue.

Nobody said "free Palestine" was an anti-Semitic curse, and that's not actually what was said in the first place; it was "I support Hamas" (and Hamas isn't Palestine), you fucking Jew." Is it OK and totally not anti-Semitic to call someone a "fucking Jew" as long as it's done in the context of supporting Hamas?

[Hekate]

72. This

[carpetbagger]

86. I like tortillas.

But I don't think it's ok when fans of my local high school throw tortillas on the field when they play a mostly-Latino team.

[elias7]

29. I guess you missed, "I support Hamas, you f-king Jew," in the first paragraph

But sure, falsely accuse the Jews of islamophobia just because, what, it wasn’t important enough to actually determine facts?

[RAB910]

31. There is NOTHING "false" about calling out hate-filled bigotry toward Palestinians that is so bad

That they believe the idea that they should be free is considered "anti-Semitic" and a curse

[Ocelot II]

35. So "you fucking Jew" is just fine as long as it's accompanied with a statement of support for Hamas.

Got it.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

37. Interesting that they are coming to the Jewish group to tell them they are the real bigots nt

[Ocelot II]

41. Funny, that.

I'm not even Jewish, and I've been trying to stay out of these arguments because they become so contentious, but holy crap, how can anybody not see that the statement "I support Hamas, you fucking Jew!" is over-the-top anti-Semitic? And then accuse anyone who finds that statement objectionable is accused of being bigoted against Palestinians and Arabs?

[AZLD4Candidate]

73. We've beem the cause of all human suffering for centuries

Why should this night be different from all other nights?

[JustAnotherGen]

60. This is the Jewish group

I don't expect to read a defense of Hamas/Gaza Political Leaders in here . . .

"Fucking Jew".
" I support Hamas "


We had an incident here last year where a football team was calling an opposing team *iggers.

*Fucking *igger*. See? Some adults here dismissed that too.

[RandySF]

76. I didn't notice until you pointed that out.

I stopped reading at “f***ing Jew”.

[Richard D]

83. In the context of screaming it into the faces . . .

of an opposing sports team, it is antisemitic AF

[Turbineguy]

12. For some, being a useful idiot

is their life's work.

[multigraincracker]

15. All athletics should be removed from schools.

It tends to promote tribalism and hate.

[TeamProg]

28. Huh, what? Hate doen't run that deep for most people. What needs to be eliminated are private religious schools of all

faiths. That was the issue here, not the sport in play.. right?

[multigraincracker]

32. Why tie it to schools.

Europe does Club sports without schools.
Also less tax $ spent on a few students and stadiums.

[TeamProg]

40. When you say "athletics", that also means P.E. class which growing kids need. Some won't get any exercise any other

place.

[multigraincracker]

45. I mean competitive team sports.

I’ve seen fights on and off the field between schools.
PE classes are fine with me.

[TeamProg]

46. Many students' scholarships are granted to exceptional athletes. For some, that is the only way to get into college. You

want to take that opportunity away from poor students who do excel at some sport?

[multigraincracker]

49. I've had this argument with my brother

who played Big 10 football.
I’d rather see those same less fortunate students get academic scholarships. They tend to go on to graduate at a much higher rate.

Another problem with public school athletics are those coaches, many of them bullies, intimidate students in their classes into going out for sports.
I see no reason to tie competitive sports to public schools.
No reason to not take it out of public school.
I played sports all of my high school years. Turned down scholarships and still went to college. My parents, myself and my employer paid for my education.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

36. So the problem was that it was a Jewish school?

Interesting take.

[TeamProg]

39. No, that is clearly not what I'm saying. Maybe that was want you wanted to hear? I'd said, rather than eliminating

sports in schools - which isn't the problem here- eliminate the schools that divide people up by religion, ALL faiths.

That would have been clear to persons with no bias.

Obviously this offending team needs to be dissolved as any similar acting team should.

Clear????

[AZSkiffyGeek]

47. So you believe I'm biased?

I'm not the one who is blaming antisemitism at a basketball game on the existence of religious schools.

[TeamProg]

48. Please, follow the thread, okay? My response, if you had followed along, was in response to 'all school sports being

eliminated'. My suggestion was that dividing people up by faiths was probably more incendiary of hostilities than having jocks running around being self-important rah-rahs..

Evidence: we don't hear much about this kind of behavior between public schools although there was a news piece last year about an all white girls' high school basketball team harassing a mostly Latino school girls' team at a game. But it's still rare.

I'm pretty sure Robert Fripp would agree with me.

[MichMan]

50. The issue was the bigotry of the students in the public Roosevelt HS

[AZSkiffyGeek]

51. Apparently it's because Jews have their own school

And not the people hurling antisemitic insults at them. If there were no Jewish schools, antisemitism would go away I guess....

[TeamProg]

63. vs. a parochial school, not a different secular public school. Doesn't make it right, but it is a distinction. nt

[AZSkiffyGeek]

66. Which parochial school?

Roosevelt is public as stated in the article. But keep on blaming the religious school.

[TeamProg]

67. OMG! You didn't even read the article in question?? "and The Leffell School, a private Jewish school in Hartsdale. "

Fripp would not be happy.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

68. Yes, the parochial students were the victims of bigotry

How is that a parochial school’s fault?
You asserted the problem was religious schools. Only the victims were religious. Hence you are blaming the students, who happen to be Jewish, for antisemitism committed against them.
What Robert Fripp has to do with it I’m not sure - but keep up the insults!

[TeamProg]

69. Stay on the thread, keep it together, stop moving the goal post.

Me and Fripp

[keithbvadu2]

16. Trump's republicans

[Scrivener7]

54. Nope. Not in Roosevelt High School in Yonkers. Mostly kids of color, low to middle income.

[keithbvadu2]

62. Yeah. Sometimes hate brings opposite groups to a common understanding.

Politics makes strange bedfellows.
Two groups who hate each other so much that they meet in common fellowship.

They support each other's goal of separation of the races.

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/george-lincoln-rockwell-attend-nation-islam-1961/

[Lunabell]

24. "Fucking Jew" "I support hamas" ?

That's antisemitism, not Pro-Palestinian. Anybody know the make-up of those kids? Probably rich white kids. They don't give 2 fucks about the Palestinians.

[spooky3]

30. Not according to this:

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/districts/yonkers-city-school-district/roosevelt-high-school-early-college-studies-14197

[Lunabell]

38. Well, not rich white.

But, I don't see a break down on ethnicity, country of origin. Are they middle eastern? Palestinian? Probably not. Just mimicking what they've heard. Either from parents or social media. I don't believe for one second that they have the Palestinian freedom in mind when they yell these slurs.

[Ocelot II]

42. Teenagers are prone to hopping on bandwagons and getting riled up over issues

they don't have any clue about. They get slogans from the internet and each other, if not at home, and mindlessly use them to taunt and bully others. I hope their school enlightens as well as punishes the offenders.

[TeamProg]

43. Not white either..

Minority Enrollment

90.3%

Minority Enrollment

62.2%

Hispanic

21.1%

Black

9.7%

White

4.7%

Asian

2.2%

Two or More Races

0.1%

American Indian/Alaska Native

[Scrivener7]

56. I'm sorry, but you are mistaken. I see a lot of hijabs on the students when I drive by the school, and

most of the kids are children of color. The school is made up of low to middle income students.

[Lunabell]

58. I'm pretty confident the chanters were not "concerned" with the Palestinian people.

Just mimicking others in their hatred.

[Scrivener7]

59. The article I quoted in a post below says the offending students were a small group.

I don't see anything that says those few were not of Palestinian origin.

Also, the article I quoted below lists the excellent response by both schools to the incident. It looks as if the schools are planning to use the incident to educate the kids against hate and bring the students together.

It was a terrible thing. But it seems to be being dealt with in the best way possible.

[Lunabell]

61. I hope so.

Everyone seems to be hating on everyone else. It's really sad and disheartening. I hope they bring the parents in too. This stuff starts at home a lot of the time.

[Lucky Luciano]

75. Westchester is mostly rich white.

Yonkers, Mt Vernon, Peekskill are notable exceptions. Lots of Hispanic/Blacks in those areas. Anecdotally, my observations are that American minorities have favored Palestinians by wide margins - perhaps in solidarity with the underdogs who they relate to. I hope my anecdotal data is wrong though.

[Scrivener7]

82. As I said above, when I drive by the school I see many students in hijabs. So there is every possibility the students

involved - of which all sources agree were very few - are themselves of Palestinian origin and this has nothing to do with people with no connection to the conflict in the middle east "relating to underdogs."

A terrible thing happened. But there is a lot of baseless speculation in this thread that the incident was about much more widespread hate than the event actually indicates. And the responses by both schools AND the City of Yonkers have been impressive, thorough and immediate.

[Timeflyer]

33. Sickening--children abusing other children about a war they have nothing to do with

and can't influence. Hateful bullies.

[TeamProg]

44. We need D.E.I. taught in schools more than ever ( just a "generalization", k? no arguments about history, please). nt

[Scrivener7]

53. EXCELLENT response by BOTH schools to the incident:

https://westchester.news12.com/hartsdale-jewish-school-says-its-girls-basketball-team-was-subjected-to-antisemitic-comments-during-game

Within minutes of the game's end, Roosevelt's athletic director apologized to Leffell.
Roosevelt's principal reached out to Leffell's head of school on Friday morning to apologize and outline disciplinary consequences and educational responses that are being developed.
Both principals also discussed the possibility of an in-person encounter, either between the schools leadership teams or among the players themselves.
In response to the incident, a Yonkers School District spokesperson says such matters are dealt with utmost seriousness and in accordance with the district's code of conduct.

[twodogsbarking]

57. I hate hate.

[SouthernDem4ever]

74. Anyone in the U.S. that supports Hamas is living in the wrong country

[SlimJimmy]

77. Completely unacceptable

If this is what is being taught in schools, or on Tic-Toc, then I'm afraid we're in for a very rough ride.

[NotMissD]

79. Imo, the Roosevelt team was actually was not about supporting a group

The context here is a competition that they were trying to win. You do that by dominating the opposition, in this case by getting in their heads and distracting them. Jedi mind tricks. It worked exactly as the Roosevelt team expected. Nothing more than poor sportsmanship. I am not convinced that the teams meeting will accomplish anything, Eliminating the team by removing them from upcoming games for the season is more appropriate. As that would allow the team more time to to focus on learning sportsmanship.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

81. Wow - Antisemitism is just poor sportsmanship

Enjoy your stay...

[NotMissD]

84. Never equated them

But I think that the root cause is poor sportsmanship and that anti semitism is the symptom.

[NotMissD]

80. A quick Google indicates that Roosevelt addressed this

By firing the team’s coach, and taking a player off the team. Speculative, but it suggests to me that this had been a strategic approach to targeting their opponents.


Yonkers Public Schools said an initial investigation was conducted involving game officials, coaches, students and school officials from The Leffell School.

“After a thorough review of videos taken at the game and interviews with those who witnessed the incident, the Yonkers Public Schools dismissed the coach and one player from the Roosevelt basketball team,” the statement said. “The investigation is ongoing. Should the District determine other students were involved in the incident, further action would be taken by the school District where appropriate.”

Officials said in the joint statement, “Along with Mayor Spano’s convening of religious, educational and civic leaders, Yonkers Public Schools also will administer further counseling and guided training sessions amongst the school community so to prevent this from happening again.”

[Evolve Dammit]

85. I blame this rise to one orange son of a Klansman from NYC