Hearings for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion have revealed many victims and perpetrators of antisemitism in Australia are children. How do we discuss the issue in an age-appropriate way?
Clinical psychologist Amanda Gordon told SBS Examines a growing number of families are seeking advice on how to talk about antisemitism with their kids.
Children are coming in with questions like: Why do people hate Jews? Are we safe? Why are there guards at our school?
She said children of different ages need different responses.
Early childhood educator Olga Weintraub Elia said even very young children can understand the importance of kindness and diversity.
"You don't need to provide some political explanations, but you can talk about fairness, being kind, being respectful," she said.
Shoshana, a teacher of high school students, said it can be harder to navigate these conversations with teenagers.
It's not if they've seen antisemitism, it's when they've seen antisemitism.
Shoshana said her students often shared jokes or memes online without realising they had antisemitic origins.
"You have to be able to just talk to them about it, frankly ... model to them what rational thought looks like when it comes to things like antisemitism and racism."
In this week's episode, SBS Examines asks — how should we talk to children about antisemitism?
Listeners seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 for young people aged up to 25.
