On a day that was supposed to celebrate the diversity of Solon Middle School, students were the target of antisemitic behavior on Oct. 22.

In a letter to parents sent on the afternoon of Oct. 23, Solon Middle School principal Rocco Sciarabbas called the incident “especially disappointing “because it happened on SMS Cultural Awareness Day and during Unity Week,” a time where the school “recognizes and celebrates all of our students and their family backgrounds, religions and cultural heritage.”

The school did not specify what type of antisemitic behavior occurred, however the Jewish Federation of Cleveland said in a statement to the Cleveland Jewish News that it received reports that there was usage of Nazi salutes and antisemitic language.

One community member, Stacey Rubenfeld, commented under a post by Solon Schools on Facebook that it was directed at children “who wore their Jewish symbols.”

Rubenfeld was commenting on a Oct. 22 post containing photos from the middle school on Solon Middle School Cultural Awareness Day, showing children of different backgrounds holding their flag, wearing clothing that represents their heritage or pointing on a map of where their family is from. None of the photos was centered around a Jewish or Israeli student, and a parent commented that the lack of that was a “glaring omission.”

“Many kids wore shirts that said ‘Shalom’ (peace) and they were reporting that multiple photos were taken,” Sasha Rabinovich said in a comment. “I understand that they can’t include every single culture, but considering yesterday’s events, they can easily edit the post and add a photo representing these kids as well.”

Taryn Isaacs, who said in her comment that they are a Jewish family living in the community and had a daughter “proudly” wearing her Jewish heritage shirt on Oct. 22, said she was “disheartened” to hear about the incident and about “not having the representation in this album.”

“I appreciate that SMS took swift action in private,” Isaacs said.

She said that there is a big opportunity to educate the students about antisemitism, what the symbolism means and how it affects others.

“This was a clear act of blatant antisemitism,” she said.

“Solon Schools serves and supports all students,” Sciarabbas said in the message to parents. “Messages of hate and discrimination do not reflect the values of our schools or our community. We address all instances of hateful speech or discrimination in accordance with our student handbook and district policy, including in this case, but it is also important that we use this as a learning opportunity for everyone. Students often encounter these images and phrases online, in memes or videos, without understanding the deep-rooted antisemitism behind them or the hurt they cause their friends and classmates.”

Sciarabbas said the school has reached out to the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to receive further guidance on additional education for its students, which will address the impact of antisemitism and the harm of hateful language, gestures and actions of any kind.

As part of this work, the district is looking to implement the ADL’s No Place for Hate program, a student-led anti-bias and anti-bullying initiative in place in more than 1,600 schools, including several in neighboring communities.

In a statement to the CJN, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland said that it “is deeply troubled by reports of antisemitic behavior targeting Jewish students at Solon Middle School.”

“We have been in direct communication with Solon Schools Superintendent Fred Bolden, who informed us that the district has taken appropriate disciplinary action in response to these incidents,” it said. “In partnership with school leadership, we are providing educational resources to help foster understanding, respect, and inclusion within the school community. Our priority remains ensuring that Jewish students, and all students, can learn in an environment free from hate and discrimination.”

“Our students do their best learning when they feel safe at school and know they belong,” Sciarabbas said. “Any student can become the target of bullying or bias, whether because of their race, religion, ability or something else that sets them apart, real or perceived. We encourage you to talk with your child about what they see and share online and about how words and gestures affect others.”

The principal encouraged parents to have their children talk with their counselors and staff if they have been affected or have concerns by the incidents, and it provided linked resources to ADL material at the end of the message, geared toward empowering young people in the aftermath of hate, bias and antisemitism on social media and antisemitism today, to help them “start the conversation at home.”

“Our school community does not tolerate hate of any kind directed at any student,” he said. “We remain committed to a school where every student, staff member and family is treated with dignity and respect.”

In an email to the CJN, Tammy Strom, communications director for the Solon City School District, said that the schools believe “conduct of this type is hurtful and that was clearly communicated to the students and families involved. We never treat this type of conduct as joking among friends and we ensure that our students understand exactly why it does harm.”

“While yesterday’s incidents were explicitly antisemitic, upcoming programming will address that specifically as well as other types of hate speech,” Strom said. “It is critical that all of our students feel safe and a sense of belonging in our diverse school community. “

Solon School Board of Education’s next regularly scheduled meeting is at 6 p.m. Oct. 26.