The Queens teacher, Karen Marder, faced a nearly two-hour riot at her high school after attending a pro-Israel rally and posting a photo on Facebook holding a sign that read, “I stand with Israel.” This led to a devastating response from students who became enraged, with some trying to push their way into her classroom at Hillside High School in Jamaica. Despite the terrifying ordeal, Marder made the decision to return to the classroom and teach her students about basic humanity, listening to their concerns, debunking misinformation, and combating intolerance.
Upon her return to school, Marder met with students, answered their questions, shared her feelings, and discussed the hurtful, threatening, and untrue things that had been said during the riot. Many students hugged her and apologized for the incident. She acknowledged that it was difficult to go back to work and that healing from the trauma of being threatened for mourning the “torture, rape, and slaughter” of Israelis would be a long process. Marder emphasized that what happened to her was frightening and horrible and something that no teacher, staff member, or student should have to experience.
During the riot, around 400 students flooded the hallways, chanting, jumping, shouting, and waving Palestinian flags after seeing Marder’s photo on Facebook. They demanded that she be fired, causing damage to the school property. The teacher said she had to earn back the trust of her students by demonstrating forgiveness, active listening, acknowledging wrongs, and showing that she was not going to run away from the situation. The incident at Hillside was just one of several antisemitic incidents at city schools following a terror attack and Israel’s declaration of war against Hamas.
Three student organizers of the riot were suspended in connection with the incident, the most severe punishment given. Marder emphasized the importance of addressing the hate and intolerance in the school system while also advocating for humanitarian aid and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. She highlighted the need to combat hate crimes and protect the basic humanity of all individuals. Her experience and response were seen as a way forward to combat the recent rise in hate crimes against both Jews and Muslims. Throughout the ordeal, Marder showed resilience and a commitment to educating her students on important issues of tolerance and understanding.
