USA - Manhattan high school students get lesson on impact of hate symbols

Students of a Manhattan high school that was a target of a hate crime this fall had a lesson with representatives of the Anti-Defamation League.

School officials say they still do not know who scrawled 22 swastikas around Murray Bergtraum High School in October. The principal says the walls at the school are nearly always graffiti-free so the incident raised important questions.

"How do we combat this, work with the students so things like this don't happen again?" said school Principal Barbara Esmilla.

In response, education officials had the ADL come speak to student leaders at the high school about the impact of hate symbols and to teach them how to teach other kids about combating anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice.

"It's aimed at treating difference as a positive thing," said Joel Levy of the ADL. "Trying to teach people that our difference actually enriches our lives and getting people to respect that difference."

Source: www.ny1.com/ny1

Date: December 04, 2007

By Michael Meenan

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