In the wake of a photo surfacing allegedly of three Schreiber High School students doing the Nazi salute, parents shared their concerns with the Port Washington Board of Education regarding their communication with the community about the incident and how the district is going forward to address it.

“Any form of antisemitism will be dealt with swiftly and we denounce it here in Port Washington,” Superintendent Michael Hynes said.

On Oct. 5, the district released a statement that there has been a report of students involved in an incident of bias regarding racism, antisemitism and bullying. The statement did not provide the details of the incident.

On Oct. 6, the Port Washington Police Department released a statement that they investigated an incident of bias perpetuated by five 14-year-old students at the high school. The details of the incident of bias were not stated by the police.

Over the weekend, a photo surfaced on social media allegedly featuring three students doing the Nazi salute, one student wearing a gas mask and another holding a shovel.

It garnered global attention when it was posted by the nonprofit organization StopAntisemitism on its Instagram story. The nonprofit said they blurred the faces of the two teens whose faces were not concealed already to protect the identity of the minors.

On Monday, the district released another statement detailing what the district has done in response to the issue and what it will continue to do.

Hynes said that he wishes he could redo his communication with the community regarding the incident, saying he will be more clear and effective in communicating issues in the future.

“Because when correspondence is vague, that vacuum is filled,” Hynes said.

Hynes said the past two weeks have been challenging for the district’s Jewish community, hearing from students, parents and staff the fear and concern about safety in the wake of the recent incident.

“I can tell you right now we are resolute and we will do everything in our power to make the education better,” Hynes said. “I will do a better job making sure we execute and we develop and we really double our efforts as far as programming, as far as education regarding the Holocaust, regarding anything that is related to a better understanding of what some of our children, and dare I say some of the adults, may not truly understand.”

Caryn Swibel, a parent of two students in the district, said during public comment that it is important for students to learn tolerance in school and should be prioritized in the district’s educational offerings.

“The world we live in today is scary, to say the least,” Swibel said. “What makes our communities so wonderful is our diversity, and we must create an environment where every student feels valued, respected and safe regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or any characteristic that makes them unique.”

Swibel said the recent incident of bias is a reminder that their community is not exempt from these issues and that the community should come together to prevent it.

She asked for a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, hate speech and bullying in the school district, as well as accountability from the district to keep the community informed on its actions in response to the incident.

“Joke or no joke, and we all know this was no joke, you have students, staff and families questioning if they are safe day in and day out,” Swibel said. “They should feel very safe at every time they walk into one of our buildings. They should know they are accepted, they are loved and anything outside of that will not be tolerated.”

Multiple members of the public cited previous examples of antisemitism taking place in the district.

Michelle Gabel, a mother of two Port Washington students who cited prior incidents, said that while she is hopeful, it is hard to trust the district in their response to the most recent incident.

Gabel recommended the district accept community questions and have an in-person and virtual session to further discuss how antisemitism is being addressed in the district.

Smith said the board will answer the questions posed during public comment at the next meeting, but took a moment to address attendees immediately.

He said that the board hears the concerns of the community and they agree with them.

“We have to do better and we’re going to continue to do better,” Smith said. “…We expect you all to hold us accountable to that.”

Hynes assured the community that they are taking immediate action to address the issue.

“This is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed,” Hynes said. “And I’ll continue to do so.”

He said he has met with the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center in Glen Cove, and is working alongside the Anti-Defamation League and local rabbis to address the issue.

“Not just wait until our kids are at Schreiber, not wait until our students are at Weber, the middle school, but start early, start early at the elementary level,” Hynes said.

He thanked attendees for joining, acknowledging that while the meeting was attended by a larger group than typical he wished it was for more positive reasons.