Students from Branham High school in support of local Jewish communities staged a peaceful walkout on Wednesday, to show their disapproval of hate on campus.
The students were responding to a Dec. 3 Instagram post showing a group of eight young people – later identified as Branham students – lying on the Branham football field, forming a swastika using their bodies, with an accompanying quote from Adolf Hitler.
Revelations of the swastika/Hitler images at the southwest San Jose high school prompted immediate expressions of outrage and condemnation from local school officials and political leaders, as reports of the incident spread to national and international media.
On Wednesday, a week after the incident, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan weighed in with social media posts:
“What happened at Branham High School was not a joke, not a prank, and not self-expression — it was an act of hatred,” the mayor wrote. “The fact that this was planned and posted publicly makes it even more disturbing. This behavior has no place in our community, and it will not be tolerated. I stand with our Jewish residents and support real accountability for everyone involved.”
The school was alerted to the photo via an anonymous tip line Wednesday evening, as first reported Dec. 5 by The Jewish News of Northern California.
The photo was initially posted on Instagram by an account that featured the first and last name of a student who attends the San Jose public school, the news service reported. The post and account were removed from Instagram by Friday morning.
Branham High School Principal Beth Silbergeld condemned the incident on Dec. 4 in a statement sent through an online portal for Branham parents, according to The Jewish News.
“Branham High School is aware of a recent incident circulating on social media that does not reflect the values of our school community,” Silbergeld said in the statement, as reported by the news outlet. “The incident is being investigated in accordance with district procedures, and appropriate follow-up will occur. We want to be clear: Branham stands firmly against all forms of hate, discrimination, and intolerance. Acts that target, demean, or threaten others have no place on our campus.”
Silbergeld, who is Jewish, reported last week that the school recognizes the incident as antisemitic and said she is working with the San Jose Police Department, the Anti-Defamation League and the Bay Area Jewish Coalition “to ensure that we receive appropriate support and guidance as we work to repair the harm that’s been done to our community.”
“We acknowledge that it’s an act of antisemitism and hate that doesn’t reflect the values of the school,” she told The Jewish News. “Our student and staff leaders are collaborating to prepare information and hold space for young people next week. We share collective responsibility to ensure safety and a respectful environment. We remain committed to maintaining an emotionally and physically safe school environment for all of our students and staff and the larger community that surrounds Branham.”
San Jose police told media that they are investigating the students’ actions as a hate crime.
The school was alerted to the photo — shared broadly across social media last week — via an anonymous tip line Wednesday evening. The incident was first reported by J. The Jewish News of Northern California.
The school is investigating the incident and has identified the students involved, Silberman said in a statement this week. The students are “committed to taking accountability for the harm that was done,” she added, but the school cannot share the students’ names or any details of disciplinary action publicly under federal law.
Campbell Union High School District Superintendent Robert Bravo said in a statement that the human swastika was “tremendously alarming,” calling it “unquestionably antisemitic and unacceptable.”
Tali Klima, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Jewish Coalition, told Jewish News Service (JNS) that it’s “unacceptable but not surprising that such a blatant act of antisemitic hate should happen on any school campus.”
“The community has been deeply shaken by not only the act itself, but by its coordinated, brazen and highly visible nature,” she said.
State Sen. Dave Cortese also said in a statement that “acts of hatred — no matter where they occur — have a profound impact on our young people, our families, and our broader community."
"There is absolutely no place for antisemitism, or any form of bigotry, in our schools or in our society,” Cortese said.
The Bay Area Jewish Coalition (BAJC), which primarily works in Santa Clara County, has received 500 reports of antisemitic incidents at K-12 schools since November 2023.
The California Department of Education previously found that two teachers at BHS had discriminated against Jewish students by describing the Israel-Hamas war as a genocide against the Palestinian people and describing Israel as a settler-colonial state.
“To have children echoing Hitler’s words is frankly just shocking and heartbreaking, and the entire community has been rocked by this,” Tali Klima, a BAJC spokesperson, told The Guardian. “This bold and premeditated display has really shaken everyone.”
Maya Bronicki, BAJC’s education lead, in an interview with The Guardian, attributed the incident in part to a lack of proper Holocaust education and historical context on hate symbols, such as the swastika. “We have absolute faith that if the district takes actual measures to teach students the right lessons about being inclusive and anti-hate, that Jews are a minority that deserve compassion and understanding and deserve to be equal to everyone else in this education system, then that would be a huge step towards tomorrow’s society,” she said.
“As we confront these troubling incidents, we must reaffirm our responsibility to teach younger generations the importance of rejecting hate and standing up for one another,” Cortese said in his statement. “Schools should be places where every student feels safe, respected, and supported. That requires intentional education, open dialogue, and the consistent reinforcement of our shared values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and dignity.”
“We must meet moments like this with unity, compassion, and a commitment to building a more understanding and resilient future for all.”
