Then squeeze it so so hot a fell to the floor in pain they would slap him on the back of his neck and then come a boy grabbed oscar and put him in a headlock and choke and the point he lost consciousness for a moment feared for his life oscar was a victim of antisemitic a bully i dizzyingly just mopping up for. Gemma and then some husky and their two older children leonora and isaiah a german british and jewish family who live in berlin. Their youngest child oscar isnt appearing on camera and his real name is not being used in this report for months the fourteen year old was the target of anti semitic bullying at his school here in berlin oscars parents will tell his story a story that be. Again almost by accident. Its on the last day of the first week of School Ethics teacher asked what houses of worship the students were familiar with and they answered the Church Mosque being a Church Mosque. And also pipes up with synagogue you know im jewish by the way synagogue just mentioned that just in the context of the lesson zine best stuff for you as a best friend his new best friend came to him and said youre a cool guy and everything but i cant hang out with you anymore because youre jewish and if you do it was really more in sorrow than in anger of this young man said i like you youre a great guy but what can i do youre jewish so we can be friends the next week it started from. Israel jews kill arabs ugly jews this is. Continued to escalate one day he was punched and we saw a huge bruise on his back and he was punched in the back and badly and then right up until the worst incident dunhams and even pulled a fake gun on him under sort of kind of like a fake execution style i was the point where we decided that he could no longer attend school. In the months following these incidents antisemitism has also become a topic of conversation for his older siblings isaiah and leonora. A friend of mine and i always felt it was better not to say im jewish. Really. I dont see it that way. Oh yeah i hardly told anyone not at university either. And i dont keep quiet about it to me that would feel like its something i should be ashamed about it was even if thats not how it is for years i think things were secret and its just i you know im jewish if other people dont my kitchen thats their problem its. Its the way in which my book will be. The mco skis have criticised the school for its response to the events. They praise askers head teacher for her attempts to protect him but they say the School Administration downplayed the anti semitic bullying and did nothing to intervene. It was somewhere i had emailed well i told well we sort of tag them with saying look im fortunately the incident as more and more insular if the situation is escalating please can we do something about it but the principal did not reply after they withdrew their son from the school the mccoskey has decided to go public they wanted to raise awareness and help create change oscars story made headlines across germany. The school maintains it took appropriate action but why did school principal. Fail to reply to Gemma Mccoskey phone calls and emails for nearly three months. And why were oscars head teacher a social worker and the Deputy Principal left to deal with the matter on their own the captain should say i was also one of his teachers i spoke with him about these attacks and for example i asked him if he would be able to accept an apology. And if everything was alright with or how to and that seemed to be the case so is i believe that at that point the situation was being addressed and thats because i had to order. The mccaskey is disagree for example the boys who punched oscar were not suspended from school. Thats aligning a lesson through mine as if this feeling they had of being left to cope with the situation on the roan i believe arose because the parents one of the school to guarantee their son safety or at that point the School Principals in a very difficult position im sure i can guarantee one hundred percent safety of course and to get the school can do a lot they can suspend students or have them transferred to another school up and spend but we have to observe the school law as a process were required to follow through because its good and it takes a great deal of time to sling upwards is the best done in the bigots are allowed in. Oscars former school is part of the schools without Racism Network at least eighty percent of teachers parents and students sign a statement opposing racism and discrimination. There are interfaith workshops and seminars to promote understanding and tolerance. But oscar was still bullied and attacked because he is jewish. Versus think of us as had what i could have done better is to tell the parents very clearly that if their son continued to attend our school then the students involved in these incidents and. Not be there in the at least for the time being. To restore peace to the school samantha classroom instruction for i can suspend them from lessons so that at least until the situation is clarify it that would have been an option but since the issue was one of overall safety that wasnt enough i think is the driver to quit school come from. The school in the freedon own district of berlin has a solid reputation the neighborhood is an ordinary quiet one immigrants professionals and working class families live side by side. But a few years ago a rabbi was attacked near the school a case that also made headlines. Or kind as to mir is a district councillor for the social Democratic Party he knows the neighborhood the school and its students well. And he knows about oscars case. This course of communication was the main problem something happens that was not ok with him it just was the antisemitism was it is futile mung teenagers if thats the bait was unnecessary if the boy to see if it is anti semitism filters and believing thats why it was a target that has to be taken seriously that wasnt in the school as an institution itself a mechanism in place its more thing to plan a concept for how to dress and the semitism for the rise is the target but they didnt its not in that form. Doesnt gobs naish in the fall. Because School Authorities have meanwhile suspended one of the students who tormented oscar another has been given a second chance. Of polish to sign and it is a sure very careful about calling the school and semitic. That would be doing the school and then justice supports nonetheless we do know that anti semitism is a problem in our larger society. That has put me in this that also means that anti semitism isnt just a feature of far right extremist groups the. Opposite its not one for creating this it is also present among people who are of muslim descent thing for kids of. All the students who bullied oscar who are muslim. Pastors father is germany director for the international n. G. O. S Human Rights Watch he says that until recently anti semitism among muslims in germany had been largely ignored. The theater many people have been sticking their heads in the sand willfully of what they held fast to the idea of a Multicultural Society and didnt want to grapple with the possibility that the very same people were trying to protect my thumb cells being antisemitic or racist but and about thats how it is but people come here from a lot of different cultures and bring their prejudices their antisemitism racism or hostility toward other religions with we need to address those here in germany and thats a huge task im given and gotten as i did mahmud of god but. In the first half of twenty seventeen germany registered an increase in antisemitic attacks statistics show that the majority of perpetrators come from the far right the more than seventy years after the liberation of the auschwitz concentration camp jewish life in germany is still difficult michel askey has been paying close attention to what is happening on germanys far right. This rally was organized by a far right group that calls itself veer through a door china or we for germany was. The earth that did. Everything here to the so consider shouting here like merkel must go actually mean that they want germany to be a monocultural society what were hearing here is a form of german nationalism we had whole corps is long dead and gone and i base because the avoid this here is a revival of extreme nationalism and maybe Even National socialists this is more Third Preaching harris was actions at its most this is fascist most lets see if it is true why he did not make up comedy number of participants is a berlin member of the far right party alternative for germany the a. F. D. Though hes not one of the organizers hes in the thick of it. During her i did talk to her address the fact that an a. F. P. Member is drumming up support for this xenophobic protest is very telling that there are very close ties between the far right and they have be in essence theyre a far right party and see for another its not because i thought. Some two hundred thousand jews lived in germany today few if any of them are likely to have remained entirely untouched by antisemitism what impact do such experiences have on their day to day lives here im still running around the system and do you know were things i wanted to do but it was strange my sense of relationship to the sixteen to our relationship to the world around us i dont think anyones going to suddenly jump out so its not really. Thought the same as just generally of being. Vulnerable. The family has been deeply shaken by the violence and verbal abuse that oscar experienced at school. And. This is. Still with us i thought wed done rather well doing my kids up in a successful way jewish in germany when clearly we were in a bubble. Going public with the oscar story has put Gemma Mccoskey in the public eye but most victims remain silent today mccoskey has been invited to a meeting in a new Counseling Center for victims of anti semitism established by the Central Board for jewish welfare in germany. Its run by marina chairman of ski the center also seeks to provide a safe space for victims to talk about their experiences ok with them thanks and i. Am one of many ghosts hets if i had known this Counseling Center existed id have called right away if we felt like we had to deal with it all on our own with runs off on this our line. So deep is a five condition or just a must have never since this case became public and was publicized weve been dealing with an onslaught of parents you will never oxen and young adults who have suddenly realize theres a place where they can report what theyve experienced. Even what has happened to them. They wouldnt pull me. And thats why we decided to go public things are Getting Better if you dont say i dont want anyone to experience what any child to experience with. Its really really really upsetting as we need to im watching the end for gemma and then some concern about the safety of their children has now become part of the fabric of their daily lives. With my boy and i told my son it would be better not to walk around wearing a star of david necklace im told i can wear under a shirt but i wouldnt wear it openly visibly on the streets of berlin. I would think it could create problems we keep hearing and reading about people of those around because they were wearing at. The rise in the. The. This is the george high school. Mendelson high school the principal said that every arab eight or nine jewish students transferred here from other schools because they were being bullied they were the targets of antisemitism or they were being beaten up when the parents no longer feel like their children are safe so they come here to this George School instead and thats not what we ultimately want to censor creates a kind of stuff that i thought that in the twenty First Century can freely attend any school but it seems thats not the case. Nearly all jewish institutions in germany from schools to synagogues are under Police Protection its a reminder that day to day jewish life here is anything but ordinary. Germany has gone to Great Lengths to confront its dark past across perlin testified to the fate of the six million European Jews who were persecuted and killed under the nazi regime. The memorial to the murdered jews of europe is no created near the German Parliament in the center of berlin. The darkest chapter in germanys recent history is not being hidden from view nearly all official state visitors to the german capital are brought to the Holocaust Memorial as were the duke and duchess of cambridge in summer twenty seventeen. To my mother daughter friends of the memorials in germany are incredibly important the feel bad theyre a magnet for. Many people a lot of tourists a lot of politicians but all these memorials should not cause us to just lean back and say antisemitism has been dealt with. Weve buried antisemitism under this memorial that weve built to put thats completely divorced from reality of the mistreatment of attitudes of. What how much our visitors from abroad told about anti semitic incidents that are happening today how forthright is germany in confronting the realities of present day antisemitism. Then the avoid the hard stuff of people saying stop making such a fuss about this youve got to tell them no we absolutely must make a fuss otherwise were normalizing this so in masses of people would start saying oh its completely normal to criticize to. You our entire culture of memory or there are so proud of here in germany they would all be for nothing thought wed be right back where we started out in the fall of a lot of money. According to a recent study only forty seven percent of fourteen to sixteen year old germans know that auschwitz was a death camp. Oscars grandparents want to change that. For years theyve been visiting schools to talk about the persecution of jews during the nazi years persecution that france mccoskey experienced as a young boy they also went to oscar school to speak with students their. Peers and predisposition did you have the feeling that your stories helped children understand as taught them something for example when you went to war since. You had like youre on the board we offered to give a talk at the school right away after oscar told us what happened. To children from the neighboring class were specially curious and interested in what we had to say to see you afterwards they apologised to oscar buzz and said they were stupid to have taken part in the bowling so it did help a bit to get my time there. Just after this canvas gets better. The mccoskey story is also documented in the silent Heroes Memorial Center in berlin the small museum in the city center is dedicated to those who resisted nazi terror and came to the aid of their jewish friends neighbors and relatives like the two german women who hid france mccuskey and help save his life. After the war france mccoskey was forced to confront the reality that anti semitism had not ended with the nazi regime but at the Jesuit High School he attended in berlin he was bullied so badly that he tried to commit suicide. Two generations later his grandson has had a similar experience. To us for look to us media beginnings its crazy here we go to schools and talk to children about what happened back then about tolerance and compassion and then this happens somethings gone wrong maybe we didnt prepare him for what it means to be a jew its a sign of how much it had been my own father i once heard my father say that he always felt like an outsider at school here in germany mr tutt really surprised me because quite honestly ive always felt myself part of German Society and European Society for me to. Mind if i did to my friends who are jews are just like every other young person. We have the same problems the same feelings we only feel different if were made to feel different it or should it. When people draw a distinction between jews and money. My thoughts about the media mogul my father always told me dont tell people that youre george might start acting strange torture you could lose friends but i didnt really understand what he meant but i took note of it except of its ok to eventually when i was about as old as my son is now i decided to be open about it. About something thats what i did and since then ive been on the receiving end of the responses that come my way from society from my circle of friends and acquaintances from colleagues. Leagues who came to me with small your expressions on their faces and said to me when i was a journalist to see what the israelis are doing in gaza i guess theyre just as bad as the nazis. Isnt good now that you do not since. Then some of housekeeping is on his way to work. His job at Human Rights Watch brings him in daily contact with the problems of racism and discrimination faced by minorities but now its hit home in a new way suddenly his own family is at the center of events. A month from from just isnt this includes first it all felt a bit strange. But its what happened is indeed a human rights violation. So in that sense i can make a connection. Thats is part of what led me to this. Career or my own experiences with antisemitism lightfoots. Its the day after germanys federal elections the far right a. F. D. Party will send more the ninety delegates to the one just talk the German Parliament. After the results were released mccoskey immediately posted an article on the n. G. O. S social media platforms denouncing the politics of hate what does he think about the election results. If in the us media this i find it disgusting to be forced to watch child politicians who are openly hostile to jews who are openly xenophobia can racist have been voted in the parliament in such large numbers of its parliament could be avoidance and. Human rights watch wants to make sure that the topic of anti semitism is taken more seriously by the next German Government. Patrick ziegler is director of the and frank center in berlin he is also one of the authors of a report on anti semitism submitted by a commission of experts to the German Parliament in march twenty seven thousand i think the front and its face an example stop thinking there but it will what does being the German Government is still lacking an overall strategy thats why our Central Command has to be just as we need an anti semitism represented as was about who will assume this coordinating role. From its only been in. More than six months have passed since the house keys withdrew their son oscar from his fried now District School out of fear for his safety theyve heard nothing more from the Administration Since then. By coincidence gemma bumps into district councillor or congress. Tamir. The mccoskey has had met with him back when oscar was being attacked and. Thats against the law it has happened so i heard you know i initially after those events the antidiscrimination representative at the Berlin School authority spent weeks at the School Giving workshops talking about empowerment and raising awareness about discrimination. Even today gemma cant understand why the school failed to take such action while her son was still a student there. The mccaskey family is still left with the sense that the administration did not want to admit to or confront the antisemitic attacks that were happening at their school today the family is trying to look toward the future oscar is now at a new school and says hes happy there on the you did not met other jewish parents especially jewish mothers whose children have had similar experiences thats given me a feeling of solidarity. Is. Best for how to do something in me as you changed part of this. Comes to how i feel about my study and my hold on in my view this lack of solidarity and compassion the sick refusal to confront the situation is inexcusable. If in the news just hold up on this oscar what i think is good is that oscar spoke out and said Something Like that you could even though it led to these terrible problems in the end the students were forced to you gauge with that you miss charles nelson. And munition can even though i know jesus she even if just one of the students was anti semitic yes but has now changed their mind even now then in that sense you know you could Say Something positive as come out of it that done this is indeed is neutral and therefore you. Are. Saying that. That was the documentary because your original. Point from berlin was volatile and theyre trying to school because of his jewish heritage. Now journalists discuss the issue on quadriga living in fear how anti semitic is germany. International talk show. Next on d w. The fear of everyone turkish intellectuals flee repression and tyranny. In new brave roof refugees i mean its completely different than the sixtys this time this academicians officer soldiers so this is the brain of tutti coming to germany in a. Flight from time to german exile in forty five minutes on the double. How to cover more than just one reality. Where i come from we have a transatlantic way of looking at things thats because my father is from germany my mothers. From the United States of america and so i realized really early that it makes sense to explain different reality. And knowledge here at the heart of the European Union in brussels where you have twenty eight different ideologies and so i think people are really looking for any journalist they can trust for them to make sense of. Pride in this market all of my work at the w. Shut. And welcome to quadriga this saturday is International HolocaustRemembrance Day the murder of more than six million jews by the nazi regime is a defining fact of germanys postwar identity and the country has worked to confront it yet antisemitic attacks are on the rise in germany the political dissent of the right wing nationalist party now represented in