Rye educators are looking to make a teachable moment out of the recent discovery of a swastika scratched into the bathroom at Rye Middle School.
It was the second time in three months a swastika was spotted in an area school; a swastika drawn in water was found previously on a walkway at Rye Country Day School.
“We do not know how long it had been there, but it was removed immediately upon being reported,” RMS Principal Nicholas Clair wrote in a March 3 email to middle school families. “We are investigating this matter and will address it in accordance with our Code of Conduct.”
RMS plans to become a No Place for Hate school, a program run by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Students were given an opportunity during lunch to sign the No Place for Hate pledge, and in April, the school will hold optional lunchtime discussions.
RMS is also collaborating with the Westchester Human Rights Commission to hold student assemblies about the meaning and impact of hate symbols and bias.
“The presence of this symbol is deeply concerning,” Clair wrote. “The swastika is widely recognized as a symbol of hate and antisemitism, and it stands in direct opposition to the values we hold as a school community. At RMS, we are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every student and staff member.”
Blaine Malefatto, a spokesman for the Rye City Schools, would not say where the investigation stands, but she told The Record the two instances involving swastikas were unrelated.
Max Levine, the eighth-grade RMS student who reported the swastika to school administrators, attends the Rye Community Synagogue with his family. Levine’s mother, Aly Levine, said she was horrified but not shocked to hear what happened at the school.
“We are very proud of Max for refusing to tolerate such a hateful act and for having the courage to bring it to his teacher’s attention,” she said.
Melanie Cooperman, a cantor for 15 years at Rye Community Synagogue, said the repeat occurrences of swastikas in Rye schools represent a troubling trend. She also said she is proud of the actions taken by Max, noting that middle school can be an especially difficult time to exhibit such boldness.
“That takes so much courage,” she said. “A swastika may appear as graffiti in a hallway, but really the symbol comes from a history of violence against Jews and others. It’s the symbol of a regime that attempted the systematic extermination of the Jewish people.”
Cooperman said she was pleased overall by the Rye City School District’s swift response and considers Rye a community that values respect and learning. Even so, she feels local schools have a unique opportunity to educate students about antisemitism and its history.
“One of the unique features of antisemitism is that it spreads through conspiracy theories,” she said, adding that teaching students about the Holocaust is also essential.
The swastika found at RMS was addressed at a recent Rye City Council meeting.
“I have no doubt that what happened in the middle school is the unfortunate act of a young person,” Mayor Josh Nathan said at the meeting. “I have the greatest confidence in our educators over in the school district that they’ll address it in an appropriate way and that they will find the teachable moment, and that we as a community, through conversation, will ensure that these kinds of things don’t happen here or are very rare and are properly addressed.”
Councilwoman Marion Anderson, liaison to the city’s Human Rights Commission, said during the meeting that the commission will work with organizations to teach students about right and wrong. She said she hopes “that we set a model for the children in our community.”
The Community Synagogue of Rye, which has been a fixture in the community since the 1940s, serves over 500 families, including 300 students.
According to the latest ADL data, there were 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the United States in 2024. That was a 5 percent increase from 2023, a 344 percent increase over the past five years, and an 893 percent increase over the past 10. It’s also the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago.
Despite the increase in antisemitic acts nationwide, including the two recent instances of graffiti in Rye, Cooperman said she believes the community has the foundation in place to rise above hate.
“We have a great interfaith community and collaboration with the churches nearby, and also just that it was one of our teens who saw it and spoke up,” she said. “That does give me hope that we’ve done a good job of educating our kids.”
