Recent antisemitic incident at Montgomery Co. high school raises concerns about hate across Maryland

There’s an increased need to take “concrete steps to confront antisemitism” in Montgomery County, Maryland, said Alan Ronkin, the regional director of the American Jewish Committee.

The AJC released a statement following the report of students who, according to Montgomery Blair High School principal Renay Johnson, performed an “antisemitic salute” outside the school building during a lunch period.

Johnson sent out a letter to families on Wednesday and said that the incident is being investigated by the school system and that police had been notified.

In his statement, Ronkin cited a not-yet-released report from Maryland State Police showing that the number of antisemitic incidents reported to police shot up from 48 in 2022 to 77 in 2023.

Ronkin said in his statement that the information was shared at the Central Maryland Hate Bias Forum. He added that studies have shown “many Jews do not report antisemitism when it happens to them.”

Read more: WTOP