This testimony shares real experiences of antisemitism in Vermont schools, from slurs and swastikas to exclusion and silence from authorities. It highlights the need for better education, awareness, and stronger action to protect students. 

A centuries-old Vermont political tradition is intersecting with a modern global conflict this year. 

WILLISTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Authorities are investigating a threat made against several Vermont synagogues. 

JCS report from Hexagonal Sentinel identifies a sustained, multi-month pattern: denial or minimization of Jewish victimization, Holocaust inversion, Nazi comparison, double standards toward Israel, and Jewish identity conflation. The comments confirm continuity and repetition across threads.

A JCS and IHRA-context review of Vermont regional press letters and commentaries on Israel and Palestine, 2023-2026.

On Saturday, the Brattleboro Police Department issued a news release saying it received a report Dec. 23 that "someone had spray painted what appeared to be a hate symbol (swastika) on a mural in the Harmony Lot, as well as another location on Estey Street." A similar report was made Saturday about the gazebo (bandstand) at the Esteyville Common on Estey Street, police said.  

In a deeply unsettling incident, Nazi imagery was discovered painted on the outside door of Sheldon Elementary School in Vermont, sending shockwaves through the local community. The vandalism, featuring swastikas and other hate symbols, was spotted early Monday morning, leaving school officials and parents horrified by the brazen act of hate. 

A day before prom and two days into Pride month — someone painted a swastika with feces on the walls of Montpelier High School’s gender-neutral bathroom. The following Monday, those who hadn’t heard about it yet were informed, and the whole school spent the morning at an assembly, processing what to many felt like a hate crime. 

Police are investigating after multiple synagogues in Vermont received threatening letters in the mail. mVermont State Police said there is no credible threat. Several Jewish entities got the letters across the U.S. It's unclear what they said.

Middlebury College was one of 60 colleges and universities that received a letter from the Trump administration on Monday, March 10 informing the school that prior allegations of antisemitism on campus would be reinvestigated. The renewed scrutiny on the institution’s treatment of Jewish students comes after a Title VI investigation was opened over a year ago following a complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education.

Last month, federal education officials completed an investigation into the University of Vermont. After students alleged a series of antisemitic incidents on campus, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights launched a probe in August 2022. That investigation culminated in a resolution agreement last month, in which the Burlington university agreed to tighten anti-discrimination protections and allow greater federal oversight.

While some organizations that support Israel have expressed support for the Trump administration’s action, other free speech organizations have said the administration is trying to silence speech it opposes. 

The Woodstock Police Department has been made aware of graffiti that was painted on the Shir Shalom property and multiple stop signs in town.  The incident took place over the weekend.  The town highway department is working diligently to clean the graffiti.  

There is no shortage of irony these days. Anti-Israel protesters accuse Israel of genocide while chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” oblivious to the fact that they are essentially calling for the genocide of half the world’s Jewish population. Ironic. They insist they are not anti-Semitic. Yet, someone locally singles out Congregation Beth El, the one Jewish organization in town, and plasters a bumper sticker onto the front door that states, “STOP TERROR. NUKE ISRAEL.” Ironic and antisemitic. 

This post may be about anti-Israel activism in a single U.S. state, but it has relevance everywhere. It shows just how easily one man can build a movement on falsehoods, distorting his own story and misleading those around him.

Who in the world wishes for a hate crime in their community? Apparently, Vermont elected officials do. With no hate crime charge, no law enforcement or judicial finding of deliberate targeting, and no evidence establishing motive, Vermont U.S Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, and Representative Becca Balint...

All it takes is two days of digging to unravel an entire story. Let me tell you the real story of Mohsen Mahdawi, the latest student to have been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the PR campaign he launched to publicize his detention and play an entire state of elected officials, turning many into fools, patsies, and mouthpieces to cover his …

Police said the perpetrator vandalized various locations near downtown between 9 and 11 p.m. Thursday night, including a school playground.