By: Rob Otto

A senior at Brooklyn Technical High School became the target of a flood of anti-Semitic and hateful messages after she announced her commitment to a dual-degree program between Columbia University and Tel Aviv University on a student-run Instagram page. The celebratory post, part of a Class of 2025 account meant to highlight seniors’ college plans, quickly turned into a battleground.

The post drew hundreds of hateful comments, with users accusing the student of supporting “ethnic cleansing” and attending a “genocide university.” One of the most disturbing messages read, “Man with mustache was right,” referencing Adolf Hitler. Others mocked her for pursuing Middle Eastern studies, with one saying, “Lol middle eastern studies this has to b a joke.” Another student covered her announcement with a large Palestinian flag on his own Instagram story.

The student, who asked to remain anonymous, is a Jewish leader and outspoken advocate within the school community. She said she wasn’t surprised by the backlash given past experiences. “After October 7th, I would voice my opinions. People knew where I stood, especially being Jewish and Israeli, and people would harass me online,” she said.

Brooklyn Tech, one of NYC’s most prestigious public schools, has been grappling with antisemitism for some time. In 2023, Jewish students met with administrators to report antisemitic incidents but were reportedly told not to use words like “Israel” or “Zionism” to avoid offending others.

After hateful comments flooded the post, student moderators turned off the comments and issued a controversial statement saying they did not “condone any degree of antisemitism or Zionism.” The message sparked even more backlash for appearing to equate Zionism with hate. A second statement soon followed: “WE ARE SORRY. NO POLITICS. NO ANTI-SEMITISM. NO NOTHING.” Ultimately, the school shut down the account altogether.

The student’s parents are urging the school to take disciplinary action. “We requested that [the student who led the harassment] be removed from her class, that he get suspended,” her father told The Post. He also asked for an official statement from the administration. So far, the school has remained non-committal but launched an investigation.

A Department of Education spokesperson confirmed the school is “taking the necessary steps to respond” and condemned antisemitism and hate of any kind. Meanwhile, sources say the school is working on a new, staff-supervised college announcement page.

Students said they were disappointed by the outcome. “Every senior deserves to be able to celebrate their college accomplishment without it being political,” one said.

The Instagram page had also been featured in a hallway display at the school, complete with printed posts and a QR code, but the display was taken down after the incident.

Despite the hate, the student said she remains focused on her future. “I’m excited to experience both Tel Aviv and Columbia,” she said. “I’m not really scared. I feel like I’ve gone through enough—I know how to handle it.”