San Jose High School Students Form Human Swastika with Hitler Quote, Sparking National Outcry

Eight students from Branham High School in San Jose, California recently posted social media images forming a human swastika and included a quote from Adolf Hitler calling for the killing of all Jews.

Rabbi Yigal Rosenberg of Chabad of Santa Clara stated he did not know if the gesture was intended as a joke or prank but emphasized that “it’s another thing if you post it online and you have thousands of people who are going to subsequently watch and unfortunately like, laugh, comment, give some sort of emoji, that’s taking it to a whole another level.”

In a public statement, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan condemned the act as “not a joke, not a prank, and not self-expression — it was an act of hatred.” He added that the behavior “has no place in our community and it will not be tolerated” and expressed support for Jewish residents and accountability.

The school district has initiated disciplinary actions and is investigating the incident as a hate crime while engaging with non-profit organizations to address antisemitism through educational programs. Superintendent Robert Bravo stated that the response must extend beyond discipline to “deepen education around antisemitism, hate symbols and the historical atrocities associated with them.”

Questions have been raised about whether these students were aware of the Holocaust and the significance of the swastika, which symbolizes the death of six million Jews.

The incident follows a surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes reported by both the FBI and the Anti-Defamation League since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. For 2024, the ADL recorded more incidents of antisemitism than in any year since its tracking began 46 years ago.

Tyler Gregory, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, described the students’ actions as “unadulterated, unafraid antisemitism” with no political disguise.

Critics have linked the incident to broader trends, including President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on university campuses being accused of fueling antisemitism.

This is not just a problem for a high school in San Jose.