January 13, 2025

Anti-Defamation League PNW (ADL), the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle (JCRC), and the Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC) are grateful for the Mercer Island School District (MISD) leadership, who responded swiftly, and the Mercer Island Police Department, which spearheaded an investigation and identified the suspects who vandalized Islander Middle School on New Year’s Day with antisemitic and racist graffiti.

Throughout, our organizations have been working closely with Mercer Island school leaders, families, and local stakeholders to address this incident and the additional acts of antisemitism on Mercer Island over the past two weeks, causing hurt and fear for students and the wider community. 

ADL is working to ensure Islander Middle School becomes a No Place for Hate School this year, directly empowering the student leaders at Islander Middle School who are eager to tackle antisemitism, racism, and hate. And today, non-Jewish allies released an open letter to the Mercer Island Jewish community, as a statement of solidarity. But our organizations’ work is not done. We will continue until all Jewish students are safe, welcome, and valued in their school and broader community. 

We are grateful for the trust community members and the MISD have put in us to work together toward this shared goal. We will continue supporting those impacted and informing the community as the situation unfolds.