The Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) held its first stop-and-learn of the school year educating students about Antisemitism and Islamophobia on Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Teachers first went through a slideshow discussing different types of bias and how to recognize them. The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and Islamic Network Group (ING) each had a representative speak on an hour-long joint webinar. The representative for the ING was Maha Elgenaidi and the representative for the JCRC was Karen Stiller.

Both went through slides that explained the historical background of their respective religions, the antisemitism and islamophobia that groups face today, and the effects of discrimination. They concluded with a discussion on how to intervene and prevent the spread of discrimination. Students were handed out a graphic organizer to take notes on the webinar, and were put into groups to discuss it afterwards.

 “I thought it was really informative and learning the history behind these things was very helpful,” Mathilda Wyss, a sophomore at Tam, said.

During the stop and learn, there were optional affinity spaces provided for students who identify as Jewish or Muslim, plus any student who experiences Islamophobia or antisemitism. According to an email sent out by the district on Sept. 18, these spaces were created for students to connect and build a community with others of similar identities. The students who attended these affinity spaces watched and took notes on the webinar as well.