American Students Are “Learning” About Israel. But Who Is Teaching Them?

An American teenager doesn’t have to go out of their way to learn about Israel anymore. They just have to open TikTok.

And while that may not be education, it is learning.

According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, more than two-thirds of American teens use TikTok, 63% use Instagram, and 64% report using AI chatbots. About three in ten teens use chatbots daily. Another Pew Research Center survey finds that about four in ten teens who use TikTok and Instagram say news is one reason they use those platforms.

In these spaces, teens engage with content about Israel from bloggers, celebrities, memes, content creators, influencers, and friends—not necessarily from traditional news organizations.  In other words, today’s teenagers don’t have to go looking for information about Israel. The information finds them.

Meanwhile, there is essentially no national data available on how often or how many students learn about Israel in America’s public schools. But as someone who works with public school systems and educators, I suspect that for many teenagers, what they know—or, more appropriately, what they think they know—about Israel comes primarily from online content rather than from their teachers.

And teachers have good reasons to feel hesitant about entering this conversation. They themselves may not have strong background knowledge. They might have never studied Israel in any context. Others feel unsupported by their administration. And the list can go on.

As a former educator, I understand all of these concerns. The fears of being reprimanded or facing professional consequences are real. I feel for U.S. educators today. Their job is not easy. And asking them to bring Israel into their classrooms really is a big ask.

Even with all of that in mind, though, we have a responsibility as educators to ensure our students leave our classrooms better prepared to navigate the world outside our four walls. And for this generation, that means they need more access to learning about Israel from educators.

When I meet educators who are willing to step up to the challenge, they lament, “Israel just doesn’t fit in my curriculum. I have no place to bring it in.”

This is one mindset that I just can’t get behind. This is where I think we have been missing big opportunities.

Yes, if we are thinking about teaching about Israel solely in the context of conflict, then there are only certain classrooms where that learning would be taking place. 

But Israel is so much more than “a conflict.”

There are many other entry points where we can help students develop a more well-rounded understanding of Israel. Israel is a country. A culture. A society. A history. A people. A place with music, literature, art, science, technology, agriculture, architecture, elections, universities, teenagers, families, successes, failures, contradictions, and challenges.

So, where can Israel be taught in a secondary American school?

An English teacher could introduce poetry or short stories by Israeli writers. A civics teacher could examine Israel’s parliamentary system and coalition government. A music teacher could introduce Mizrahi music or contemporary Hebrew music. A science teacher could explore water management, agriculture, or desalination. An art teacher could examine Israeli photography or architecture.

Israel could be taught in units on geography, ecosystems, architecture, ancient civilizations, linguistics, world religions, security and counterterrorism, and immigration patterns. Additional learning points could include sports, holidays, youth movements, and pop culture.

Essentially, learning about Israel does not need to be synonymous with learning about the Arab-Israeli conflict. When we make that shift in our minds, teaching about Israel becomes possible for many educators.

None of this means avoiding the difficult questions about Israel. Teaching Israel beyond the conflict doesn’t mean teaching a romanticized or uncomplicated Israel. It means teaching a fuller one than what students are seeing online.

Israel has become part of how some teenagers understand politics, identity, and the world around them. And many are forming those understandings through 30-second-long clips.

As educators, we see it happening. And we need to help. 

And for Jewish students sitting in those classrooms, what their classmates believe about Israel can have very real consequences for how they experience school.

I am not advocating for indoctrination or political advocacy in classrooms. As educators, we have a role in teaching students accurately about the world they are engaging with. There is nothing inherently political about introducing students to a country, its people, its history, its language, its culture, its achievements, and its challenges. It’s called education.

I know many educators want to teach about Israel. They just don’t know how.

You don’t have to be an expert on Israel.

You don’t have to have an answer to every political question.

You don’t have to turn your classroom into a debate about the Middle East.

You simply have to be willing to introduce your students to a country they are already encountering.

So here is your permission slip to try.

Because if our students are already learning about Israel, we have a choice: We can leave that learning entirely to TikTok, Instagram, influencers, algorithms, friends, and whatever happens to appear on their screens. Or we can make sure that somewhere along the way, a teacher gets a seat at the table, too.