Confronting Antisemitism in Our Schools: Hadassah Takes an In-Depth Look

On February 25, 2025, I attended a Zoom program organized by the Educators Council of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, titled “Antisemitism in Education: Real Stories from the Front Lines, an Interactive Workshop.”

The program, attended by about 40 people, featured four panelists from whom I learned that the situation in US education is worse than I ever thought. I am somewhat of a news junkie and, being a member of the Educators Council, with two kids in high school, I considered myself relatively up to date on current events. I was wrong.

I suppose that, since I am no longer teaching in a classroom or meeting with students, I have been out of touch. I was hoping that things had improved in our schools nationwide since I have heard fewer reports of late about students experiencing antisemitism.

From what I learned in this workshop, though, it sounds like the school climate is worsening across the country. Teachers have requested transfers, resigned their positions, sought legal counsel and more. Antisemitic and anti-Zionist discussions and rhetoric run unchecked in many schools, sometimes with the administration or the union promoting these conversations.

I have read many a poll reporting that Jewish students feel unsafe, but how about the Jewish teachers? I remember one case in November 2023 where a teacher in Queens had to hide and lock herself in an office to avoid an ambush by hundreds of students who had learned that she participated in a pro-Israel rally. It’s bad enough that educators face school violence, unsupportive school administrators, antagonistic parents, an overwhelming workload, low pay and a litany of other issues, but now they must also confront the harassment and threats of anti-Zionist educators, who badmouth Israel and Jews with false claims and lies. What’s worse is that these anti-Zionist educators are teaching this disinformation to their students!

One of the most disheartening bits of information I heard during the panel discussion was that school boards are sending out antisemitic materials in their curricula, textbooks and resources. How can this be?

Dr. Sandra Alfonsi, academic adviser to Proclaiming Justice to the Nations and the first speaker at the virtual workshop, has meticulously researched this topic and details her results in her white paper titled, “The Impact of October 7, 2023, Hamas Massacre on American K-12 Education: Truth? Fabrication? Anti-Israel? Anti-Semitic? Pro-Hamas?”

Alfonsi explains how the Middle Eastern Students Association (MSA) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) both have ties with Hamas. She notes that biased teaching resources were sent to educators only days after the October 7 attack and, therefore, had to be previously prepared materials.

Reviewing the history of Arab and Middle Eastern influences on US education, Alfonsi points specifically to the San Diego County Office of Education as an origin of materials that indoctrinate, rather than educate. She cites videos, photos and other materials that appear in school curricula that reinforce the Palestinian narrative (such as those highlighted by the Public Broadcasting Service and Education Week).

Revisionist history, Alfonsi relates, is being taught in our schools and that, she says, is anti-American as well as antisemitic. Her 83-page paper concludes with an addendum containing a long list of antisemitic events that have resulted from this sort of biased education.

I recently read in an American Jewish Committee (AJC) update that in December 2024, AJC New England published a detailed report documenting a series of measures, embraced by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), that promoted to its members—teachers working in schools across Massachusetts—ideologically driven anti-Israel materials, presentations and initiatives.  Although it’s now a year later, the good news is that this situation will be rectified.

Also under the rubric of rectifying an antisemitic situation, Karen Bloom, co-chair of the Hadassah Educators Council and one of the workshop panelists, shared with us that after the AJC, Anti-Defamation League and The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a law suit against the Santa Ana (Calif.) Unified School District for introducing  “ethnic studies” that were “infected with antisemitism,”  the District was prevented from  teaching that curriculum.

As each of the four panelists on the Zoom session spoke of their own experiences, I nearly cried. Combatting Antisemitism in education is an uphill battle that is being fought on every front in America and overseas. There is possibly not one Jew unaffected by the ubiquity of antisemitism today.

And what recourse is there, especially in the school systems?

Many Jewish organizations such as ADL and StandWithUs are working diligently to combat it. But after hearing those panelists, I was still feeling despondent and helpless. And then I remembered that Hadassah itself is an advocacy organization with great influence. Hadassah women work tirelessly to improve our world, and one of Hadassah’s fronts is antisemitism.

I thought to myself:
We must never lose hope.
We must always stand up for Israel and the Jewish people.
We must always speak out.

After the panelists completed their presentations, we were placed into breakout rooms. We were asked to introduce ourselves and I wondered if anyone could hear the strain in my voice, brought on by my realization of the enormity of antisemitism today. We were asked if we had questions for the panelist in our “room.” Not one question came to mind, as I was too horrified to speak.

It is easy to become tongue-tied when faced with such a disturbing and stark reality that induces fear in your heart. But an uplifting and final comment by the workshop’s host reminded us that we are strong women and that we always have each other. Together we can make a difference.

Diane is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place. It’s where they celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 500 columns in The Times of Israel Blogs and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.