Exclusion of Jews is no longer confined to fringe protests or campus encampments; it now reaches America’s most powerful civic institutions. There are escalating threats to Jewish inclusion and identity from classrooms to clinics and campuses to chatbots. Silence is not a luxury anyone can afford. Steps must be taken to advocate for Jews in society, whether in educational, workplace or medical arenas.
Delegates of the largest U.S. teachers’ union recently voted to ban the use of educational materials offered by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL is the leading national American Jewish civil-rights organization working for more than a century to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” The group works in Holocaust education and anti-bias training.
What would be unthinkable for any other community—banning Holocaust-education resources and dismissing Jewish definitions of bigotry—is being normalized. This is not about politics. It is a campaign to erase the presence, identity and contributions of Jews from public life.
Classrooms: ‘Singling out a Jewish organization for boycott’
A majority of the 7,000 public school teachers and staff who attended the National Education Association Assembly in July voted to “not use, endorse or publicize any materials from the ADL, such as its materials or statistics. The NEA will not participate in ADL programs.”
The resolution will now be reviewed by the executive committee because it is considered a boycott.
The NEA Jewish Affairs Caucus condemned the vote to “single out a respected civil-rights organization that has long stood at the forefront of combating hate, protecting students’ rights and fostering safer, more inclusive schools.” More than 375 Jewish communal organizations sent a letter to NEA leaders. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations COO Stephanie Hausner said, “This boycott sends a harmful message to the entire Jewish community. Unity in the face of anti-Jewish hate is not optional; it is essential.”
Maryland teachers, Rebecca Kotok and Brenda Green said “we believe in creating safer, more inclusive communities. We were appalled by the recent vote. The ADL’s ‘No Place for Hate’ program—a student-led program aimed at fostering schools free from hate and bias—has been implemented in more than 2,000 schools across the country. It is an organization that stands against all forms of hate. The ADL has been a staunch ally in the fight for civil rights for over a century, partnering with the NAACP to pass hate-crime legislation. This vote sends a message to Jewish students and teachers that their safety and belonging are somehow less important.”
The ADL is also a partner in the “Echoes and Reflections Holocaust” curriculum that has been taught to 10 million students at 24,000 schools.
Jewish American Heritage Month: ‘Teachers debated Jewish identity’
California teacher Jason Goldfischer shared his chilling account from the conference: “What I witnessed shook me to my core. 7,000-plus educators unanimously voted to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and National Day of the Black Educator, as they should. Then immediately debated—yes, debated—whether Jewish American Heritage Month was even worth recognizing. Nearly HALF the room voted against it. Against including Jews in their ‘inclusive’ vision. Against recognizing a community that’s faced thousands of years of persecution and is currently under attack globally.”
Goldfischer continued, “I saw people line up wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestine flags—eager to speak against anything Jewish. Jewish educators from Oregon, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois did not feel safe in their assigned sections and had to find other places to sit. There were tears. Panic attacks. Silent breakdowns. But also hugs. Strength. Unshakable solidarity.”
Impact at elementary schools: ‘Radicalize students before college’
At the recent Socialism 2025 conference, a Wisconsin high school teacher openly encouraged the political indoctrination of high school students: “Imagine if they got radicalized four years before college?” She encouraged conference participants to “connect with the teachers’ unions, connect with your children’s teachers, give us money. School boards listen to families. Small policy changes will transform your city.”
This is not an isolated incident. Across social media, activists are calling on parents to “raise your children anti-zionist [sic].”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the ADL, responded to the NEA vote, cautioning against the very activism that is being advocated by the teacher in Wisconsin: “The union has clearly been taken over by activists who are supposed to be teaching our children the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, not radicalism. It’s a radical agenda that these individuals are trying to insert and indoctrinate our kids by poisoning the classroom. This is bad for kids, our community and our country.”
Alarming reaction to murder: ‘The attacks were understandable’
Millions of Americans hold extreme or conspiratorial beliefs, including some who justify violence against Jews, according to responses from a new ADL survey: “Antisemitism in America After Boulder.”
An Egyptian man living in America firebombed Jews walking in Boulder, Colo., in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza; the attack wounded 15 people and eventually killed 82-year-old Karen Diamond. This attack came one week after a young American Jewish woman and her Israeli boyfriend were shot and killed outside of an event held at a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were targeted in an arson attack at their home during Passover.
According to the survey, a shocking number of Americans shared disturbing views:
- 13% think the recent attacks were justified;
- 15% think they were necessary;
- 24% think these were understandable;
- 24% think they were false flag attacks committed by Jews to justify Israeli actions.
These are not just abstract numbers. California teacher Jason Goldfischer described how “some teacher delegates even celebrated the murder of a Jewish American in Colorado. I was stunned. Heartbroken. Horrified. We trust educators to teach our children.” Teachers have the second highest approval rating among American professionals.
Campuses, clinics, culture: ‘The hatred of Jews is being normalized’
An American Jewish woman was denied service from a Puerto Rico tour company because her name sounded Israeli. She tried to book a hike, but was told, “No thanks: Free Palestine.” When a friend followed up, the response was, “We are not interested to host so called israelis [sic].” Often, Jews are automatically branded as Zionists or Israelis and discriminated against because of their identity. According to the ADL survey, 58% of Americans think that when anti-Israel activists use the term “Zionist,” they mean Jewish people in general.
Dr. Shay Laps, an Israeli chemist, is suing Stanford University for “discrimination and malicious conduct intended to permanently tarnish his reputation and career, including tampering with his lab results and manufacturing a bogus complaint against him, merely for being Israeli.” The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Cohen Williams LLP’s federal lawsuit noted that the chemist’s colleague refused to speak with him because of his Jewish and Israeli identities.
These actions are not confined to the United States. A new British report concluded that hatred of Jews has become “normalized in middle-class Britain” in the arts, universities, professional organizations and health care. The report’s co-authors say the “evidence stunned us, this issue is urgent for the whole country.” Also, a prestigious Swedish university hospital settled a lawsuit and apologized for years of abusive treatment, harassment and discrimination of Jewish doctors, including referring to their colleagues as having a “Jewish nose” and “whining like a Jew.”
Points to consider:
- American Jews are being excluded, shunned and marginalized for being Jews
Jews are increasingly being treated as pariahs, pushed out of schools, workplaces and cultural spaces. This is not about politics. A growing movement is exiling Jewish voices from civic life. When professionals and students are silenced and Jewish identity is erased, the whole fabric of a democratic society begins to unravel. The Jews are the canary in the coal mine: If exclusion is normalized for one group, it can happen to any group.
- Escalating hatred follows a familiar and dangerous pattern
The growing acceptance of anti-Jewish rhetoric in civic and educational organizations is not happening in a vacuum. History shows that when societies tolerate exclusion, scapegoating and vilification, it opens the door to violence. When educators, community leaders and public voices normalize hatred against Jews, it reflects a deeper erosion of the moral boundaries that protect all communities. This is not just about Jewish safety. It is a warning to everyone about what happens when people look away in the face of hatred.
- Discrimination against other religious and ethnic groups would not be tolerated
What we are seeing today would be unthinkable if the targets were members of any other community. When Jewish American Heritage Month was debated by teachers at a national conference, nearly half voted against recognizing it. There was not even a discussion before voting on the historical recognition of Asians and blacks. Singling out Jewish organizations like the ADL for boycott while celebrating other civil-rights groups sends a message: Jewish identity is not welcome.
Jews deserve the same dignity, respect and protection as any other minority group.
- Jews must not be condemned for perceived issues elsewhere
When teachers boycott partnerships with Jewish organizations or tour companies reject Jewish customers for “sounding Israeli,” the message is clear: Jews are being held responsible for perceived Israeli actions. There are no boycotts or attacks on Russian Orthodox churches because of Putin’s war against Ukraine. Yet, 27% of Americans think that “Jews need to answer for the actions of Israel.” That is not activism. Special standards for one group, applied only to Jews, is discrimination.
- The U.S. Jewish community needs the support of non-Jews
Jews cannot and should not fight antisemitism alone. The attacks against Jews around the world threaten not only the Jewish community but the moral health of any country. Now is the time for allies, especially educators, faith leaders and civic voices, to stand up. We need people outside the Jewish community to say: This is wrong. This is not what we stand for. Solidarity means speaking out, showing up and helping to draw the moral line before it is too late—not just for Jews, but for the future of all Americans.
