The New Front Line: How K-12 Schools are Becoming Hotbeds of Antisemitism

The Rise of Anti-Jewish Bigotry in Elementary and Secondary Education

As I research my upcoming book, From Outrage to Action: A Practical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, I've been uncovering disturbing trends. If you think antisemitism is bad at the university level, wait until you read what's happening now in K-12 schools across the country. Jewish students are being targeted by students, teachers, and administrators. I've heard hair-raising stories during my research.

Recent headlines have been filled with reports of rising antisemitism on college campuses, but the more insidious threat lies in our K-12 schools. Ethnic studies programs, particularly those following the radical Liberatory Ethnic Studies (LES) model, are indoctrinating young students against Israel by falsely labeling it a white settler colonial state. This biased education is fostering a generation of young antisemites, and we must address it urgently.

This issue is personal for many parents and concerned citizens. One parent described their growing alarm as they saw antisemitism infiltrating their daughter’s curriculum. They explained that the pandemic opened their eyes to what teachers were actually teaching. After leaving the Seattle school district, they moved to a supposedly better-rated district only to find the same troubling trends. They observed a shift towards a social justice framework heavily influenced by radical ethnic studies, which distorted their daughter’s education.

In Washington State, ethnic studies have been slowly but surely creeping into every aspect of K-12 education. What began as a vague legislative suggestion has evolved into a mandate, driven by aggressive advocacy groups with deep pockets. These groups push for ethnic studies to be the lens through which all education is viewed, promoting a Marxist and Maoist-based liberatory model. This model explicitly positions Palestinians as marginalized and Israel as a white colonialist oppressor, which, of course, ignores the actual history and ethnic makeup of the Jewish State.

This indoctrination has significant consequences. The LES model, rooted in power and oppression analysis, aims to transform the school system into an agent of change. However, the change it seeks does not include academic excellence, often seen as a facet of white supremacy. Values essential to a democratic society, such as persistence, delayed gratification, and civic responsibility, are derided as oppressive.

This radical framework is inherently anti-democratic and, as a result, deeply antisemitic. The overlap between anti-Zionism and antisemitism is clear: anti-Zionism frequently serves as a veneer for broader antisemitic sentiments. By labeling Israel as a colonial power, these programs not only distort history but also legitimize antisemitic views among young students.

In response to this educational crisis, various organizations have emerged to counteract the spread of LES. The Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies (ACES) and the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values are among those advocating for a multicultural approach that respects all perspectives. However, these efforts, while well-intentioned, are ultimately misguided. The solution is not to create competing curricula but to halt the adoption of LES altogether.

Washington State's dismal performance in basic education should be a warning. More parents are withdrawing their children from public schools, recognizing the failure to prioritize academic rigor. While I understand this impulse, abandoning the public education system is not a viable long-term solution. Public education is where we build our unified citizenry, and its politicization threatens the fabric of our democracy.

Organizations like the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR) are gearing up for legal battles against school districts that incorporate LES into their curricula. For instance, FAIR plans to sue a Western Washington school district for separating students by race, a practice embedded in their ethnic studies program. This kind of activism is crucial, but it must be paired with broader efforts to expose and eliminate biased curricula.

One parent involved in FAIR Washington's K-12 committee described a project to review public records from several school districts, searching for evidence of indoctrination. They identified thousands of documents containing keywords like "Israel," "Palestine," and "settler colonialism." The task is daunting, but with tools like AI to flag biased content, they aim to provide legislators with concrete evidence of the issues at hand.

Initiatives are being launched to observe school board meetings and review school library contents. By understanding what books are available and what perspectives they promote, the goal is to restore some semblance of balance and neutrality in our schools.

Throughout California and other states, antisemitism in K-12 schools has become increasingly prevalent, particularly following the October 7 mass murder and rape of Israelis. The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and other Jewish organizations have been inundated with calls from concerned parents, especially in the Bay Area, reporting troubling incidents involving their children.

These reports detail shocking behaviors such as second-graders being told to write anti-Israel messages, teachers encouraging unsanctioned student protests in support of Gaza, and Jewish students being harassed with antisemitic slurs during these demonstrations. Some teachers have even suggested to students that Israelis were responsible for the violence inflicted on them. In response, the Brandeis Center and the Anti-Defamation League have lodged a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to investigate these incidents.

Even before October 7, antisemitism was a growing concern in California schools, particularly those implementing their own versions of the ethnic studies curriculum mandated by AB 101. Schools contracting with groups like the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium have introduced materials that demonize Jews and Israel, which were excluded from the state-approved curriculum.

The Israeli American Council (IAC) reported a 690 percent increase in antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in K-12 schools within three months of the October 7 attack. These incidents ranged from student bullying and vandalism to discriminatory class materials and teacher statements, highlighting a deeply entrenched issue that needs urgent attention.

Awareness of antisemitism in K-12 education is crucial. The values taught to our children today will shape the future of our democracy. By understanding the current battleground in K-12 education, we can better address and combat antisemitism in our larger society.