Antisemitism in K-12 Classrooms
Politicized curricula divide the world into victims and oppressors and portray Israel as the ultimate oppressor. This ideology is driven by Liberated Ethnic Studies, which promotes Marxist dogma (training teachers that they need to be "grounded in the correct politics"), portrays American society as inherently oppressive, and sees all of history through the lens of oppression and resistance. In this brand of Ethnic Studies (ES), role models of color do not include civil rights leaders like MLK and John Lewis, who are disparaged as "passive" and "docile."
The Curricula
Politicized curricula divide the world into victims and oppressors and portray Israel as the ultimate oppressor. This ideology is driven by Liberated Ethnic Studies, which promotes Marxist dogma (training teachers that they need to be "grounded in the correct politics"), portrays American society as inherently oppressive, and sees all of history through the lens of oppression and resistance. In this brand of Ethnic Studies (ES), role models of color do not include civil rights leaders like MLK and John Lewis, who are disparaged as "passive" and "docile."
“Since October 7 my life has changed. I am scared of my teachers and classmates. I can’t talk about my opinion because I’m a genocidal white colonizer (I’m none of those things). Hearing my teacher say my home shouldn’t exist and knowing my classmates agree makes me want to die.”
Antisemitism is tightly integrated into politicized curricula because of their victim-oppressor based ideology and its reliance on Israel as the prime example of oppressor.
Israel is the only example presented of the “global white supremacy,” and no other international contemporary conflict is covered in Ethnic Studies.
In this ideology, Israel is the ultimate example of the oppressor and the settler-colonial power. It is not just AN example; it is the ONLY example. Liberated Ethnic Studies maintains the historic falsehood that Jews oppress indigenous Palestinian victims in the same manner that all oppressors, past and current, oppress their indigenous victims.
To read the complete white paper, click here.
In The Classroom
Because Liberated ES teaches that all power structures, and those who hold power, are inherently racist, it’s a very easy connection for radicalized teachers to connect for their students the misnomer that Jews are White, and therefore hold power, and that Israel, in a position of power, oppresses the minority people of color, Palestinians.
Students as young as five years old are being bombarded with anti-Zionist and antisemitic lessons in their classrooms. The following series of maps, promoting the falsehood that all of Israel’s land was originally possessed by the Palestinians, are presented in hundreds of classrooms and teacher workshops. These maps are presented under the topic “Genocide/Colonialism.”
A range of examples can be found here.
“Numerous offensive antisemitic stereotypes are included in the Liberated Ethnic Studies curriculum. The California Legislative Jewish Caucus stated that “In the few instances where the [draft] ESMC actually acknowledges Jews, it does so in a denigrating and discriminatory manner….”
Teach Palestine Toolkit
The Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, now being actively promoted in classrooms across the United States, chose its "Teach Palestine Toolkit" as the very first component of its curriculum to publish in August, 2021. This Toolkit erroneously :
refers to “the current apartheid in Israel" and explains that Zionism calls for the “creation and expansion of Israel as a Jewish state” in “historic Palestine" using "any means necessary.”
calls on teachers to “make clear the connections between the struggle for Palestinian rights and the struggles of Indigenous, Black, and brown communities...”
recommends to “Integrate Palestine into your curriculum," by incorporating it into discussions of “gentrification and forced relocation, criminalization of youth, or hip-hop as resistance,” to do “a deep dive into the Native American history in your area and connect that to settler colonialism in Palestine," and to study the "impact of continuing colonial control on water resources at the US/Mexico border and in Gaza, using statistics to look at forced removals in your city and East Jerusalem..."
explains that JCRC, ADL, Jewish Federation, Simon Wiesenthal Center, "and/or other Zionist organizations" may "create problems” and that their "primary goal is to stunt the development of authentic anti-racist curriculum.”
The Outcome
Several lawsuits have already been filed against United States school districts because of blatant antisemitic classroom content, lack of transparency, and teacher training led by consultants who are directly linked to antisemitic material. Additionally, parents are now more aware of the concerns inherent in Ethnic Studies and are meeting with their school districts to try to push them towards a constructive version of Ethnic Studies.
California Commission on the State of Hate’s 2023-2024 Annual Report identifies the numerous pitfalls in Ethnic Studies education, which includes bias towards Jews. According to ICAN, the key points from the report are:
No Proven Effectiveness: There is no experimental research showing that ethnic studies prevents hate, and its impact on student prejudices, both positive and negative, remains unknown (p. 87).
Fuels Division: Ethnic studies has sparked lawsuits, protests, and ideological battles, with ongoing disputes over content, bias, and activism in classrooms (p. 87).
Lack of Oversight: Schools apply ethnic studies inconsistently, and state agencies fail to enforce existing anti-bias laws, leaving students vulnerable to discrimination (p. 87-88).
Unqualified Teachers: A shortage of trained educators has led to activists shaping curricula instead of qualified historians or unbiased instructors (p. 87).
Unenforced Anti-Bias Laws: The Attorney General warns curricula must be free of bias (p. 88), but California isn’t enforcing its own laws to prevent discrimination.
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Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies is a diverse, nonpartisan coalition working to remove narrow ideological agendas from Ethnic Studies, enabling curricula that inspire mutual respect, fight racism, and celebrate ethnic group accomplishments.