Jewish Community Welcomes NEA Executive Committee’s Decision to Reject Boycott of Educational Materials on Antisemitism

Jewish community organizations representing the majority of American Jewry today welcomed the decision by the National Education Association (NEA) Executive Committee and Board of Directors to reject a vote by the organization's Representative Assembly to boycott ADL (Anti-Defamation League) educational materials on antisemitism and the Holocaust.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations COO Stephanie Hausner, and Jewish Federations of North America Executive Vice President Shira Hutt issued the following joint statement:

"We welcome the NEA Executive Committee's decision to reject this misguided resolution that is rooted in exclusion and othering, and promoted for political reasons. We urge NEA leadership to communicate clearly with its membership that not only has this measure been rejected, but also how this approach is harmful to educators, students and families concerned about the rise of antisemitism and hate in our schools and communities.

"This resolution was not just an attack on the ADL, but a larger attack against Jewish educators, students, and families. We are grateful for the leadership shown by the members of the NEA Jewish Affairs Caucus and teachers across the country, whose words and stories serve as both a reminder and warning of why our work is so important. We thank the nearly 400 Jewish and community organizations and dozens of elected officials around the country who made clear their concerns about this dangerous and antisemitic resolution.

"We are urging educators across the United States to recognize and act on the importance of education about Jewish identity, antisemitism, and the Holocaust that reflect the perspectives and experiences of the vast majority of the American Jewish community. While teachers' unions have little power to dictate curriculum, divisive campaigns to boycott reputable, centrist Jewish organizations and educators normalize antisemitic isolation, othering, and marginalization of Jewish teachers, students and families in our schools.

"We are committed to working with the NEA and all teachers' unions to join the Jewish community in making make clear these hateful campaigns cannot succeed. They must redouble efforts to ensure that Jewish educators are not isolated and subjected to antisemitism in their unions and that students are not subjected to it in the classroom."

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