Your guide to advocating for education about Jews and antisemitism in your community, and keeping hatred and bias out of the classroom.
About #
What is ethnic studies and how does it impact our community?
Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity, with an emphasis on the experiences of people of color in the United States. Historically, it has focused primarily (but not exclusively) on Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American communities, because their histories and experiences have not been adequately represented in public education.
This academic field is rooted in a student movement called the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), which was active at San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley in 1968-69 (to learn more click here and here).
Numerous interpretations and competing approaches to ethnic studies have emerged over the last 50+ years. For example, a multicultural approach focuses on broadly educating about the histories, texts, values, and perspectives of people from different communities. In contrast, a critical ethnic studies approach is more narrowly focused on the history and impact of colonialism, slavery, white supremacy, racism, and other forms of oppression against people of color.
On a fundamental level, StandWithUs supports marginalized communities having their voices and experiences represented in the classroom. Furthermore, because of our work together with thousands of citizens and partners across the state, in March, 2021 the California State Board of Education recognized that content about Jews and antisemitism belongs in K-12 ethnic studies.
At the same time, there are interest groups that relentlessly try to exploit ethnic studies courses as a platform for anti-Israel propaganda, antisemitism, and other forms of bias. They are pushing slanderous curriculum materials to teachers, schools, school districts, and education officials.
On the one hand, we cannot allow this hatred to be institutionalized in our public education system. On the other, we have an opportunity to dramatically increase quality education about Jews and antisemitism in public schools.
FAQ #
Why should Jews and antisemitism be included in ethnic studies courses?
We believe all students benefit from learning about the history and diverse experiences of the American Jewish community. Jews are an example of religious and ethnic identity being interconnected – a concept that is important for students to explore. Jewish experiences with oppression, immigration, fighting for human rights alongside other groups, and contributing to American culture have much to offer students of all backgrounds.
As Jewish Studies scholar Jill Fields writes, “Key concepts and frameworks central to ethnic studies analysis draw upon the Jewish experience…. Diaspora, ghetto, model minority, melting pot, and genocide are all terms that emerged from and were named by the experiences of Jews.” Many Jews also identify with one or more of the four groups which are the focus of ethnic studies (Black, Latino, Asian, and Native Americans). Furthermore, learning about all forms of antisemitism is crucial to building a full understanding of racism, white supremacy, and discrimination in America, particularly in light of the increase in violent hate crimes against the Jewish community in recent years. Finally, it is important for education about American Jews to not be limited to the history of the Holocaust. It should include the stories of Jewish refugees and immigrants from the Arab world, Iran, Israel, Central and South America, Europe, the former Soviet Union, and beyond.
Our community has already been able to make this case with some success. From 2019-2021, Jewish community members and high school students across California called for their stories to be included in ethnic studies. For example, Anna, a Latina Jewish high school student, believes ethnic studies should, “reflect the full diversity of the Jewish people. In light of rising antisemitism in high schools and beyond, it must also teach students about this dangerous hatred. Learning about antisemitism in all its forms is crucial to building a full understanding of racism and discrimination in America.”
Because of activists like Anna, the California Department of Education and the State Board of Education officially approved content about Jews for use in K-12 ethnic studies courses. The California Regional Ethnic Studies Collaborative (CRESC) built on this further by including Jewish Americans in its planned resource hub and professional development opportunities. Additionally, the U.S. National Antisemitism Strategy released in 2023 calls for the inclusion of, “Jewish studies in ethnic studies and history curricula.”
How can ethnic studies courses become harmful to Jewish and Israeli students?
In most cases, legislation, educational standards, and course outlines for ethnic studies are not problematic on the surface. Often, they include language, values, and goals we support. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Big picture, our challenge stems from university ethnic studies departments, many of which are institutionally biased against Israel and Zionism. Too often, this descends into antisemitism with Jews and Israelis being smeared and dehumanized as privileged, white supremacist, colonial oppressors. The most egregious examples occurred in 2020 and 2021 in the San Francisco State University (SFSU) College of Ethnic Studies. An academic program within this department organized multiple events glorifying convicted terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S. designated terrorist group.
While not all ethnic studies academics promote these destructive ideas, there has been far too little resistance within the field. Some also mistakenly view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of racism and colonialism in America. As such, ignorance, misleading claims, bias, and hate filter down to activists and educators who advocate for ethnic studies and teach the subject in K-12 classrooms.
This is why we have seen problems with the development of ethnic studies curriculums. If a committee of local “experts in the field” is formed to write curriculum and/or standards for ethnic studies courses, chances are that at least a few members will push anti-Israel bias and even antisemitism. Others involved likely won’t know or care enough to push back without the active involvement of our community. As such, if we’re not part of the process of curriculum development and implementation, we can expect that the outcome will be harmful to us.
The most prominent example is the K-12 Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) written by the California Department of Education (primarily meant for public high schools). The first draft of the ESMC from 2019 included deeply offensive antisemitic content, anti-Israel narratives, and other one-sided political agendas. Now, the writers of that first draft are actively promoting this bias in school districts across the state. A California State University (CSU) professor who leads this campaign is on record smearing the Anti-Defamation League as a “white supremacist” organization.
Anti-Israel bias has appeared in Arab American Studies materials, which are framed as part of Asian American studies (while Jewish immigrant communities from the same exact region are arbitrarily excluded for the most part). We have also seen misleading comparisons between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and various injustices faced by Black, Latino, Native American, and other communities in the U.S. Some examples include:
Israelis being falsely accused of the same atrocities that European colonizers/imperialists committed against Native Americans and other indigenous populations.
Israelis being framed as whites oppressing people of color (in this case Palestinians), including accusations of “Jim Crow segregation”.
Equating Israel security barrier which was built to prevent terrorism with U.S. border policies meant to restrict immigration.
Comparing Israel’s politicies toward Arabs and Palestinians to apartheid, trying to evoke U.S. campaigns against South African apartheid.
The fact that most Israeli Jews would be considered people of color in an American context is often ignored as well. So are the experiences of Jews who lived in Europe as second class citizens at best, and then faced a genocide fueled by white supremacy.
These dehumanizing narratives erase 3,000 years of Jewish history, identity, and rights in the land of Israel, and rely on many misleading claims about the conflict. To learn more about anti-Israel/anti-Zionist themes you may come across, see Answering Tough Questions about Israel.
Why are there efforts to exclude Jews and other groups from ethnic studies?
Some purists believe including education about Jews (and sometimes other groups like Armenian and Arab Americans) would dilute the focus on Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American communities. Others, such as “Liberated” ethnic studies scholars and activists, are politically motivated to include one-sided Palestinian perspectives, and exclude Jewish and Israeli voices. Thankfully, the final draft of California’s ESMC recognized that Jews belong in K-12 ethnic studies education.
At StandWithUs, we believe there is no contradiction between focusing on the four main groups, and also including material about Jewish Americans, Arab Americans, Armenian Americans and others.
Jewish students feel the effects of rising hatred and ignorance every day, including through antisemitic bullying, defacement of school property with antisemitic symbols, and even harmful comments from teachers. Pushing back begins with more complete and accurate education. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that antisemitism is at the core of white supremacist ideology (along with other extremist far left and Islamist ideologies). The positive goals of ethnic studies education can’t be fully achieved if this reality is excluded, because students will receive an incomplete picture of hate and discrimination.
Is this related to critical race theory?
The critical ethnic studies approach incorporates critical race theory (CRT). Other approaches to ethnic studies do not, or may include the work of CRT scholars alongside many other perspectives.
CRT is a body of scholarship and an academic movement which began in the 1970s and 80s, with the work of Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado, and other legal scholars. It is based on the premise that U.S. laws and institutions are inherently racist, and that race itself is a social construct that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. CRT argues that this system of white supremacy creates and maintains social, economic, and political inequalities between white people and everyone else. Tenets of CRT have crossed over into many disciplines, especially in the social sciences and humanities.
In recent years, CRT has become an increasingly controversial and partisan issue in K-12 education. Some argue it is crucial to educating about and combating racism. Others argue it is divisive and harmful, shaming white students and making students of color feel victimized and powerless.
For StandWithUs, much of the CRT debate falls outside of our mission to educate about Israel and fight antisemitism in a non-partisan manner. Studying biases and blindspots in various institutions (as many CRT scholars do) can help create a better understanding of antisemitism and life in the United States . However, concepts from CRT and critical ethnic studies can also be used to promote anti-Israel bias and antisemitism, as discussed in question #2 of this FAQ. When that line is crossed, we will always take action against hatred and misinformation.
What Can You Do? #
Your local school, school district, or state education officials may be at many different stages with ethnic studies. For some it may not be on their radar at all. Some may just be starting to create a curriculum or policy, while others will be near the end of the process and ready to send instructional materials out to teachers. The most important thing is to be actively involved with ethnic studies and social sciences education as early as possible, starting with your local schools and school board members. Reaching out, building positive relationships with decision makers, and giving them feedback can make a huge difference.
As you evaluate ethnic studies materials, there are three key areas to focus on:
1. Does it keep anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and antisemitic bias out of ethnic studies courses?
2. Does it include accurate and constructive education about Jews and antisemitism?
3. Does it have strong guidelines about fostering critical thinking and not promoting one-sided political agendas or advocacy of any kind in the classroom?
Regarding the final point, the LA Times and others have noted that ethnic studies has been exploited to promote many different one-sided political agendas. As such, anti-Israel bias is merely one symptom of a larger problem which could affect everyone in your community. This can be a starting point for inspiring other people to get involved. Most people want their kids to be taught how to think, not what to think.
Research & Outreach #
Local Level
Review school board meetings
Visit the website of your local school board and check their meeting agendas regularly for mentions of “ethnic studies”; “diversity, equity, and inclusion”; and other issues that may be relevant to our community.
Research the policies of your local school district:
Many school districts already have helpful policies in place, but they may not be enforced unless people like you hold education officials accountable. For example, in Los Angeles Unified School District, teachers are contractually obligated to offer, “a fair and balanced academic presentation of various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship.”
Build Relationships and Learn The Process
If your school district is considering ethnic studies courses, reach out to board members and/or district staff to find out how the process works, who the decision makers are, what the timeline is, when the public can give feedback, and how to get involved.
Take the time to get to know and build personal relationships with school board members and other decision makers. They have to listen to you as their constituent, but will be more receptive if you establish a level of trust, mutual respect, and shared values.
Collaboration is Key
We encourage cooperation and collaboration among students, parents, concerned community members, and organizations wherever possible. This work is always more effective and impactful when a united front is asking leaders in the community to make a change.
Ask For Assistance
Don’t hesitate to contact us for anything you may need, including talking points, speeches for public meetings, email campaigns, and more. StandWithUs works with many national and local partner organizations and we are increasingly engaged on these issues together. If you’re feeling alone, we’ll support you and help find other like minded people who are willing to get involved.
Tools To Use #
New education policies for your school/school district
The U.S. National Antisemitism Strategy, released in 2023, urges schools and school districts to take numerous actions to fight anti-Jewish bigotry. These including teaching about Jewish Americans, “in ethnic studies and history curricula.” The Strategy can be a useful tool to persuade school districts to step up their efforts to educate about the Jewish community and fight antisemitism.
Additionally, you can encourage your local school or school district to adopt the policies below to help ensure social sciences courses, including ethnic studies, do not promote hatred or bias. The language is general, but addresses many of our key concerns. Most of it is based on existing educational policy in California and other states, and you are welcome to use it as you engage with local education officials. The last paragraph covers the issue of transparency regarding educational materials being used in classrooms, which is lacking in too many local school districts.
Ethnic Studies/Social Sciences curriculum, instruction, instructional materials, lesson plans, and courses shall meet all of the following requirements:
1. Be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, religions, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English learners;
2. Not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category protected by (CITE RELEVANT STATE EDUCATION ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW);
3. Not promote religious doctrine;
4. In K–12 education it is imperative that students are exposed to multiple perspectives, taught to think critically and form their own opinions, by:
(a) Using age appropriate curriculum, resources, and materials that include a balance of topics, authors, and concepts, including primary and secondary sources that represent multiple, and sometimes opposing, points of view or perspectives;
(b) Representing diverse stories and opinions within ethnic groups to avoid reducing a group to a single story (staying within the realm of inclusion and humanizing discourse); and
(c) Not demanding student or teacher conformity with any ideological point of view, nor acceptance of personal blame for historical or present day social wrongs because of accidents of membership in any race, religion, ethnicity, or gender;
(d) Presenting various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship.
At the beginning of each school year, or, for a pupil who enrolls in a school after the beginning of the school year, at the time of that pupil’s enrollment, the school district shall notify the parent or guardian of each pupil about instruction in Ethnic Studies. The notice shall advise the parent or guardian that written and audiovisual educational materials used in Ethnic Studies classes are available for inspection.
Quality Educational Resources About Jews and Antisemitism
There are many available resources that you can ask your local school district and individual schools to use in classrooms. There are also lesson plans in development which will be specifically adapted to the field of ethnic studies, and we will share those as soon as they are available. As of now, we recommend the following:
StandWithUs: The Jewish People: A Beautiful Tapestry booklet
JIMENA: Antisemitism and Jewish Middle Eastern Americans lesson plan and Oral History video series
Facing History: The Roots and Impacts of Antisemitism lesson plan
ADL: Online Antisemitism Course & Antisemitism Uncovered guide
Institute for Curriculum Services: Jewish Americans lesson plan and other curriculum resources
For Critical Thinkers: Video Series on the Arab-Israeli conflict
Sephardic Heritage Museum: The Syrian Jewish Community video series
Unpacked: Video series about Israel and Jews
Unpacked: Video series about Antisemitism
Jewish Book Council: Reading lists
American Jewish Committee: Translate Hate glossary
US Holocaust Memorial Museum: Educational resources
We also recommend the following museums for virtual programs and field trips:
There are teacher training and professional development programs offered from various institutions:
Jewish Heritage Month
Another good way to promote education about the Jewish community is to get your school district to officially recognize May as Jewish Heritage Month. Celebrated annually in May, Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity to expand students’ understanding of diversity and familiarize students and teachers with the resilience of Jews in the face of oppression, and their contributions to American history, society, and culture.
This is a helpful resource from the Library of Congress:
The International Definition of Antisemitism
The International Holocaust Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is a comprehensive definition adopted by over 30 democratic countries, including the United States. It is also included in the final California Department of Education’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. The reason for its widespread acceptance is that it reflects the real life experience of Jews facing different forms of this hatred today. Schools and school districts can use IHRA as a tool to educate students about all forms of antisemitism, past and present. It is also a tool to help determine whether an incident of hatred or discrimination has occurred.
If you would like to work on getting IHRA adopted in your community, please contact k12education@standwithus.com.
Resources #
These articles will help you dive deeper into ethnic studies and our community:
- Factsheet: Liberated Ethnic Studies in California
- California’s Push for Ethnic Studies Runs Into the Israel-Hamas War
- The fight over biased ethnic studies courses is spreading to public schools nationwide
- Ethnic Studies, the Third World Liberation Front, and My Grandmother
- Where Things Stand with California’s Ethnic Studies Curriculum
- LA Times Editorial Board on the first draft of California’s ethnic studies curriculum
- California’s Ethnic Studies Follies
- California students will fight for the ethnic studies education we deserve
Explore the items below to learn about the work StandWithUs has done on ethnic studies since August, 2019:
Stay Updated #
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