Who is Ms. Rachel? YouTuber accused of anti-semitism over Gaza advocacy

Time of India

16-05-2025

Who is Ms. Rachel? YouTuber accused of anti-semitism over Gaza advocacy
Rachel Griffin Accurso
, better known as 'Ms. Rachel,' has recently faced backlash over her comments. Best known for her YouTube series
Songs for Littles
, Accurso is a beloved figure in millions of households for her toddler-focused educational videos.
However, her recent advocacy for
Palestinian children
caught in the war in Gaza has led to online accusations of antisemitism, charges she strongly denies.
The controversy began gaining traction after
Ms. Rachel
posted about a 3-year-old Gazan girl named Rahaf, who lost her legs in an airstrike. The post, part of a series highlighting children affected by the Israel-Gaza war, stirred support and outrage alike.
A conservative group called
StopAntisemitism
named her 'Antisemite of the Week,' accusing her of spreading Hamas propaganda and favouring Palestinian victims over Israeli ones.
In response to the accusations, Accurso clarified, 'This accusation is not only absurd, it's patently false.' She defended her posts, saying her work has always been about advocating for all children.
'Caring about children in Gaza is a direct continuation of the work I've been doing most of my life,' she said in an email.
Accurso has posted more frequently about Gaza, which she acknowledged, citing the scale of the
humanitarian crisis
. 'The idea that caring about one group of children prevents us from caring about another is false,' she added.
Supporters like podcast host Tommy Vietor and journalist Mehdi Hasan argue that her posts reflect compassion, not bias.
Who is Ms. Rachel?
A former preschool teacher and musician from Maine, Rachel Griffin Accurso launched Songs for Littles in 2019 after her son Thomas was diagnosed with a speech delay.
The educational videos, which teach speech, emotional growth and social skills through songs, quickly gained popularity.
Today, her YouTube channel has over 14 million subscribers and more than a billion views. In 2025, Netflix began licensing episodes of her show, helping push her estimated net worth to around $10 million.
Beyond YouTube, Accurso is a mother of two, Thomas, now 7, and Susannah, a baby born via surrogate earlier this year.
Her husband, composer Aron Accurso, is a creative partner in the Songs for Littles project. Together, they've pledged $1 million to World Food Program USA to help malnourished children around the world.
Accurso's growing presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok has allowed her to reach parents directly, where she occasionally shares opinions on issues such as universal child care and child safety in war zones.