NYC public schools spark outrage for sending newsletter to teachers accusing Israel of ‘genocide in Gaza'
A Department of Education newsletter claiming Israel is committing 'genocide in Gaza' was sent out to hundreds of teachers — prompting fuming Jewish educators to call it out as another example of ingrained antisemitism in the city's public school system.
The 14-page 'Teacher Career Pathways' spring 2025 newsletter — which sports the logos of the city DOE and the United Federation of Teachers union — went out over the last week to 'master teachers' across the system's 1,800 schools.
'The genocide in Gaza, among other global injustices, emphasized the urgent need for student voices to be centered and heard,' it said.
The claim was mentioned in a section of the newsletter headlined 'Teacher Leadership in Action' that discussed the student-led March 28 'Day of Action' from the Columbus Campus Youth Council in The Bronx triggered by 'pro-Palestinian protests' last fall.
Pro-Israel teachers and Jewish activists monitoring antisemitism ripped it as the latest instance of the DOE promoting anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda — and noted it could violate regulations against politicking in city public schools.
'This newsletter needs to be removed and someone needs to apologize immediately,' one teacher, who requested anonymity, said.
'Does [New York City Public Schools] expect me, a Jewish educator, to disseminate a message that so callously references the 'genocide in Gaza' as the inspiration for this student group?' the teacher continued.
'To frame this pro-Palestinian protest – which was a pro-Hamas protest, filled with antisemitic tropes, and called for the eradication of Israel – as some noble catalyst?'
Earlier this month, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos was forced to apologize for a different newsletter that linked to a 'Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit' — sparking outrage in the Jewish community.
That 17-page document contained radicalized messaging that encourages readers to 'Stop arming Israel and free Palestine!'
Meanwhile, an anti-Israel group last week sent an email blast to hundreds of city teachers pushing for a May Day strike and other 'civil disobedience' to protest the Gaza war.
The Labor for Palestine Network called for union members to rise up against 'the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza' and even coordinate their efforts with student groups, which teachers were told to ignore by city school officials.
Teachers who received the most recent newsletter were also fed up with the DOE seemingly fomenting antisemitism.
Karen Feldman, co-founder of the NYC Public School Alliance, said it was 'deeply troubling' that for the second time in recent weeks an official DOE publication had 'promoted politically charged language and glorified protests—better described as riots' —including at the Christopher Columbus HS campus last year.
'Public schools must be spaces of learning, inclusion, and neutrality—not vehicles for inflammatory, historically inaccurate propaganda,' said Feldman, a 26-year teaching veteran.
'This is not genuine social justice—it is the spread of hate disguised as activism,' she said.
'Our schools should be cultivating informed citizens, not serving as training grounds for ideological indoctrination.'
Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin called the 'genocide' claim in the newsletter 'simply inexcusable and unconscionable.'
'We were very clear with the chancellor that such instances can never occur again and that there need to be consequences for hate speech and here we are weeks later with the same failure. DOE gets a F,' said Menin.
A DOE spokesperson said the language had been removed from the newsletter when discovered, but did not respond when The Post asked who had written it.
'This is unacceptable and, once discovered, we immediately removed this language from the newsletter. We are strengthening our review protocols for communications to ensure that all inappropriate political rhetoric is removed,' the rep said in a statement.
A UFT spokesperson said: 'While we do work with the DOE on this program, we did not write or review this newsletter before it was released.'
'Our work with the program centers on interviewing potential candidates, providing pedagogical professional development, and supporting instructional strategies in schools,' the statement said.
The Career Pathways program promotes instructors to 'master' teachers to help other classroom teachers. They are paid a stipend for taking on the additional role.
The UFT takes part in interviews with DOE officials of candidates applying for the master teacher position.
Michelle Ahdoot, director of programming for programming and strategy at the watchdog group #EndJewHatred said, 'We are seeing a clear pattern of Jew-hatred in official communications from the DOE, and a complete failure by the chancellor to address it.'
'It's time to hold the chancellor accountable for her deliberate indifference to the continuing injustice targeting Jewish students and families – that she, as chancellor, is ultimately responsible for. We demand public condemnation of these communications along with a full investigation as to who is responsible for allowing these horrific missteps to repeatedly occur.'
Jewish and pro-Israel teachers have been terrified by pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian protests in their schools.
One veteran Jewish teacher was forced to lock herself in an office while a rowdy mob of students hunted her down at Hillcrest HS in Queens, just weeks after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel and the subsequent Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza.
— Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy
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