Antisemitism Concerns in Schools and Society
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has taken legal action against the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, filing a civil rights complaint based on allegations of persistent antisemitic harassment. Accusations involve numerous incidents, including Nazi salutes, Holocaust mockery, and a discriminatory game named ‘Jew touch tag’ targeting Jewish students. Parents and commentators are deeply upset by the district’s inadequate response to these serious cases of bullying that have escalated to physical attacks and criminal activity.
The start of the school year brings more than the usual concerns for many Jewish families. Beyond the routine of buying school supplies, there is anxiety over their children’s safety due to their Jewish identity. The rise in antisemitic threats and violence significantly impacts the educational environment where children discover their societal roles and depend on adults for protection. A notable report from the New York Police Department highlighted an 8.5% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City during the first seven months of 2026, with the majority of these crimes targeting the Jewish populace, who comprise only a tenth of the city’s total population.
The issue of antisemitism is not confined to New York. FBI data reveals that while Jews account for a mere 2% of the U.S. population, they were subjected to 16% of all reported hate crimes and nearly 70% of all religion-based hate crimes. Shockingly, 10% of these incidents were located in schools. Since 2020, antisemitic occurrences in K-12 settings have surged by 434%. This spike in antisemitic behavior demands attention from society at large, necessitating intervention from cultural and political leaders to combat prejudice.
An emergency summit in Jerusalem saw Christian leaders addressing the global rise in antisemitism, underscoring the universal nature of the issue. Efforts by educational institutions and online platforms to combat antisemitism should be prioritized. Polls show that 74% of Americans who encountered antisemitism did so online or through social media, and two-thirds of Jewish adults facing this problem did not report it due to skepticism about obtaining resolutions. The societal impact is profound for children, as online antisemitism penetrates their daily lives at school and elsewhere.
While schools cannot solve every societal issue, they are instrumental in setting benchmarks for responding to hatred. The U.S. Department of Education issued guidance emphasizing that Title VI guarantees protection for all students, including Jewish students, from discrimination, urging immediate action to address harassment that creates a hostile environment. School authorities should firmly reject antisemitism, whether manifested as threats, slurs, or intimidation linked to Jewish identity or associations with Israel.
Education on antisemitism must extend beyond superficial assemblies after incidents, aiming to teach students about its origins, how it evolves in political movements and conspiracy theories, and why antisemitism undermines civic life for everyone involved. Collaboration between educational institutions and law enforcement should be in place before issues arise, ensuring plans to report threats, preserve evidence, communicate with families, and protect affected students are well-established. Addressing credible threats and hate crimes seriously from the outset is vital.
Safety must be recognized as a public duty rather than a private financial burden on Jewish families. Teach Coalition, an advocacy group, reports that Jewish schools spend substantial amounts per student annually on security – funds that could otherwise enhance educational and mental health services. Public funding is essential in meeting the severe threats posed, with the FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) allocating substantial sums to nonprofits at risk of terrorist attacks. However, with rising threats and a significant portion of applications rejected, the call for Congress to increase NSGP funding to a billion dollars is growing.
Antisemitism should not be considered someone else’s responsibility. Leaders, including school boards, government officials, religious and community figures, and parent associations, influence the cultural norms that children absorb. A comprehensive societal response involves better education, improved security, legal accountability, responsible technology, and upholding the ethical stance that Jewish students should never need to conceal their identities to learn effectively.
Sydney Altfield leads Teach Coalition, collaborating with Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, and other nonpublic school partners to advocate for policies prioritizing students and families.