For twenty-six years, Karen Feldman dedicated her life to teaching history in New York City’s public schools, with a particular focus on the harrowing lessons of the Holocaust. She believed in fostering critical thinking and open discussion, always striving for a politically neutral classroom where facts reigned supreme.
Around 2015, a subtle shift began to permeate the educational landscape. Feldman noticed a growing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion – ideals she initially embraced. However, she soon recognized a pattern: a framework dividing the world into “oppressed” and “oppressor,” a binary that felt limiting and, ultimately, divisive.
By 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, this trend exploded. The “oppressor” and “oppressed” narrative, she says, infiltrated every corner of the New York City school system, impacting curriculum and even the professional interactions between teachers. A concerning lack of critical thought began to take root.
The turning point came on school grounds, surrounded by ten students fueled by anger. They shoved her, threw objects, and unleashed a torrent of accusations: she was a Trump supporter, a supporter of Israel. It was a terrifying moment, a stark illustration of mob mentality and dangerous stereotyping.
They knew she was Jewish, knew of her family’s connection to Israel. The attack wasn’t simply about politics; it was rooted in prejudice, a dangerous assumption that anyone connected to Israel or proud of their Jewish identity must be inherently biased. The experience left her shaken and deeply disturbed.
Shortly after, Karen Feldman resigned from teaching. She couldn’t remain in a system she felt was fostering hostility and silencing nuanced thought. She went on to co-found the New York City Public School Alliance, dedicated to combating antisemitism and Jewish erasure within the city’s schools.
Her current focus is a group called NYC Educators for Palestine. Feldman believes their ideology extends beyond simply advocating for Palestinian rights, representing a broader anti-American sentiment and a dangerous pattern of vilifying Israel. She fears this is just the beginning.
Feldman is not alone in her concerns. The federal government has launched a civil rights investigation into the New York Department of Education, specifically targeting NYC Educators for Palestine. Allegations include pushing pro-Palestinian indoctrination onto students as young as six, creating a hostile environment for Jewish children.
The Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights stated unequivocally: “No child should be taught by his or her teachers to hate their peers… Jewish children should not be taught that being Jewish somehow makes them inherently guilty.”
NYC Educators for Palestine maintains a guarded online presence, with members concealing their identities behind emojis on their Instagram page. Their stated mission includes curriculum development, divesting pension funds from Israeli securities, and mobilizing educators for Palestinian liberation.
Carin Bail, a Jewish parent with two children in Queens public schools, shares these anxieties. She worries about radicalized teachers prioritizing political messaging over fundamental skills like literacy and critical thinking, influencing young minds with a one-sided narrative.
Federal complaints allege the group trains teachers to demonize Zionism and Israel, labeling Zionists as “genocidal White supremacists” and referring to Hamas terrorists as “martyrs.” A pro-Palestinian teach-in, organized on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, provided resource materials and lesson plans for all grade levels.
This investigation unfolds against a backdrop of rising antisemitism. The Anti-Defamation League reports a more than threefold increase in antisemitic incidents in New York schools between 2022 and 2023, jumping from 52 to 173 reported cases.
The New York Department of Education has declined to comment on the investigation, stating only that NYC Educators for Palestine is not officially affiliated with the public school system. However, the questions surrounding their influence and the impact on students remain urgent and deeply troubling.
