By: Ariella Haviv

In the wake of a contentious resolution passed by the National Education Association (NEA) earlier this month, a broad coalition of over 400 Jewish communal groups, religious institutions, and education organizations has united to call on the teachers’ union to reverse its decision to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). As reported by The Algemeiner on Tuesday, the coalition issued a joint letter to NEA President Becky Pringle on July 9, expressing profound concern over what they described as escalating antisemitism within teachers’ unions across the United States.

The controversy stems from the NEA Representative Assembly’s passage of New Business Item (NBI) 39 on July 6, which calls for an official boycott of the ADL. The decision, which caught many in the Jewish community by surprise, prompted immediate backlash from a diverse range of Jewish organizations, including major advocacy groups, educational institutions, and faith-based organizations.

According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report, the joint letter to Pringle underscored the community’s growing alarm over what it characterized as a pattern of antisemitic incidents and rhetoric emanating from both national and local levels of the union in recent months — particularly following the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.

“We are writing to express our deep concerns about the growing level of antisemitic activity within teachers’ unions, particularly since the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023,” the letter stated, as cited by The Algemeiner. “Passage of New Business Item (NBI) 39 at the National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly this past weekend, which shockingly calls for the boycott of the Anti-Defamation League, is just the latest example of open hostility toward Jewish educators, students and families coming from national and local teachers’ unions and their members.”

Among the prominent signatories were the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federations of North America, B’nai B’rith International, the Combat Antisemitism Movement, StandWithUs, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The coalition also included watchdog groups such as CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting & Analysis) and advocacy organizations like #EndJewHatred and the Democratic Majority for Israel.

The collective statement conveyed to Pringle detailed firsthand accounts from NEA members who described experiencing both explicit and implicit antisemitism within the union. According to the report in The Algemeiner, the letter highlighted that Jewish members reported feeling marginalized and alienated, citing a “broader pattern of insensitivity” toward their legitimate concerns — a trend they claimed was evident even at the recently concluded Representative Assembly.

Adding to their case, the coalition attached an addendum listing recent incidents they deemed troubling examples of hostile rhetoric. This included a statement by the Oakland Education Association calling for “an end to the occupation of Palestine,” as well as accusations leveled by the Massachusetts Teachers Association that Israel was committing genocide. These declarations, the coalition argued, contribute to a hostile climate for Jewish educators and students within the educational system.

In their appeal, the 400 organizations urged the NEA leadership to “take immediate action” and offered several specific recommendations. As detailed in The Algemeiner report, these included a formal rejection of NBI 39, a public condemnation of antisemitism within the NEA, the creation of a comprehensive plan to counter antisemitism in local chapters, and a clear stance opposing any actions that would allow an educator’s support for Israel’s right to exist to be used as a basis for discrimination or professional attack.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the ADL, responded directly to the NEA’s decision in a statement shared on social media. Greenblatt wrote, “Excluding @ADL’s educational resources from schools is not just an attack on our org, but on the entire Jewish community. We urge the @NEAToday Executive Committee to reverse this biased, fringe effort and reaffirm its commitment to supporting all Jewish students and educators.”

The NEA’s Representative Assembly, an annual gathering that serves as the union’s primary policymaking body, had not previously taken formal positions regarding partnerships with the ADL, an organization widely recognized for its anti-hate education programs and efforts to combat antisemitism, racism, and extremism in American schools. The move to boycott the ADL marks a significant departure from past practice and has ignited a fierce debate within the education sector.

According to the information contained in The Algemeiner report, the coalition’s letter emphasized that the ADL’s educational programs have played a critical role in promoting inclusivity and fighting bias in schools across the country — making the NEA’s action especially perplexing and alarming to the Jewish community.

The growing tensions between Jewish organizations and teachers’ unions mirror broader debates playing out nationwide over the intersection of education, politics, and identity. Some union activists have sought to align their organizations with pro-Palestinian advocacy, a shift that critics warn can edge into antisemitism when legitimate concerns about Israeli policy are replaced with blanket condemnations of Jewish institutions or support for groups linked to terrorism.

The NEA, the largest teachers’ union in the United States, with millions of members nationwide, has yet to issue a formal response to the coalition’s letter. However, as The Algemeiner report highlighted, the pressure from such a broad and diverse swath of the Jewish communal landscape underscores the seriousness with which the NEA’s actions are being viewed.

Whether the NEA will reconsider its position remains to be seen, but the coalition’s appeal has made clear that Jewish organizations are prepared to keep the pressure on. They argue that the integrity of educational environments, respect for diversity, and the commitment to combat antisemitism in American schools depend on the union taking meaningful corrective action.