By: Fern Sidman

Teachers unions across the United States, long considered cornerstones of the education system and advocates for equity in the classroom, are now under sharp and sustained scrutiny. Jewish educators, community activists, and federal lawmakers argue that these unions—particularly the powerful National Education Association (NEA) and its affiliates—are promoting antisemitic ideas, fostering an increasingly hostile environment toward Jewish members, and aligning with political currents that normalize hostility to Israel.

As The Algemeiner reported in detail on Tuesday, the tension has come to a head with the launch of a congressional investigation into the NEA itself, reflecting growing alarm that America’s largest teachers union is straying from its commitment to inclusion by adopting positions that marginalize Jews.

Last month, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a sharply worded letter to NEA President Becky Pringle demanding records connected to what he described as “antisemitic content” in the union’s 2025 handbook. Walberg pointed to passages that, in his view, downplay the uniquely Jewish suffering of the Holocaust while amplifying Palestinian narratives such as the “nakba,” the Arabic word for “catastrophe” invoked by anti-Israel activists to delegitimize the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

According to the report in The Algemeiner, Walberg’s letter also condemned the NEA’s decision to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The break came after the union’s Representative Assembly voted to ban collaboration with the ADL on anti-bias training, citing the Jewish organization’s strong support for Israel.

“The NEA’s 2025 handbook contains passages and priorities that are hostile towards the Jewish people,” Walberg wrote, warning that taxpayer dollars and member dues cannot be used to legitimize antisemitic teaching materials.

The NEA responded in a statement to the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), declaring: “The National Education Association stands firmly for every student and educator, of every race, religion, and ethnicity, and we unequivocally reject antisemitism. We have fought against all kinds of hate, including antisemitism, throughout our history and remain focused on ensuring the safety of Jewish students and educators.”

Yet for many Jewish teachers and community leaders, those assurances ring hollow. They argue that the union’s actions—such as cutting ties with the ADL while elevating anti-Israel narratives—speak louder than its press releases.

The concerns extend well beyond the NEA’s national leadership. State-level affiliates are also under fire, with Massachusetts now serving as a flashpoint.

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) recently filed a sweeping civil rights complaint against the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), accusing it of cultivating a hostile environment for Jewish educators. As The Algemeiner reported, the complaint points to antisemitic posters and images disseminated by union channels, including one depicting a dollar bill folded into the shape of a Star of David—an image that draws on age-old antisemitic tropes linking Jews to greed and financial manipulation. Another poster simply read: “Zionists [Expletive] Off.”

Some Jewish teachers, citing such imagery, have already left the MTA in protest, saying the organization no longer represents them or ensures their safety.

For the ZOA, the complaint is part of a broader strategy to confront what it views as systemic antisemitism in progressive institutions. “Teachers’ unions should be educating against hate, not spreading it,” the organization argued in a statement, adding that Jewish educators must be guaranteed the same protections as all minority groups.

In New York, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT)—one of the most politically influential unions in the country—has also drawn the ire of Jewish members. According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report and in The New York Post, criticism centers on the union’s muted response to antisemitic incidents in schools, as well as its controversial endorsement of Zohran Mamdani, the far-left Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City who supports the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The flashpoint came at Hillcrest High School, where a Jewish teacher was reportedly forced to barricade herself in an office during an anti-Israel demonstration by students. Union critics argue that the UFT offered little meaningful support in the aftermath of the incident, leaving Jewish teachers to fend for themselves.

At a rally organized by the “End Jew Hatred” movement, Moshe Spern, head of the United Jewish Teachers caucus, excoriated the UFT’s leadership: “How can we feel safe? When our teachers get attacked, our union says little and does nothing. When our protected rights are infringed upon, our union says little and does nothing. When they need us, they pretend we matter, and when they don’t, they ignore our concerns.”

Spern revealed that more than 150 teachers are moving to cancel their union dues in protest, underscoring the deep dissatisfaction brewing within the Jewish educator community.

The controversies in Massachusetts and New York are emblematic of what Jewish leaders describe as a troubling pattern across the country. Teachers unions, once reliable defenders of minority rights, are increasingly accused of silence—or worse, complicity—when it comes to antisemitism.

The Algemeiner has chronicled numerous cases in which Jewish teachers reported antisemitic hostility from colleagues or students, only to receive inadequate responses from their unions. Critics contend that the selective outrage reveals a double standard: while unions rightly mobilize against racism and other forms of bigotry, antisemitism is downplayed or ignored, often dismissed as an extension of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

This perception has been magnified by the unions’ willingness to adopt anti-Israel language in official materials. References to “colonization” and “apartheid,” once the rhetoric of fringe activists, have increasingly found their way into the resolutions and policy statements of mainstream unions.

Complicating matters further is the overt political dimension of union activism. Teachers unions, including the NEA and UFT, have long been aligned with progressive causes, and in the post-October 7 climate, that alignment has increasingly placed them at odds with pro-Israel advocacy.

By endorsing such polarizing figures as Zohran Mamdani and adopting positions hostile to Israel, unions risk alienating not only their Jewish members but also moderate supporters who view such stances as beyond the scope of labor advocacy.

As The Algemeiner report noted, the political stakes are significant. Teachers unions are among the most influential interest groups in American politics, capable of mobilizing voters and shaping policy platforms. Their adoption of antisemitic or anti-Israel positions therefore reverberates far beyond the classroom, affecting national debates on civil rights, foreign policy, and the fight against hate.

For Jewish educators on the ground, the stakes are deeply personal. Teachers who once found comfort in union solidarity now describe a sense of isolation and betrayal. The fear is not just about hostile rhetoric but about physical safety in schools where anti-Israel sentiment has spilled into hallways and classrooms.

The Algemeiner has highlighted the stories of Jewish teachers who have endured verbal harassment, discriminatory treatment, and pressure to conceal their identities. Some have considered leaving the profession altogether, while others are actively campaigning for reform within their unions.

One Jewish high school teacher in Massachusetts told the outlet that she no longer feels represented by the MTA: “They have turned their back on us. The posters they distribute, the language they endorse—it all tells me that being Jewish means I am an outsider in my own union.”

The congressional investigation into the NEA, coupled with civil rights complaints against local affiliates, signals that the issue of antisemitism in teachers unions is unlikely to fade. Lawmakers such as Rep. Walberg have vowed to hold unions accountable, while Jewish advocacy groups plan to pursue both litigation and grassroots campaigns to press for change.

For unions, the challenge will be reconciling their commitment to progressive politics with their responsibility to protect all members. Critics argue that meaningful reform requires more than symbolic gestures or broad condemnations of hate; it requires a willingness to confront antisemitism specifically and ensure that Jewish teachers are not left vulnerable.

As The Algemeiner report observed, the battle unfolding within teachers unions is not only about workplace equity but also about the values shaping American education. Will unions reaffirm their historic role as protectors of all minority groups, or will they allow ideological currents to marginalize Jewish voices?

For many Jewish educators, the answer cannot come soon enough.