By: Fern Sidman

The United Federation of Teachers, the powerful labor union representing nearly 200,000 educators and school staff in New York City, is facing an unprecedented backlash from its own Jewish members, who accuse the leadership of abandoning them in the fight against antisemitism while aligning itself with an outspoken supporter of the anti-Israel boycott movement.

At a tense rally outside the UFT’s Lower Manhattan headquarters on Thursday, Jewish teachers and activists denounced the union’s recent endorsement of Democratic Socialist nominee Zohran Mamdani for mayor. As The New York Post reported on Thursday, the backlash was fueled not only by Mamdani’s record of support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, but also by the union’s sluggish and, in the eyes of many, inadequate response to high-profile antisemitic incidents in city schools.

For many in attendance, the breaking point was the case of Hillcrest High School, where an anti-Israel student riot last year forced a Jewish teacher to lock himself in an office for safety. While the incident made national headlines and drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, the UFT’s leadership waited nearly two weeks to issue a statement — and even then, failed to mention antisemitism explicitly or offer solidarity to Jewish educators.

“Where was the UFT?” asked Moshe Spern, head of the United Jewish Teachers faction within the union, addressing the crowd of 40 educators and activists gathered at the “End Jew Hatred” rally. “It took them almost two weeks to issue a statement, and that statement didn’t even mention antisemitism or the Jewish community.”

Spern, himself a high school history teacher, said the union has shown a consistent pattern of neglect when Jewish teachers are targeted. “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.”

 

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A post shared by Lizzy Savetsky (@lizzysavetsky)

Much of the criticism focused on UFT President Michael Mulgrew, who, according to the report in The New York Post, had previously been backed by Jewish educators during his difficult re-election fight earlier this year. Spern said his group had campaigned hard for Mulgrew, believing he would take Jewish concerns seriously.

But the union’s subsequent endorsement of Mamdani — who has openly aligned himself with BDS activists and refused to denounce antisemitic rhetoric like “globalize the intifada” — was seen as a deep betrayal.

“His explanation was that the candidate was the best for the union, but not for its Jewish union members who voted for Mulgrew,” Spern said bitterly.

In one of the most dramatic moments of the rally, Spern invoked Revolutionary-era language to call for a dues boycott against the union. “I’m a history teacher, and this country was founded on the principle of ‘no taxation without representation.’ Guess what? I say the same thing today, on August 28, 2025: let’s make it very clear — no union representation, no union dues!”

To all Jewish teachers, please share and go to the rally if you can. pic.twitter.com/KsjItQwQte

— esukjustbreathe (@UWSGMA326) August 26, 2025

Spern said 150 Jewish teachers have already prepared letters canceling their union dues payments and vowed to personally deliver them to UFT headquarters. The move, if it gains momentum, could represent the most serious internal challenge to the union’s authority in decades.

The protesters’ grievances go beyond one political endorsement. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, Jewish educators accuse the union of years of failing to take antisemitism seriously, despite a surge in anti-Jewish incidents across New York City schools.

Michelle Ahdoot, director of programming and strategy for End Jew Hatred NY, which co-organized the rally, said Jewish members have been treated as an afterthought. “The UFT has failed the Jewish community,” she said bluntly. “It seems that the UFT will support you — unless you are a Jew.”

Ahdoot pointed out that the union’s endorsement of Mamdani, who has refused to condemn inflammatory slogans linked to violence against Jews, was “the latest example of neglect and indifference to the equality and inclusion of the Jewish community.”

Activists used Thursday’s rally to issue a set of clear demands for reform within the UFT. These included:

Adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, already used by dozens of governments and organizations worldwide.

Mandatory training for educators to recognize and combat antisemitic bias in schools, on par with anti-racism and anti-bullying programs.

A ban on hate materials within schools and union-affiliated events.

Retraction of political endorsements for candidates who normalize antisemitic slogans such as “globalize the intifada.”

Lizzie Savetsky, a Jewish activist who attended the rally, said the union’s support for Mamdani was particularly disturbing given his silence on extremist rhetoric. “The UFT endorsed a candidate who refuses to condemn ‘globalize the intifada.’ That phrase is a rallying cry for terrorism against Jews. How can a teachers’ union, which is supposed to represent all of us, align itself with that?”

Faced with mounting criticism, the UFT issued a brief statement insisting it continues to stand by its Jewish members. “The UFT has a long history of working with, listening to, and protecting the diverse Jewish community in our schools and our city, and we will continue to do so,” a spokesperson said.

The statement did not, however, address calls to retract Mamdani’s endorsement, nor did it comment on the specific demands for adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism or banning antisemitic slogans.

The controversy comes at a politically sensitive moment. As The New York Post report indicated, Mamdani’s upset victory in the Democratic primary over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other more centrist figures shocked the political establishment. The Democratic Socialists of America, with whom Mamdani is closely aligned, have long advocated radical positions including the dismantling of capitalism, decriminalization of sex work, and full-throated support for the BDS movement.

For Jewish educators, however, the problem is not just ideology but the practical question of whether they can feel protected in their schools and represented by their union.

Thursday’s rally underscored a widening rift within the UFT between its leadership and Jewish rank-and-file members. While Mulgrew and the union’s executive council may view the endorsement of Mamdani as a pragmatic political choice in a shifting city electorate, Jewish teachers see it as proof that their safety and dignity are expendable.

As Spern told the crowd, “When they need us, they pretend we matter. When they don’t, they ignore our concerns.”

The fallout from the endorsement — and the threat of a dues boycott by Jewish teachers — could mark a new and volatile chapter in the storied history of the UFT, long considered one of New York City’s most powerful labor organizations.

Whether the union leadership can repair its strained relationship with Jewish educators remains to be seen. But for many who stood outside the UFT headquarters Thursday, the message was clear: loyalty must be earned, not taken for granted.