By: Ariella Haviv

On Monday, The Algemeiner reported on growing tensions in Beverly Hills following a controversial decision by Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) superintendent Alex Cherniss to block the display of the Israeli flag on district campuses. Cherniss overruled a school board resolution that had approved the gesture as part of a package to affirm solidarity with Jewish students amid escalating antisemitism worldwide.

Cherniss, exercising his authority as superintendent, announced that for security reasons, only the United States and California state flags may fly on school grounds until further notice. His decision effectively vetoed a symbolic move by the Beverly Hills Board of Education, which had voted to include the Israeli flag alongside other measures designed to combat antisemitism.

“In light of heightened safety concerns around the displaying of flags on our campuses, I have made the decision to take immediate action for the safety and security of our students,” Cherniss, a Republican, said in a statement. “Until further notice, no flags will be displayed on our campuses other than the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of California.”

According to The Los Angeles Times, the school board’s resolution also established May as Jewish Heritage Month and formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a widely recognized tool to help identify and respond to anti-Jewish bias. The inclusion of the Israeli flag, however, ignited fierce debate, with opponents warning that it could be perceived as a partisan gesture amid the deeply polarizing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Amanda Stern, a school board member who voted against the resolution because of the flag provision, emphasized consistency. She told the Beverly Hills Courier that the board had recently ruled against other national flags being flown at schools. “Just about two months ago, we spoke about how partisan materials — as an example, a Greek flag — would not be allowed. We really need to look at that so there is not preferential treatment for one group over another,” she said.

Board President Rachelle Marcus, who also opposed the resolution, echoed concerns that the Israeli flag could create new risks. “I don’t want to put something on the front of the school that will make us targets of any kind, especially with the students in our school,” she told the Courier.

Other board members saw things differently. Russell Stuart, who voted in favor of the flag provision, downplayed the suggestion that displaying the Israeli flag equated to endorsing government policy. “It is not a direct endorsement of the Israeli government or any geopolitical topic,” he said. “It is support for our Jewish students and the Jewish community.”

The Algemeiner report noted that the disagreement reflects broader tensions in the United States, where Jewish institutions and individuals often find themselves under heightened scrutiny for symbolic expressions of identity, even as antisemitism surges across schools, universities, and public spaces.

California schools have become flashpoints for disputes over antisemitism, with Jewish students and families alleging neglect by administrators. The Algemeiner recently reported on a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights against the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD). The complaint accused the district of fostering a hostile environment for Jewish students.

The complaint highlighted a teacher, Kauser Adenwala of Wilcox High School, who allegedly screened a Turkish documentary that compared Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust, showing disturbing images that juxtaposed Nazi atrocities with Arab children marked with symbols. According to the complaint filed by StandWithUs (SWU) and the Bay Area Jewish Coalition (BAJC), such actions violated district policy and contributed to a culture of bias.

SCUSD ultimately acknowledged that Adenwala’s actions violated governing policies, though she remains employed. The district also faces allegations of allowing graffiti with antisemitic slogans, posters defaced with anti-Jewish slurs, and widespread bullying of Jewish students.

“SCUSD has allowed an egregiously hostile environment to fester for its Jewish and Israeli students in violation of its federal obligations and ethical responsibility to create a safe educational space for all students,” Jenna Statfeld Harris, senior counsel and K-12 specialist at StandWithUs Saidoff Legal, told The Algemeiner.

The issues in Beverly Hills and Santa Clara form part of a disturbing national trend. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lodged a complaint about systemic antisemitism. Jewish students in Baltimore reported relentless bullying, Nazi graffiti, and threats of violence invoking Hamas.

One shocking incident described in the complaint involved a high school English teacher at Bard High School, who allegedly performed a Nazi salute in class toward “the sole Jewish student” and later admitted his actions were deliberate. He reportedly told the student to unenroll from the course because it would address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement that such allegations represented “a shocking abdication of educator responsibility that constitutes unlawful antisemitic harassment under Title VI.”

In Beverly Hills, the clash over flying the Israeli flag crystallizes the tension between ensuring student safety and demonstrating solidarity with Jewish families. Cherniss has made it clear that his top priority is preventing the district from becoming a lightning rod amid an atmosphere of growing threats.

But many in the community see the veto as a retreat in the face of intimidation. Jewish leaders have expressed frustration that an expression of support for Israel — especially in a district with a significant Jewish population — was cast aside out of fear that it might provoke hostile actors.

The Algemeiner has repeatedly documented how Jewish students across the U.S. are pressured to hide symbols of their faith or connection to Israel for fear of harassment. Critics argue that removing the Israeli flag sends the wrong message: that intimidation works, and that Jewish identity must be suppressed to maintain security.

The debate in Beverly Hills reflects larger dynamics in American society, where symbols of Jewish identity and support for Israel are increasingly politicized. What some see as solidarity, others label as partisan — a framing that risks normalizing antisemitism by treating Jewish identity as inherently controversial.

Moreover, the Algemeiner report emphasized that while threats to security are real, avoiding displays of solidarity only emboldens those who seek to isolate Jewish communities. By contrast, adopting measures like the IHRA definition of antisemitism provides schools with tools to respond constructively and clarify that hostility toward Jews and Israel will not be tolerated.

For Beverly Hills, the superintendent’s veto may reduce immediate risks, but it has ignited a divisive debate about how institutions should balance safety, symbolism, and solidarity. As antisemitism in K-12 schools continues to rise, the question remains whether administrators will choose to confront the hostility head-on or sidestep it in hopes of avoiding controversy.

The Algemeiner has consistently highlighted the growing challenges Jewish students face in schools — from antisemitic graffiti and harassment to faculty behavior that undermines their sense of safety. The Beverly Hills controversy shines a proverbial spotlight on how even symbolic gestures of support, like flying the Israeli flag, can become battlegrounds in a climate where antisemitism is on the rise.

Superintendent Alex Cherniss’s decision may have been driven by a genuine concern for security, but it has left many in the Jewish community unsettled, questioning whether safety is being prioritized at the expense of solidarity. As other districts across the country grapple with their own failures to address antisemitism, the Beverly Hills case illustrates the precarious balance American schools must strike in an era of rising hostility toward Jews and Israel.