During an LMSD in-service day on January 20, faculty members at all LMSD schools watched a presentation aiming to combat antisemitism presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP) in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an international organization whose mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Representatives from the JFGP presented a slideshow to staff, which included a general history of the Jewish people, antisemitism, the Holocaust, and a rundown of recent notable antisemitic actions that have occurred across the nation. 

As for the presentation, why is LMSD having this training done now? Cases of antisemitism have been on the rise in the U.S. since the October 7 attack, with the ADL reporting over 10,000 antisemitic incidents throughout the country between October 2023 and September 2024, “the most incidents recorded in a 12-month period by the organization since it began tracking threats in 1979,” according to CNN. In the presentation, the ADL gives its rationale for why it believes antisemitism is BREAK essential to teach about at this time: “We are living in a time of huge increases in antisemitism here in the United States and abroad […] Antisemitism isn’t as well-studied or understood as it should be to ensure the safety and well-being of Jewish people.” Additionally, the presentation was part of LMSD’s response to recent reported incidents of antisemitism in the district as well controversies relating to discussions that took place during a School Board meeting in September 2024. There, community members got into a heated debate over LMSD’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, with Board member Abigail Lerner Rubin saying that the policies should focus on “all” students as opposed to just the “historically marginalized” in response to rising antisemitism. As first reported in the Merionite in October, this led to an argument in which Board member Kimberly Garrison disagreed, saying that “racism and anti-Blackness have always been in fashion.” Board member Anna Shurak responded in agreement, expressing her belief that “experiencing antisemitism did not preclude me… [from] having the same opportunities and educational outcomes in the same way it may have if I was a different race or if I had a disability.” Garrison later added: “I know quite a bit about Jewish history as well, and there was a time before Jewish people decided that they were going to join the group of White people, like all the other ethnic groups.” This statement caused backlash in the meeting, with Rubin asking Garrison to “take that statement back, that’s not really true.” After the meeting, there was pushback from the community on social media, causing the School Board to email a statement to district parents on November 19 saying it was “solidifying specific training for our Board, and additional training for LMSD staff and students on the topic of antisemitism.”

As for the presentation itself, it featured a brief history of the Jewish people and anti-Jewish sentiment over time, defining antisemitism as “the marginalization and oppression of people who are Jewish, based on the belief in stereotypes, myths, and disinformation about Jewish people, Judaism, and Israel.” Another slide addressed criticism of Israel, saying that “all criticism of Israel is not antisemitic,” but drew a line between criticism and “anti-Israel bias,” which is defined as “inaccurate, inordinate or hyperbolic criticism of Israel.” Additionally, the presentation defined the ideology of Zionism as “the movement for self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel” and anti-Zionism as “the rejection of the right of Jewish statehood and self-determination.” Regarding this section of the slideshow, social studies teacher Sania Mirzanschall said “I think that the presentation made a concerted effort to distinguish between what criticisms of Israel look like and at what point it becomes antisemitism.” A section titled “The Impact of Rising Antisemitism on Jewish People & the Jewish Community” featured multiple slides relating antisemitism to education specifically. Two hypothetical scenarios of antisemitism were featured, involving a Jewish teacher and student being made uncomfortable by antisemitic rhetoric, respectively.

The last section of the presentation was geared more specifically towards educators, containing information on how to fight antisemitism in schools. The ADL offered tips for supporting Jewish students, such as creating “opportunities for them to process emotions alone or with others [and] coordinate support with colleagues.” Also, the slideshow wrapped up with a QR code directing teachers to post-workshop resources containing articles on the history of antisemitism and the ADL’s online tool for reporting antisemitism in schools.

The presentation itself took place at Black Rock and was live streamed via a Zoom call to staff at other district schools. Talking about the way in which the information was introduced, Academic Seminar teacher Christina Minecci said, “The District was doing something in the best way they had available at the time… At heart, the reasoning behind the presentation was very, very positive; but, in my opinion, you have to give smaller groups, provide for personal feedback… you have to make things that are that important more personal.” Minecci believes that “when you have something so serious presented to a large group, it can lead to a breakdown of that message.” 

This type of training is not unique to LMSD. According to its website, the ADL offers training on antisemitism and bias in education to teachers and administrators in schools across the country. This training is just one type of work the ADL does—it has existed since 1913 and has attempted to counter antisemitism and other forms of bigotry throughout its history via legislation, public service announcements, and ad campaigns. However, the ADL itself has not been without controversy lately. At an event related to President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, billionaire Elon Musk made a gesture interpreted by many as a Nazi salute, prompting widespread criticism from politicians, reporters, and the public. The ADL appeared to defend Musk, writing in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that he had simply made an “awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.” However, just days later, Musk did draw criticism from the ADL when he made a post on X referencing notorious Nazi figures. The organization then said in their own post that Musk’s “jokes” were “inappropriate and highly offensive” and that they “minimize the evil and inhumanity of Nazi crimes.”

There were other planned upcoming presentations, centering on “The Art of Civil Discourse” and “The Civil Rights Movement and Where we Stand Today,” scheduled for in-service days later this year, and based on feedback, teachers were told that the format of the next presentation would be changed to smaller groups to allow for better engagement and more individual facilitation.