In yet another explosive controversy rocking New York City�s embattled public school system, the Department of Education is under fire for distributing an official newsletter that accused Israel of committing “genocide in Gaza”�a claim that outraged Jewish educators and advocates are calling a dangerous escalation of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric within the city�s classrooms.

According to a NY Post report, the inflammatory statement appeared in the spring 2025 edition of the �Teacher Career Pathways� newsletter�an internal publication bearing the logos of both the NYC Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT)�which was distributed to hundreds of �master teachers� across the city�s 1,800 public schools.

�The genocide in Gaza, among other global injustices, emphasized the urgent need for student voices to be centered and heard,� the newsletter read, citing a student protest in the Bronx held on March 28 as a model of activism.

But Jewish educators say the message crossed a line�falsifying history, glorifying antisemitic demonstrations, and turning schools into ideological battlegrounds. �This newsletter needs to be removed and someone needs to apologize immediately,� said one Jewish teacher, who asked to remain anonymous. �Does the DOE expect me, a Jewish educator, to pass along this kind of language in good conscience?�

Pro-Israel teachers say that the referenced protest was not a benign call for peace, but a chaotic pro-Hamas rally rife with antisemitic tropes and slogans calling for the destruction of Israel. �To frame this as a noble catalyst for leadership is both revisionist and reckless,� said another concerned educator.

This is not the DOE�s first foray into controversy over anti-Israel messaging. Just weeks ago, the chancellor�s office was forced to apologize for a separate DOE-linked publication that promoted a �Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit,� urging educators to support calls to �Stop arming Israel� and �Free Palestine.�

The latest incident sparked harsh rebuke from elected officials and education watchdogs alike.

�This is simply inexcusable and unconscionable,� said Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin. �We were clear with the chancellor that this must never happen again�and yet here we are. DOE gets an F.�

Karen Feldman, co-founder of the NYC Public School Alliance and a 26-year teaching veteran, echoed the sentiment. �This is not genuine social justice�it is the spread of hate disguised as activism. Our schools should be spaces of inclusion and learning, not platforms for radical, inflammatory propaganda.�

Michelle Ahdoot, director at the advocacy group #EndJewHatred, called the newsletter part of a �clear pattern of Jew-hatred in official DOE communications,� accusing the chancellor of �deliberate indifference� to the danger Jewish educators and students face. She demanded a full investigation and public accountability.

DOE officials acknowledged the language had been removed after it was flagged but declined to name the author.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)