Several dozen Jewish activists rallied outside the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) headquarters in lower Manhattan, accusing the city’s most powerful teachers union of ignoring antisemitism in public schools and abandoning Jewish educators, parents, and students.

Protesters, some of them UFT members themselves, carried signs reading “UFT leadership: Failing Jewish students. Failing New York” and “Educate against hate,” while chanting “Enough is enough.” A number of participants wore official union shirts but scrawled on the back: “UFT doesn’t represent me.”

The demonstrators accused UFT leadership of a “pattern of silence and inaction” on antisemitic incidents, pointing to the union’s political endorsements — including that of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — as emblematic of the union’s betrayal.

Karen Feldman, a co-founder of the New York City Public School Alliance, said she had been a dues-paying union member for 26 years before leaving over growing antisemitism in the school system.

Organizers called on the UFT to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, ban classroom content that demonizes Jews, Zionism, or Israel, provide mandatory antisemitism training to members, withdraw endorsements of politicians who use or condone antisemitic slogans such as “Globalize the intifada,” and conduct a full audit of union materials for antisemitism.

The demonstration was organized by a coalition of groups fighting antisemitism in schools and on campuses, including the New York City Public School Alliance, the Lawfare Project, EndJewHatred, Parents Against Antisemitism, and SAFE Campus for Equality.

The UFT has not yet issued a response to the protesters’ demands.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)