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)