NBC 10 Boston: Commission gives recommendations to combat antisemitism in Mass. schools
Ahead of the start of the school year, the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism has unanimously approved preliminary recommendations for K-12 education meant to strengthen classroom instruction, institute anti-bias training and reporting that incorporates antisemitism, and promote community bonding.
"There has been so much reach-out on this. Folks obviously feel very strongly on this," commission co-chair Sen. John Velis said at the State House public meeting, which involved several outbursts from attendees opposing the commission's report.
"There is a whole breadth of opinions, thoughts on this, and there have been, quite literally, hundreds of meetings that have taken place on this topic -- meeting with people that some folks agree with, don't agree with, are indifferent to," the Westfield Democrat said. "It's been a process, and I think we're just grateful. We're grateful for everyone that has weighed in today, and will, as we know, continue to weigh in on this conversation that is very robust, very expansive."
In an interview Wednesday morning, Velis and Rep. Simon Cataldo -- the other co-chair of the commission -- detailed some of the stories they've heard about Jewish hate in Massachusetts schools.
"Students, kids just haven't even wanted to or have been afraid to come forward and talk to us," Velis said.
"Students, we heard again and again, would actually report an incident of virulent antisemitism. They'd often be gaslit," Cataldo said. "It would be minimized."
Velis recalled one conversation with a mother about her 8-year-old daughter being afraid to say that she was Jewish because she was concerned what would happen.
"Absolutely heartbreaking," he said.
"The goal here was to create a playbook for school administrators and staff and state education leaders to ensure that folks knew what to do -- both anticipating incidents of antisemitism and during and after those incidents occur, which we know they will," Cataldo said.
The commission recommends that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education create an Advisory Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education within the next six months. It would be tasked with monitoring the development and availability of curriculum for students. A 2021 law requires that middle and high schools offer genocide education, though the commission learned not all districts are teaching about the Holocaust.
A new report shows antisemitic hate crimes are on the rise in Massachusetts. Schools in Concord and Carlisle, meanwhile, are accused of not protecting their Jewish students from harassment.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is urged to create "model curricula" and "best practices/resources" for teaching about antisemitism and Jewish identity, and to provide resources "that are appropriate for classroom instruction at various grade levels to teach about Ancient Israel, Palestine, the modern State of Israel, and related conflicts in the Middle East that align and relate to the Content Standards for History and Social Science," according to the report.
Public school committees should have mandatory anti-bias training for school committees, plus K-12 faculty and administrators, that includes antisemitism, the commission recommends. Schools and districts should also develop programming for Jewish American Heritage Month in May and "treat JAHM in an equivalent fashion to other history, identity and heritage months recognized by the schools throughout the year," the report says.
New DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez told the commission Thursday that his department "would support the implementation of these recommendations." DESE this fall plans to release a rubric to establish basic standards for teaching antisemitism, the report notes.
"We're on board to (make) sure our children feel safe and protected," Martinez said.
Ahead of the vote this week, advocates with Concerned Jewish Faculty and Staff (CJFS-B) and Together for an Inclusive Massachusetts (TIM) asked the commission to delay its vote.
"Due in part to the Commission's lack of transparency and exclusionary process, the flawed and partisan recommendations are unlikely to effectively address antisemitism and will undermine safe learning and working environments for students and teachers alike," the groups said.
The groups also warned that the "recommendations would seriously threaten free speech, erode civil rights and compromise student learning in the Commonwealth, effectively mandating a 'Don't Say Palestine' rule in Massachusetts schools."
The preliminary report details all of the experts and advocates that have testified at commission hearings.
The Department of Education says dozens of schools, including six in Massachusetts, are facing "potential enforcement."
Antisemitic hate crime incidents in Massachusetts rose by more than 20% in 2024, and antisemitism in K-12 public schools "is a pervasive and escalating problem, with a large number of reported incidents of hate, bullying, harassment and discrimination experienced by families and teachers," the report states.
The Israel-Hamas War has led to a surge in antisemitic incidents, and the commission found "[m]any Jewish students in Massachusetts schools are scared to publicly display their Judaism or let others know they are Jewish for fear of disparate treatment or bullying."
To improve safety and security for Jewish communities, the commission says Massachusetts should establish a statewide bias reporting program that explicitly counts antisemitism as a form of bias, starting with a pilot within the next school year. Schools should have a "clear, transparent, and publicly available" protocol for
community members to report incidents to administrators. School counseling departments should also expand resources for Jewish students who are experiencing antisemitic bullying or harassment, the report states.
In an effort to "reverse the normalization of antisemitism" and tackle discrimination, the commission wants school officials to adopt communication standards for handling antisemitic incidents and awareness. When an incident occurs, school officials should "speak out clearly, forcefully, and with specificity as to the type of hate, rather than using vague language around all forms of hate," the report says.
DESE and Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office should also coordinate guidance around the First Amendment, including students' right to free expression.
The commission also wants DESE to create a system for reporting "problematic curriculum," including materials that prompt bias, bigotry or discrimination.
Aiming to build "cross-communal solidarity" and "collective action" to reduce hate, the commission suggests schools promote and invest in after-school programs and clubs that help with bonding and shared experiences.
Speaker Ron Mariano, in a statement Friday, thanked the commission and co-chairs for "working tirelessly to ensure that every student in Massachusetts feels safe, supported, and seen."
"The preliminary K–12 recommendations issued by the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism mark a critical step forward in response to the alarming rise in antisemitism in our schools," Mariano said. "The Commission's commitment to this work—and the strong support it has received from state leaders—reflects exactly the kind of leadership this moment demands."
Those who attended the rally said they were standing up against hate and called the vandalism "an act of cowardice." Follow NBC10 Boston: https://instagram.com/nbc10boston https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston https://twitter.com/NBC10Boston https://bsky.app/profile/nbcboston.com
But critics of the report say they "deserve better."
"From the outset, TIM and CJFS-B have urged the Commission to address antisemitism in a way that does not pit some Jewish students against other marginalized populations, including other Jewish students," the groups said. "The current K-12 education recommendations fail that critical test."
The commission's final report is due Nov. 30. Unlike that product, the preliminary report will not be filed with the House and Senate clerks, Cataldo said.
"The reason we did this on this timeframe is based on encouragement from major stakeholders to distribute our recommendations prior to the beginning of the school year, the K-12 school year, on K-12 education," Cataldo said. "So that is why we are not waiting until the end of our commission. But this will be folded into the final report, and the commission still has the option of making additions or changes."
