375+ Organizations Call on NEA Executive Committee to Reject Efforts to Boycott ADL Education Programs in Schools

Strategic Insights -

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has faced a backlash from the National Education Association (NEA) after the NEA's Representative Assembly adopted a resolution (NBI 39) calling for the boycott of ADL's educational resources. In response, over 375 Jewish communal organizations have sent a letter to the NEA Executive Committee, urging them to reject this resolution. The letter warns of the consequences of stripping anti-bias resources from schools, which would be detrimental to the Jewish community and students.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Education Association (NEA) has adopted a resolution (NBI 39) calling for the boycott of ADL's educational resources, which include anti-bias and Holocaust education curricula.
  • Over 375 Jewish communal organizations, including national, regional, and local organizations, have sent a letter to the NEA Executive Committee, urging them to reject this resolution.
  • The letter warns of the consequences of stripping anti-bias resources from schools, which would be detrimental to the Jewish community and students.
  • Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, met with NEA President Becky Pringle to address the issues raised in the letter and agreed to continue discussions.
  • The Jewish community has expressed concerns about rising antisemitism in schools and society, with a 434% spike in antisemitic incidents in independent K-12 schools since 2020.
  • ADL has partnered with schools, educators, and communities for four decades to provide anti-bias and anti-hate education programs, including No Place for Hate(r) and Echoes & Reflections.
  • The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has called on the NEA Executive Committee to reverse the resolution, citing its harmful message to the Jewish community and undermining decades of collaborative work to combat hate in our schools.

Statistics:

  • 375+ Jewish communal organizations sent a letter to the NEA Executive Committee to reject the resolution to boycott ADL's educational resources.
  • 434% spike in antisemitic incidents in independent K-12 schools since 2020, with 860 incidents recorded in non-Jewish K-12 schools in 2024.
  • Over 168,000 educators and an estimated 10 million students across the United States have used Echoes & Reflections, a Holocaust education program developed by ADL.
  • ADL's No Place for Hate(r) initiative engages students and staff in dialogue and active learning on bias, bullying, inclusion, and allyship.

Sources:

  • The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
  • The National Education Association (NEA)
  • The Jewish Federations of North America
  • The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
  • The National Council of Jewish Women
  • The American Jewish Committee (AJC)