ADL Report: 73.6% of Jewish Educators Self-Censor in Teachers Unions

The Anti-Defamation League surveyed 307 Jewish members of teachers unions and found a pattern of silence born from fear. Nearly three-quarters of them—73.6 percent—said they censor themselves in union spaces. Seven in ten worried that speaking up about antisemitism could damage their reputation or career. The picture that emerges from the data is not of isolated incidents but of a structural problem: Jewish educators feeling unsafe in institutions meant to protect them.

The ADL's findings center on what the organization calls institutionalized antisemitism. Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL's chief executive, described it as "a structural and cultural failure," not the work of scattered individuals acting alone. The concern is systemic. One educator told the ADL that union leadership "actively works against" Jews and Zionists, pointing to events promoting what they described as biased anti-Israel curriculum, including materials that praised the October 7 Hamas attack. That same respondent's wife was physically intimidated at a union event and later attacked publicly by union leadership on social media.

The survey, which included teachers from 24 states with heavy representation from California, Massachusetts, and New York, found that nearly half of respondents—47.6 percent—reduced their participation in union activities because of what they experienced as harmful rhetoric or behavior targeting Jews, Zionists, or Israel. More than 70 percent said union statements about the Israel-Hamas conflict failed to condemn Hamas or acknowledge the atrocities of October 7. About 52 percent witnessed what they saw as minimization or denial of those atrocities. Nearly 49 percent heard the word "Zionism" used as a slur within the past year.

When Jewish educators brought these concerns to union leadership, the response fell short. Sixty-nine percent of those who complained said they were not satisfied with how leadership handled their concerns. One respondent described a union that passed a resolution blaming Israel for the October 7 attack, then voted down and shouted down amendments. Another told the ADL: "Jewish educators have gone into hiding. They do not admit to being Jewish or wear any identifying clothing or jewelry. We are still being told not to speak."

The major teachers unions have acknowledged the problem. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said that "no institution" is immune to antisemitism and that the union is working with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs on training and resources. The National Education Association said it stands firmly against antisemitism and noted its Jewish Affairs Caucus brings concerns to leadership. Both unions pointed to partnerships and workshops as evidence of engagement.

But critics argue that programs and statements are not enough if the culture at the top does not change. Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition, an organization advocating for Jewish schools, told Fox News Digital that if members believe antisemitism is coming from leadership itself, then leadership may need to change. "You can pass resolutions, you can pass and put out different curriculums, but if the top is not living and breathing a secure place for Jews then it's never going to be trickled down to the bottom," she said.

The ADL's report arrives against a backdrop of rising antisemitism across the country. In 2025, the organization recorded 6,274 incidents of antisemitism—an average of about 17 per day. These included 203 assaults, 4,003 instances of harassment, and 2,068 acts of vandalism. Thirty-two of the assaults involved a deadly weapon. For Jewish educators, the question now is whether union leadership will move beyond acknowledgment to substantive change in how these institutions operate and who they protect.