The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has taken legal action against Colorado’s Boulder Valley School District. The organization filed a civil rights complaint due to persistent accusations of antisemitic harassment. Reports detail disturbing behavior such as Nazi salutes, ridicule of the Holocaust, and a game named ‘Jew touch tag’ where Jewish students were targeted. Parents and observers have expressed anger over the district’s insufficient response to severe bullying, which has intensified into physical attacks and criminal actions.
For Jewish families, the start of the school year brings more worries than buying school supplies. They are concerned about their children’s safety due to their Jewish identity. Besides acquiring knowledge in subjects like math and reading, school teaches children their place in society and whether adults will protect them. There is a growing threat jeopardizing this learning due to increasing antisemitic violence and threats.
Data from the New York Police Department reveals an 8.5% rise in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City within the first seven months of 2026. Jewish individuals, although only one-tenth of New York City’s population, feature prominently in these hate crime statistics.
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Hateful graffiti at UCLA in 2024 and an attacker ramming into a Michigan synagogue illustrate that the issue extends beyond New York. FBI data confirms Jews, making up 2% of the U.S. population, suffer 16% of reported hate crimes and almost 70% of religion-based hate crimes. Alarmingly, 10% of these occur in educational settings. Antisemitic acts in schools for grades K-12 have surged 434% since 2020.
This rise in antisemitism affects not just the Jewish community but society as a whole. It needs a widespread response from cultural and political leaders. Online platforms play a role as 74% of Americans who witness antisemitism encounter it on social media. Yet, many Jewish adults do not report these incidents, fearing ineffectiveness.
Schools, while unable to fix every societal flaw, set standards for responses to hate. The U.S. Department of Education emphasized that Title VI protects all students from discrimination, including those perceived as Jewish. Schools are expected to promptly address harassment that leads to a hostile environment.
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School officials should assert that antisemitism is unacceptable in any form. Education must go beyond occasional assemblies, helping students understand antisemitism’s manifestations in politics, conspiracy theories, and social media. Schools and law enforcement need coordinated responses to protect students and manage credible threats as serious issues.
Addressing safety as a public duty is crucial. Organizations like Teach Coalition note that Jewish schools invest heavily in security, averaging over $1,000 per student annually. These funds could otherwise support educational enhancements like scholarships and mental health services. Securing public funding is essential. The FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program allocated $274.5 million last year, with many applications denied. Congress should increase this funding to a billion dollars to effectively address rising threats.
Leaders across all sectors must acknowledge antisemitism as a collective problem. School boards, political figures, clergy, union leaders, and cultural influencers all play a role in shaping societal norms.
A unified societal approach involves improving education, enhancing security measures, ensuring legal accountability, and fostering a culture where Jewish students feel safe to express their identity without fear.
Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition, collaborates with various educational partners to promote policies prioritizing students and families.