By Evereth Woodruff 
I have been a public school teacher and union member for the past 36 years. As a teacher, I have worked hard to cultivate a classroom environment based upon mutual respect while honoring my students as individuals, regardless of who they are and what they believe.
Until recently, I made the mistake of assuming that those leading the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and the National Education Association (NEA) were dedicated to promoting an environment in which these principles were valued.
The NEA Executive Board should be applauded for its recent decision not to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League. However, the delegation’s initial passage of this New Business Item (NBI) and the treatment of those who spoke against it expose the virulent anti-Israel rhetoric that has been allowed to fester and thrive in both the MTA and NEA.
Jewish teachers were harassed and mocked while speaking against the NBI. One explained: “The antisemitism I witnessed was shocking and heartbreaking. Never before have I felt so unwelcome, so unsafe in my union.” This educator felt unsafe in a union, the NEA, that purports to be “united in its purpose: championing justice.”
Another delegate described how people made a mockery of a recent antisemitic attack: “When a delegate mentioned Boulder (Colorado), some responded with laughter and cruel remarks.” In no context is this acceptable. A union that espouses tolerance of diverse points of view and encourages dialogue has made it acceptable to denigrate and ridicule one group and celebrate the firebombing of peaceful demonstrators in Boulder, including an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor.
The NEA and the MTA have a lot in common. While attempting to address the MTA’s anti-Israel agenda, Jewish guest speakers at board meetings faced blatant disrespect. On multiple occasions, groups of speakers clad in matching MTA Rank and File for Palestine sweatshirts, seated together, snickered at Jewish speakers. In March, when a group of guest speakers asked the MTA board to take down their resources filled with anti-Jewish propaganda, many board members had private conversations, texted on their phones, or worked on their computers. Some even passed around a pamphlet denigrating our concerns and the important work of the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. If the union were truly a “democratic organization in which members’ views and concerns …(were) vital to the development of policies and programs” as it claims, our concerns would not fall on deaf ears.
Outside of its treatment of guest speakers, the MTA has repeatedly disrespected and silenced Jewish points of view that differ from its adopted anti-Israel narrative. While the MTA claims that “there is no place for antisemitism in the union,” a constant barrage of NBIs and materials seem to single out and target its Jewish members. In December 2023, the MTA passed a resolution blaming Israel for a genocidal war after Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7. In March 2024, the MTA had a webinar promoting Soviet-era, antisemitic propaganda, including how Jewish money controls American politics and framing Israel as a white colonizer state. In December 2024, the MTA posted resources that delegitimized Israel. An author listed in one of these resources once said that Hamas’ actions on Oct. 7 “warms (sic) every fiber of his soul.” A poster saying “(expletive) Zionists” and one with a Jewish star made out of dollar bills were among suggested materials for use in classrooms.
The NEA Executive Board has taken a step in the right direction by not severing ties with the ADL, one of the foremost research organizations that has fought for over 100 years to eradicate hatred. In addition to creating programs like No Place for Hate to foster positive school climates, the ADL tracks hate crimes against Jews, Muslims, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those from other marginalized groups.
While there should be no place for hate in our unions, members have fallen prey to the modern iteration of anti-Jewish hatred: projecting the ills of humanity — systemic racism and colonization — upon Israel, and worse, holding all Jews and Jewish institutions accountable.
If the NEA wants to live out its vision of creating a “great public school for every student” and if the MTA truly believes in making “schools safe places for all students,” they have to end their relentless attacks on Jewish educators and students, and immediately address the existing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric that has been allowed to flourish in schools.
As the union increasingly prioritizes social justice issues beyond the classroom, it must remain open to members of all backgrounds, including Jews and Zionists. No educator should feel excluded because of their identity or beliefs. The MTA and NEA must make an explicit commitment to protecting Jewish educators and students from antisemitism and ensure that our voices are welcomed and heard, not minimized.
Joanna Honig is a retired teacher from Watertown High School