Educators share insights on teaching Jewish history in schools

The authors conducted interviews with 40 middle and high school English language arts and social studies teachers from January to March 2025. The purpose was to understand how educators address Jewish history and culture topics, including the Holocaust, antisemitism, Judaism, Israel, Jewish American identity, and the Arab-Israeli conflict in their classrooms.

The U.S. public education system is seen as a significant platform for countering antisemitism. Increased knowledge about Jews and Jewish history, along with heightened awareness of current antisemitism issues, correlates with reduced antisemitic sentiments.

These interviews aim to provide insights for state, district, and school leaders as well as organizations supporting instruction related to Jewish history and culture. The findings are expected to help curriculum developers and professional development providers offer resources that assist teachers in deepening their instruction on these complex subjects.