Essential Principles and Guiding Questions for Anti-Semitism Related Education

This is a work-in-progress that we share in connection with our Jewish Futures Conference, Pride and Prejudice. We look forward to your thoughts and comments at onlineresources@jewishedproject.org as we develop this further

Essential principles for anti-Semitism related education:

  • Education around anti-Semitism should be lifelong, ongoing, moral education, rather than periodic or incident-responsive only programming.
  • When age-appropriate, children should know about the current and historic facts pertaining to anti-Semitism as a unique set of experiences, as well as learn about racism and all forms of discrimination in the world.
  • In an era when young people are increasingly identifying as global citizens, it is important that their understanding of anti-Semitism and any related educational experiences be resonant with their expansive worldview.
  • Anti-Semitism related education should offer optimistic, proud, thriving-oriented alternatives to fear-focused pedagogy and rhetoric.

Guiding questions for learners and educators:

  • How do I equip myself to confront harsh realities while developing and sustaining the optimism to believe that the world is beautiful and that I can make it a better place?
  • To what should I be attuned in the surrounding world and to whom do I need to be connected in order to make it a better place?
     
  • What do I need to know about myself (internal knowledge) and the world (external knowledge) to confront tough stuff? 
  • How do I use and build upon my character strengths to tackle these big issues?
     
  • What do I need to learn to figure out when and how to react, when not to react, and when to resist?
  • How does being part of a community that has experienced bigotry and oppression impact me and my life as a Jew and person? How can group experiences of marginalization and oppression affect the individuals within those groups?
  • What does it mean to be an "other"? What does it mean to see people as "others"? When do I experience and/or do this?