EXCLUSIVE: Pennsylvania Department of Education reviewing all materials after complaint about antisemitism definition
Erin James, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, told JNS that the department is “reviewing all other materials” after removing an educational equity and inclusion guide—developed prior to Gov. Josh Shapiro taking office—that contained the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
James told JNS that the department “has heard from concerned individuals over the past several days about the definition of antisemitism included in the document and we take those concerns seriously.”
Parents in the state told Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism had been replaced in the guide with the Jerusalem Declaration, which states that “as it relates to Israel/Palestine, not all views or actions against Israel, such as supporting justice for Palestinians or opposing Zionism as a form of nationalism, are, on the face of it, antisemitic.”
“We have removed it from our website and are reviewing all other materials,” James said. “All Pennsylvania students deserve to feel safe at school and learn in environments where their rights, identities and differences are respected.”
Though the document was dated 2023, and Shapiro took office in January 2023, James told JNS that the guide was developed under former governor Tom Wolf’s administration.
James told JNS that Shapiro “has made clear, antisemitism must be confronted and condemned with moral clarity wherever it occurs.” The Jewish Democratic governor has been a target of antisemitic violence, when the governor’s mansion was set on fire in April 2025.
The department “is committed to working with schools across Pennsylvania to ensure that all students learn in safe, inclusive environments,” she said.
Get the latest updates in our WhatsApp group.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is reviewing all educational materials after removing an equity and inclusion guide that featured the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism. The department received complaints regarding the definition of antisemitism in the guide, which replaced the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition. Press Secretary Erin James stated, "We have removed it from our website and are reviewing all other materials." The guide, developed under the previous administration, included text asserting that "not all views or actions against Israel, such as supporting justice for Palestinians or opposing Zionism as a form of nationalism, are, on the face of it, antisemitic." Governor Josh Shapiro's administration emphasizes confronting antisemitism with moral clarity.
© All rights to the original article belong to the source. Din Online shows a headline, an excerpt and a link only. The objectivity rating is computed automatically and is an estimate only.
Discussion
No comments yet — be the first to comment.