Take Action

TIME SENSITIVE ACTION:

Thank the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for its recently released rubric regarding antisemitism education, and voice your support for teaching Jewish history and antisemitism within the larger frameworks of world history and the many types of discrimination that exist (as opposed to singling out Jewish people for different treatment) by submitting your public comment here. On this comment form, check all the boxes in the column that says “In support of the proposed criteria." At the very bottom, where it says “If you have any other comments … please write them here,” personalize one of these sample comments (and if you are a parent, Jewish, and/or an educator, include that in your note):

Thank you for your work to craft this rubric. I support it because it teaches about antisemitism within the context of the many types of discrimination that exist and does not single out Jewish people for different treatment, as all forms of bias and prejudice should be addressed. It’s also important to note that any definition of antisemitism should not conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.

Thank you for your work developing this rubric. I support this rubric because it does not codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and chills free speech.

Thank you for your work on this rubric, which I support. I do not support the recommendations issued to DESE by the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism, because they single out Jewish people for different treatment and effectively restrict free speech.

ONGOING ACTIONS:

Make your voice heard by sharing your perspective through this web form, which sends your comment to the Commission and creates a public record of our dissent to the Commission’s work. Sample comment to copy/paste:

Please reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which effectively chills free speech and endangers our First Amendment rights. I also ask that the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism immediately rescind its recommendation that non-criminal school incidents be reported to the Massachusetts State Police, which is the opposite of what we need here in our Commonwealth. The Commission’s recommendations are dangerous and should be withdrawn immediately.

Send your comment to Governor Healey through this official contact form. The Governor needs to know that the public does not support the Commission’s work.

If you are Jewish, please join more than 700 (and counting) Jewish people across Massachusetts: Sign this petition that calls on the Commission to STOP weaponizing our identity and STOP using antisemitism to justify crackdowns on free speech.

Request a Yard Sign: Fill out this form to request a yard sign, or email us at shameonvelis@gmail.com