Project Sherma at schools

[Anonymous]

Please see this link:

https://jewishcurrents.org/inside-the-new-group-giving-antisemitism-trainings-at-harvard

Please read and then comment. I know at least one private school hiring their services.

I don’t think this is a good approach for private schools. It basically says that supporting Palestine is antisemitism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please see this link:

https://jewishcurrents.org/inside-the-new-group-giving-antisemitism-trainings-at-harvard

Please read and then comment. I know at least one private school hiring their services.

I don’t think this is a good approach for private schools. It basically says that supporting Palestine is antisemitism.

Agree. Please stay far away from our school! Losers.

[Anonymous]

It’s Shema not Sherma. And losers? How very grown up of you with your sophisticated expression is dissent.

[Anonymous]

*of dissent

[Anonymous]

This thread has about 60minutes until it does from political rage.


Anyway....

I think you are swinging too far in the other direction, making false claims about Project Shema and Zionists
Project Shema obviously propaganda, not an honest attempt to educate children. But that's OK. That's real life, and vigorous debate from advocates promotes critical thinking.
Project Shema (not Sherma) seems like a pretty soft version of Zionism, and they really do represent the views of a large subset of Jews. What's missing is balance.

Here's how I'd approach it:

The most effective strategy for sn't necessarily to cancel this programming, but to insist on honesty and educational balance. Encourage the administration to bring in a Jewish voice who do not support the current regime (like those from Jewish Voice for Peace or academic historians) and, crucially, a representative of Palestinian experiences and history.

Here's a draft of a message you can send to school

​Subject: Request for Balanced Programming Regarding Middle East Curriculum
​Dear [Administrator Name],
​I am writing to share my observations regarding the school’s recent partnership with Project Shema. While I appreciate efforts to address antisemitism, I am concerned that the current programming offers a narrow political framework that does not represent the full diversity of Jewish thought or the Palestinian experience.
​To ensure the school maintains its commitment to intellectual depth and non-partisan education, I am requesting that the administration invite complementary speakers to provide a more comprehensive view. Specifically:
​Diverse Jewish Perspectives: Programming featuring Jewish educators or organizations that offer a systemic critique of the current Israeli regime and its policies.
​Palestinian Voices: Sessions led by Palestinian advocates or historians to share their narratives, historical context, and human rights perspectives.
​In a private school environment that prizes critical thinking, it is vital that students are exposed to the 'tension' between different viewpoints rather than a singular ideological lens. Without these additions, the current curriculum remains incomplete.
​I look forward to discussing how the school plans to incorporate these essential perspectives into the upcoming calendar.
​Best regards,
​[Your Name]

[Anonymous]

Project Shema's programming is not about the Israel/Gaza conflict. Their programming is aimed at the sickening rise in antisemitism, understanding its roots, how to spot it, and how to fight it.

[Anonymous]

Education about antisemitism is not equivalent to advocacy for any particular Israeli government policy. It is absolutely appropriate for a school to host programming on antisemitism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Education about antisemitism is not equivalent to advocacy for any particular Israeli government policy. It is absolutely appropriate for a school to host programming on antisemitism.

“ In October 2024, a group of Harvard faculty signed an ultimately unsuccessful petition to cancel an antisemitism and Islamophobia workshop organized by the school’s DEI office and co-led by Project Shema. The petitioners accused Project Shema of conflating antisemitism and anti-Zionism and called out the group for previous collaborations with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).”

[Anonymous]

I am Palestinian and I haven’t seen any seminar in schools against anti Palestinian sentiment. Why is that? Is that sentiment not relevant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Palestinian and I haven’t seen any seminar in schools against anti Palestinian sentiment. Why is that? Is that sentiment not relevant?

I haven't seen any anti-Palestinian sentiment in schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Palestinian and I haven’t seen any seminar in schools against anti Palestinian sentiment. Why is that? Is that sentiment not relevant?

I haven't seen any anti-Palestinian sentiment in schools.

But you see a lot of antisemitism in schools? I have never seen a single case in my kids school or in the elite schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Palestinian and I haven’t seen any seminar in schools against anti Palestinian sentiment. Why is that? Is that sentiment not relevant?

I haven't seen any anti-Palestinian sentiment in schools.

I have.

[Anonymous]

Agree with both. I have seen plenty of anti-Semitism but haven’t heard a single case of anyone saying anything anti-Palestinean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with both. I have seen plenty of anti-Semitism but haven’t heard a single case of anyone saying anything anti-Palestinean.

I see the opposite. My point is that there should be workshops for most groups that are discriminated against, not only one.
In my kids school one teacher was fired for supporting the Palestinian cause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Palestinian and I haven’t seen any seminar in schools against anti Palestinian sentiment. Why is that? Is that sentiment not relevant?

Because you haven’t pitched one to the schools.