Schools are educating children to cultivate antisemitic sentiments

There has been a rise in campus antisemitism over the past decade, but the problem has been misdiagnosed, leading to ineffective treatment.

The focus has been on addressing the emotion of hate towards Jews, with efforts to promote empathy and universal love, especially regarding the Holocaust.

Despite these efforts, antisemitism on campus and deadly attacks on synagogues have continued to increase.

Emotion was not the root cause of antisemitism; rather, the issue lies in society and educational systems treating emotion as a valid basis for action.

This trend is not only affecting Jews but is also creating a generation of young people unable to reason from data, resulting in psychological distress.

This emotional approach poses a particular danger to Jewish students, as it hinders critical thinking and necessitates viewing world events through an emotional lens.

A recent forum led by New York City Department of Education middle-school teachers exemplified this, focusing on instilling negative emotions towards Zionism.

The curriculum aimed to connect students’ emotions to set feelings about Zionism rather than providing a comprehensive understanding of the conflict.

Educators must move away from ineffective “anti-hate” programs and instead invest in policies that prioritize substance over coaching emotions.

Students should not be required to agree on each other’s feelings in order to engage in studying or debating a topic, as this approach can perpetuate hatred towards Jews.

Hannah E. Meyers is a fellow and director of policing and public safety at the Manhattan Institute