Why a Resolution?
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Jewish teachers who belong to the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) have tried to open up a conversation with MTA leadership since offensive, antisemitic curricular materials were disseminated in late 2023 on the organization's member-only online portal following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre. A substantial part of the materials were exposed as discriminatory to the Jewish people and to Israel. I was elected to the Brookline School Committee in May of 2024. Since that time, I have been deeply involved in both Curriculum and Policy Subcommittees, collaborating with my colleagues in addressing our fiscal challenges, and proactive in responding, together with district leadership and staff to antisemitic incidents occuring within the school. Following the February 2025 Public Hearing of the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism in which MTA leadership was openly criticized for its slanted presentation of the Israel/Gaza conflict, I began to wonder if one way of giving teachers, parent/caregivers, students, and community members a voice was to have School District elected officials (i.e., their School Committees) publicly express their concern about the offensive materials and their potential use within the classroom. Thus, the Resolution was born in March 2025 and brought before our School Committee on May 1, 2025. The Resolution does not prohibit the use of these materials but rather cautions consumers of the materials about the perspective and agenda behind them. The Resolution does state that use of these materials in the classroom might violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Dr. Jesse Hefter
May 1, 2025
Resources (Media and Documents)
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July 16, 2025
Framingham School Committee passes MTA Resolution (5-4) - Resolution includes a link to a letter written from the Framingham Teacher's Association to the MTA regarding the Israel-Gaza Conflict resources
View the Resolution -
July 15, 2025
Dan Rea of WBZ-1030 AM radio's "NightSide with Dan Rea" invited Jesse to discuss "Getting Ahead of Antisemitism in Schools"
Access the podcast audio -
July 14, 2025
"The Public Schools of Brookline passed a resolution critical of the Massachusetts Teachers Association's 'Israel-Gaza Conflict' curricular materials, cautions district staff about using the materials in classrooms."
Access the Article -
July 9, 2025
Resolution and School Committee Work Recognized by Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism, MA State House
Forward to the 15:10 mark in the Video -
July 3, 2025
Take Action Guide - How to get the Resolution passed in your school district...
Take Action Guide (PDF) -
July 3, 2025 - Jewish Journal
Bedford, Natick join list of school committees denouncing MTA's Israel-Palestine resources 
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June 16, 2025
Natick School Committee Approves Resolution Against the MTA Resources and Hate of All Forms
Official Natick Resolution (PDF) -
June 11, 2025
Bedford School Committee Approves Resolution Against the MTA Resources and Hate of All Forms
Official Bedford Resolution (PDF) -
June 9, 2025
elevatethetruth.org circulated a petition that thanks the Brookline and Marblehead School Committees for standing up to the MTA's antisemitic materials. One thousand seven hundred five people signed the petition!cc: MTA; Governor Maura Healey; Massachusetts Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism Dear Ms. Schaeffner, Ms Frias, and Members of the Marblehead and Brookline School Committees, We are parents, grandparents, teachers, students, and taxpayers, and we are writing to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking a stand against the Massachusetts Teachers Association's extremist, antisemitic propaganda. Thank you for having the moral clarity to say in no uncertain terms, "The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) disseminated resources related to the Israel-Gaza conflict and its history that contain unambiguously antisemitic elements," and the courage to say, "These particular materials impact the Jewish community and are offensive, and undermine a balanced and fair presentation of this international issue." The materials the MTA shared as potential "resources" demonize Israel and encourage hatred of Jews and other Zionists. Instead of supporting diverse, inclusive, and pluralistic classrooms, this material pushes division, radical ideology, and a one-sided version of history that omits inconvenient facts and whitewashes violence against Jews. This is indoctrination, not education, and it doesn't belong in schools, especially schools devoted to academic excellence like Brookline and Marblehead. While the MTA's betrayal of our children has shocked, scared, and saddened us, your moral clarity and courage give us hope. Thank you for making it clear that Jew hatred and pro-terror propaganda have no place in our schools. In a time of surging Jew hatred, your support gives us hope.
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May 11, 2025 - Jewish Journal
Brookline Marblehead School Committees Resolve Palestine-israel Educational Materials are Antisemitic 
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May 15, 2025Marblehead School Committee Campaign Forum Video (Discussing antisemitism and the resolution) (May 21, 2025)
Marblehead, MA passes the Resolution.
Marblehead (News article)
Meeting Video (Marblehead School Committee)
Official Marblehead Resolution (PDF) -
May 11, 2025
Time of Israel Blog (Jesse Hefter)
Times of Israel -
May 6, 2025
Brookline (News Article)
Brookline, MA passes Resolution Offered by Dr. Jesse Hefter -
May 1, 2025
Brookline School Committee Resolution (Passed 6-3) [PDF]
View Resolution
Brookline School Committee Resolution (Passed 6-3) [Word Version for Editing] -
May 1, 2025
Slide Presentation (Brookline School Committee Meeting)
Meeting Materials/Slide Presentation -
May 1, 2025
Meeting Video (Brookline School Committee Meeting)
View the video -
Media Articles About the MTA's Israel/Gaza Resources:Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) Report - "REPORT: The Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism (Meeting #4 - K-12 Concerns)" (April 6, 2025)
The Free Press - "Welcome to Hamassachusetts" (February 13, 2025)
WBUR - "Mass. teachers union to remove website materials on Israel-Hamas war over concerns of antisemitism" (February 20, 2025) The Boston Globe - "Mass. teachers union to remove website materials on Israel-Hamas war over concerns of antisemitism" (February 12, 2025) The Daily Free Press - "Mass. Legislature Commission on Combating Antisemitism, MTA respond to claims of antisemitic educational materials" (February 19, 2025) MTA statement on reviewing member resources on the conflict in the Middle East (February 19, 2025)National Media CoverageFox News Channel video (February 17, 2025) CBS News (February 17, 2025) NBC Affiliate (CNYCentral) (February 17, 2025)