CAMERA reporting on antisemitism in Philadelphia schools cited in public hearing

According to CAMERA's investigation, the School District of Philadelphia shifted social studies to teach thematic elements of capitalism and racism, portraying Jews as 'oppressors.'

Pennsylvania lawmakers drew upon extensive research from the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) during a public hearing held by the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee on Wednesday.

The hearing focused on combating antisemitic hate and utilized findings from CAMERA’s 81-page investigation, called “Shaping Minds, Spreading Hate: How Antisemitism Took Root in the School District of Philadelphia”. Written by Rebecca Schgallis, Director of CAMERA’s K-12 Program, the report examined how instructional materials and broader school policies can create environments hostile to Jewish students and teachers.

According to the investigation, the School District of Philadelphia’s (SDP) social studies curriculum shifted away from traditional chronological historical study toward thematic material focused on capitalism, racism, and settler colonialism. The report found major gaps in world history coverage, including limited or absent education on events like the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, both World Wars, and the Cold War.

CAMERA also concluded that Pennsylvania’s vague social studies standards and lack of state assessments provided an opening for an ideologically driven curriculum that prioritized activism over historical literacy.

Ahead of the committee session, Schgallis stated: “I welcome the committee’s drawing on CAMERA’s research as it examines rising antisemitism across Pennsylvania and in the School District of Philadelphia. Our research demonstrates why lawmakers need to look beyond individual incidents and investigate how broader school policy and curricular initiatives can create an environment that is ultimately hostile to Jewish students.”

Curriculum portrayed Jews, Israel as oppressors

Schgallis added: “When Philadelphia parents came to CAMERA, they wanted to understand how outside curricular organizations were influencing SDP’s instructional materials. We found problems across the social studies curriculum. SDP’s curriculum used an oppressor/oppressed binary lens that cast Jews, Israel, and even the United States as oppressors, effectively teaching students to view them through a predetermined ideological framework rather than encouraging them to examine history and current events critically.”

The investigation was initiated after Philadelphia parents urged CAMERA to examine the district’s use of lesson plans and resources from the Zinn Education Project following multiple antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023. Utilizing public curriculum materials, public records requests, and public social media activity from educators, CAMERA detailed how the district’s ideological agenda developed. CAMERA also contributed its expertise to the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s investigations into the school district.

Schgallis stated regarding the Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing: “I hope the hearing is a wake-up call for Pennsylvania elected officials and parents to take a hard look at how curriculum is shaped and whether the education students are receiving is contributing to, rather than confronting, antisemitism.”