Two teachers have been removed from a Los Angeles area charter school located at a synagogue after teaching a lesson to first graders about “genocide in Palestine,” according to school officials.
The teachers were ousted from the classroom — but not fired — from the Citizens of the World Charter School, which has classrooms at Adat Ari El Synagogue in the San Fernando Valley, KTLA reported.
Senior Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei told reporters at a press conference on Friday that tensions at the school first emerged after “certain teachers” reached out to the school’s principal about Israeli flags hoisted around campus following Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.
“I know that this is a time to hold your community close, and perhaps the flags are intended for that – but do you know how long they will be up?” the principal, Hye-Won Gehring, emailed Schuldenrei after the teachers asked when they would be removed.
Schuldenfrei said he found the email offensive and likened it to asking Americans to take down American flags after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Gehring later apologized, he said.
He later learned that the same teachers who complained about the flags had taught a “human rights” lesson to first graders at the school — and posted about it online.
“After the lesson, one of the teachers proudly shared on Instagram, and I quote, ‘LOL but I did a lesson on the genocide in Palestine today w my first graders…,’” Schuldenfrie said. “The teacher went on to boast: ‘My fav was a kid who was like ‘What if they just gave the land back to Palestine and find somewhere else to live.”
The teacher added a heart emoji to the end of the post, he added.
The world needs to know that anyone who calls for the eradication of Israel is expressing a pernicious form of antisemitism, a denial of the right of Jews to live in our ancestral homeland,” Schuldenfrie continued. “The heart emoji … is perverse punctuation, dressing up hate in the guise of love.”
CWC executive director Melissa Kaplan apologized and vowed that the school would fully investigate the incident.
“CWC unequivocally condemns the social media posts by our staff members, including the use of the word “genocide” to describe Israel’s [response to the attack],” Kaplan said in a statement. “CWC unequivocally condemns the disturbing suggestion that Jews should leave the region, and we unequivocally condemn any lesson that creates bias or fear among our students.”
Gehring again apologized on Friday and announced she would be taking a two-week absence to complete sensitivity training.
The incident has been traumatizing for the local Jewish community, Schuldenfrie said, but added it is “heartening to see Citizens of the World take these first steps” and that hoped this could be a “learning moment.”
