Hello friends.

This is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the important contributions that Jews have made to this nation from its earliest days to today. We are pleased to share a wide range of Jewish American Heritage Month resources with you in this newsletter.

By honoring this heritage, and that of Asian American Pacific Islanders who also celebrate in May, we honor the rich cultures of our diverse nation and the fabric that weaves us together.

In the resources we include in this month's newsletter, we also spotlight ADL's recently released Audit of Antisemitic Incidents for 2024. Overall, the Audit showed that there was an average of over an incident an hour somewhere in the United States last year, and while the number of incidents recorded in the Audit that took place in K-12 schools dipped by 26%, there were still an alarming 860 such incidents.

Don't miss the on-demand webinar below for ways to address antisemitism in the classroom, and share the companion resources with parents and caregivers as well. We are all part of the support system for Jewish students -- and all students -- and we can make a difference for them every day.

In Partnership,

Ariel Behrman
VP, Education (Interim)

The Colleyville, Texas Synagogue Hostage Crisis:
May 28 @ 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS, STUDENTS & PARENTS/CAREGIVERS

In 2022, a terrorist stormed Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville TX during a live-streamed service, taking a group of innocent worshippers hostage.  Join the courageous Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and award-winning writer-director Dani Menkin to discuss this incident, as well as the gripping film "Colleyville" that they made using footage from the live stream and security cameras. The film will be available for a limited advanced screening to those who register for this discussion.

Breaking Down Antisemitism: Guiding Students from Awareness to Action

Course: May 5-19
Welcome Webinar: May 7 from 7 – 8 p.m. ET

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS

Be part of ADL’s new pilot professional learning course designed to help educators build inclusive, respectful school environments. In this five-hour, self-paced course for educators, you will explore contemporary antisemitism, access ready-to-use classroom resources, and develop strategies to empower students to challenge bias and be upstanders.  With guidance from ADL experts and support from a collaborative learning community, you’ll create a plan to use Awareness to Action: Challenging Antisemitism, an interactive online course for students.

Antisemitic Incidents and Tools to Address Them for K-12 Schools

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS

The newest findings from ADL’s Audit on Antisemitic Incidents reveal that antisemitism is a pressing issue within K-12 schools. Watch the on-demand recording of this webinar to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of antisemitism in K-12 schools and get practical tools designed to empower you to effectively address and disrupt antisemitism in your classroom. [Available on demand after registration]

Related Resources for Families

Championing Change: How Parents and Families Can Address Antisemitism in Schools

Information about common antisemitic incidents and behaviors that take place in K-12 schools, and how families can support children and help make schools more inclusive for Jewish and all students.

Israel in the Curriculum

Acting as an ally alongside young people when students are learning about Israel in school can ensure that classroom learning experiences account for biases that make students unsafe.

Celebrating Jewish American Heritage: Lessons to Reflect and Connect 

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS, STUDENTS & PARENTS/CAREGIVERS

Jewish American Heritage Month takes place each May. This year we have created a new collection of lesson plans and tools to support student learning. We are pleased to provide you with an enriching and engaging set of resources for your students, with middle-school lesson plans such as these:

• Learn about notable Jewish Americans and what they contribute to Jewish history and culture.
• Use poetry to reflect on the Jewish experience. 
• Reflect on Jewish holidays and traditions. 
• Dive into the history of Jewish immigration to the U.S.

This collection also includes short videos about how to teach the lessons, Sutori direct-to-student learning experiences that accompany all of the lesson plans, an educator Q+A guide, a Table Talk parent/family discussion guide and more.

Picture and Chapter Books to Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

AUDIENCE: FOR EDUCATORS

These ADL-recommended resources will help ensure that this month will be a time to uplift and provide learning experiences for students to explore the Jewish experience. Children’s books are a useful opening to introduce elementary students to the Jewish experience. This can include an exploration of holidays, traditions, culture, history, notable people, antisemitism faced by the Jewish community and more.

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Resources

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a commemoration of the culture, traditions and history of Asian American and Pacific Islander people in the United States.  Throughout May, communities commemorate the achievements and contributions of people who are Asian American Pacific Islander with community festivals, government-sponsored activities and educational activities for students. ADL offers a list of K-12 curriculum and other resources to bring the month to your classroom.