Guests crowded into Temple Emanuel in Newton recently for a discussion titled “Israel, Antisemitism and the Crisis in Education.” What they got instead was a blistering attack on diversity, equity and inclusion programs used by schools to address racism.
Speakers from CAMERA, a pro-Israel group that organized the meeting, said policies “that promote diversity, equity and inclusion have been contaminated by antisemitism,” according to a person in attendance.
During the two-hour gathering, speakers argued that DEI initiatives distilled complex issues down to the oppressors vs. the oppressed. They say white Jews have been labeled oppressors, bypassing the historical and modern oppression they experience — and that framing fuels hatred of Jewish people, especially as it relates to the crisis in Gaza and Israel. The speakers condemned teachers’ union support for a ceasefire in Gaza and student-organized walkouts in support of humanitarian aid to Palestine.
