JCPA has launched partnerships with both national teachers’ unions — the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) — aimed at understanding and countering antisemitism and hate and protecting public education and our democracy.
We believe that strong democratic institutions and values — including unions, public education, and academic freedom — are vital to a healthy democracy and safer communities, and in fact, have been inherent to Jewish advancement and safety in this country for generations. We know that it is both possible and necessary to protect these institutions and values and directly confront antisemitism in all of its forms.
That is why, instead of efforts to tear down unions and undermine our academic and education institutions, JCPA’s work centers on building constructive partnerships that help educators and institutions understand and counter antisemitism, support Jewish students and educators, and strengthen inclusive schools, campuses, and our democracy. Through these two national partnerships, JCPA has provided educators and union leaders with practical resources, including curricula, webinars and trainings, public programming, lesson-plan and resource hubs, local pilot programs, and toolkits on antisemitism, Jewish history, Holocaust education, Jewish American heritage, civil rights protections, and democratic resilience.
Across these efforts, JCPA emphasizes that Jewish safety and a vibrant democracy are inextricably linked. JCPA’s constructive partnership-building approach ensures unions, educators, governments, and Jewish communities can work together to address hate and bias while protecting academic freedom, civil liberties, and pluralism.
Examples and Resources
Public Programs, Workshops, and Trainings
JCPA regularly leads public programs, workshops, and trainings on antisemitism and related issues at NEA and AFT conferences, online, and in partnership with union affiliates. Some examples include:
Understanding Antisemitism Webinar with JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick and NEA President Becky Pringle (January 2026)
- JCPA and NEA partnered on a large-scale webinar marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Both Amy Spitalnick and NEA President Becky Pringle made clear that antisemitism is a threat not only to Jews, but also to all students, educators, inclusive schools, and democracy.
- The webinar concluded with the launch of a new NEA resource hub providing union leaders and educators with resources to understand and counter antisemitism.
Antisemitism, Democracy, and the Assault on Knowledge & Education: A Conversation Between JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten (April 2025)
- In the face of both real concerns about antisemitism and the exploitation of those fears to undermine universities, academic freedom, and broader democratic norms, JCPA and AFT held a large public program on the importance of rejecting the false choice between Jewish safety and our democracy.
Resource Hubs
JCPA has launched resource hubs with both NEA and AFT, providing educators with a variety of vetted materials on antisemitism, Holocaust education, Jewish heritage and identity, and more.
AFT Share My Lesson Resource Hub
- JCPA partnered with AFT and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to launch a new resource hub to support educators teaching Jewish heritage, antisemitism, and related issues, via AFT’s widely used Share My Lesson platform. The hub provides classroom-ready lesson plans, activities, and background materials for K-12 educators addressing antisemitism and inclusion.
NEA Resource Hub: Ending the Hate, Celebrating the Heritage
- In partnership with JCPA, launched a resource hub with materials on countering antisemitism and Holocaust denial, celebrating Jewish American heritage, and providing other related tools and support to address hate and bias while reinforcing safety, belonging, and civic education.
NEA Toolkit: Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month
- NEA launched a toolkit for Jewish American Heritage Month with lesson plans, reading lists, and resources on Jewish identity, history, culture, and labor contributions — highlighting the diversity of Jewish experiences, including Sephardi, Mizrahi, LGBTQ+, women, and labor history resources.
JCPA Fact Sheet: Jewish Safety and the Department of Education
- JCPA developed a toolkit for Jewish communal leaders and professionals, union leaders and educators, and other stakeholders, focused on the importance of public education and key civil rights protections in the fight for Jewish safety. In the face of efforts to weaken or dismantle the Department of Education, including the Office of Civil Rights and Title VI, JCPA has worked to underscore the importance of those institutions to Jewish — and all students’ — rights and safety.
Policy Changes and Other Improvements
JCPA’s engagement has led to specific changes to rules and policies aimed at creating safer and more inclusive unions for Jewish – and all – educators.
NEA 2026 Representative Assembly Rules Changes
- Ahead of the 2026 NEA Representative Assembly, JCPA worked with the Jewish Affairs Caucus and NEA to advance changes to the rules to better protect the safety and first amendment rights of Jewish and all delegates. This follows concerns raised by Jewish members related to the 2025 RA.
- The new policies for the 2026 Representative Assembly included:
- Electronic voting to help reduce shouting on the floor during contentious resolutions;
- Stronger conduct enforcement, including prominently displayed QR codes to immediately report offenses; immediate removal for harassment, doxxing or violence; and single-strike warnings for any other offenses;
- Enhanced security, including photo ID requirements and improved magnetometers, was in place for the duration of the conference;
- De-escalation training to help delegation liaisons and NEA staff better respond to conflicts; and
- Repeated public reminders of the rules.
Public Statements and Media
JCPA has partnered with union leadership and educators to shape the public narrative on the importance of unions and the Jewish community working together to fight antisemitism and hate and protect our democratic institutions.
Newsweek Op-Ed: “To Fight Antisemitism and Preserve Democracy, Educators and the Jewish Community Must Partner Closely”
- AFT President Randi Weingarten and JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick co-authored an op-ed on the JCPA-AFT partnership and the urgency of working together at this critical moment. The piece frames Jewish safety, public education, civil liberties, and democratic norms as mutually reinforcing—not competing—priorities.
NEA Jewish Affairs Caucus Statement: Addressing Antisemitism Through Effective Union Action
- JCPA has worked closely with the NEA Jewish Affairs Caucus, which issued this statement emphasizing the reality of antisemitism, the importance of the union and educators working to address it, and the necessity of not allowing legitimate concerns about antisemitism to be used to undermine the union itself.
Pilot Programs to Empower Jewish Educators and Local Partnerships
JCPA has launched a number of pilot programs aimed at better empowering Jewish leaders and communities and local unions to understand and counter antisemitism and build bridges to advance our shared priorities and values.
Changemakers Cohort for Jewish Leaders in the Teachers’ Unions
- JCPA has partnered with Project Shema to bring together Jewish educators from around the country to develop the skills and confidence to meaningfully engage around antisemitism. Cohort members will use these skills to have meaningful 1:1 or group conversations and other engagement with institutional leaders in their unions, schools, and districts.
Local AFT/JCRC Pilots
- JCPA’s partnership with AFT includes launching local pilot programs that bring together Jewish community relations organizations with local AFT chapters, including in Philadelphia, PA and in Broward County, FL.
- These pilot programs are creating tangible benefits for both Jewish communities and teachers, including continuing education and higher education programs on Jewish identity and antisemitism for teachers, joint advocacy, and forums for dialogue between the two communities.
