If we, as educators and as social justice advocates who have dedicated our lives to anti-racism and equity work, find that the limits of our compassion and understanding stop short of addressing Palestine, what does this say about our own complicity?
Liberation movements are, at their core, about our collective humanity. Societies built on prioritizing the rights, dignity, narratives, joy and experiences of one people above all others ultimately hurt us all—and when inevitable resistance is met with unprecedented military force, civilians on all sides pay the price. The cost has been overwhelmingly borne by Palestinians, but our collective humanity is degraded and undermined as a result.
Like anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism is an issue that our classrooms need to tackle head on. These forms of oppression are not at odds; both are functions of white supremacy, and in a thoughtful classroom that values the safety of all of our students, they can each be understood specifically and independently. We do a disservice to our students when we allow these two forms of oppression to be simplified as ‘at odds’ with each other.
The stories in this issue of Our Schools / Our Selves ask us to think about the stories we have been told about Palestine, the stories we are telling, and the stories yet untold. They also ask us to simultaneously reflect on the stories we have been told about ourselves, the narratives they uphold and are upheld by, and the futures they engender.
A full lesson plan, with appendices, for “Teaching Tatreez” by Khaled Shawwash can be accessed below.
We would like to express our appreciation to Independent Jewish Voices for their endorsement of this issue of Our Schools / Our Selves.
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