“My own union took a vote on whether Jewish people are worthy of living in our own indigenous homeland, or even defending ourselves against genocide. Later it turned out that the people generating the antisemitic issues had operated in secret for many years. I can’t describe the feeling of defeat.

Later it was a huge relief to meet like-minded colleagues in JewTLA, to help me respond and fight back. Many of us wanted to quit UTLA right away, but the Educators Caucus for Israel helped us choose to stay and fight like h#ll, instead.”

— Sonya Molivias-Herrera

“A teacher at my school held an anti-Israel ‘teach-in’ in the library after school. He taught students to hate Israel and Israelis for an entire semester, and discussing a sixty-slide presentation of biased rhetoric was their final project. Everywhere I walked on campus were posters for it. In the end, LAUSD administrators stood in back of the room watching it unfold and did nothing. JewTLA has helped me file complaints that will one day make a difference.”

— Marta Salvinas, student

“A school committee formed to discuss whether a graphic novel promoting the murder of Jews and other atrocities should remain i the library. I was prepared for a professional conversation. But I was not prepared for my colleagues to use the meeting as an excuse to vent their own Jew hatred, comparing Jews to Nazis, calling Israelis names, and stating opinions as if they were facts.

Never again will I think of my colleagues the same way. Thank goodness JewTLA taught me how to respond with professionalism.

— Emily Berman-Montes