Steps Forward to Combatting Antisemitism in our Schools

On August 1, 2025, Superintendent Dr. Hunter outlined several initiatives for the 2025–2026 school year to support staff, students, and families in our Jewish community and to work diligently to combat antisemitism in our schools. Our stated goal was to ensure that everyone feels safe, welcomed, respected, and has a true sense of belonging. Throughout our efforts this year, we have emphasized that this work is not a replacement nor a substitute for our anti-racism, LGBTQ+ inclusion, or other DEIB initiatives. The initiatives and programming highlighted below, including updates, were achieved through deep collaboration and partnerships with community leaders, school administrators, staff, and external organizations. 

Progress Monitoring

1.  Update from the U.S. Department of Justice

• Concord-Carlisle Regional School District reached an amicable agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that resolves the Department’s review of a complaint related to antisemitism and harassment in the district. Click here for more information.

 

2.  Staff Professional Development

• All faculty received training in preventing and addressing antisemitism during the 2025-2026 school year. We partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to deliver a comprehensive, interactive workshop titled "An Introduction to Confronting Contemporary Antisemitism." The goals of the workshop included establishing a shared foundational understanding of contemporary antisemitism for all K-12 educators; Exploring the current manifestations of antisemitism and processing how antisemitism impacts individuals and communities; and engaging with (classroom) resources to increase knowledge of both historical and contemporary antisemitism. 

• The elementary schools developed a behavior management tool for staff to address antisemitism and provide best practices for responding to young children.

  • Update: Here’s a final report summarizing our partnership and efforts with Facing History this 2025-2026 year: Scope of Work and Impact: Introductory Workshops, Holocaust-Related Content, Community Conversation, and Witness to History Speaker.

  • Update: On Monday, February 2, at 3:45 p.m., the faculty from all three elementary schools gathered at Willard to continue their professional development focused on antisemitism. The session was held in partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC) of Greater Boston and built upon the workshop facilitated by Facing History & Ourselves on October 6, 2025. The February 2nd session served as a continuation and deepening of that learning, strengthening educators’ understanding of antisemitism and exploring real classroom scenarios they may encounter. Faculty contributed scenarios they have experienced with students, which ranged from a student drawing a swastika and claiming they were “just joking” to a student asking, “Why don’t Jewish kids celebrate our holidays (e.g., Christmas)?” These scenarios were submitted to the workshop facilitator, Spencer Cronin, from the JCRC, who is the Director of Educational Partnerships, to guide the workshop. The scenarios were used to spark dialogue through structured turn-and-talk protocols, helping teachers consider practical strategies and tools for responding to such incidents thoughtfully and courageously.

  • Update: The last PD session for CCHS faculty with Facing History and Ourselves occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The session focused on "Deconstructing Memes: Helping Students Critically View Online Hate." Recognizing and identifying online antisemitism in both visual and text forms are critical steps in effectively responding to it, which requires an understanding of the tropes and conspiracy theories that fuel antisemitism. In this workshop, we will explore strategies to critically analyze and deconstruct antisemitic messaging online that can help students navigate virtual spaces where they will almost certainly encounter antisemitism as well as other forms of hatred.  

3.  Student Learning

• Elementary students (K-5) were taught explicit lessons on using words that are not hurtful based on religion, with progressive explanations for older students about antisemitism. 

  • Update: Elementary students (K-5) received explicit instruction from the Open Circle curriculum on using inclusive, non-hurtful language, with related lessons on recognizing discrimination; demonstrating empathy and courage in situations where students witness bullying or unfairness; developing an understanding of the difference between intent (what someone meant to do), impact (how their actions affect others), and applying this knowledge to their daily interactions.

• The Concord Middle School Playbook Initiative focused its first bystander scenario on antisemitism.

  • Update: At the Ellen Garrison Building at Concord Middle School, students engaged with The Playbook Initiative, an anti-bias, anti-discrimination, and bullying-prevention program. One of Playbook Initiative's upstander scenarios this year was focused on how students respond to antisemitism, specifically how to report hate crime symbols. Subsequent discussions during the Playbook workshop focused on school and student safety.

• All 9th-grade students were scheduled to receive anti-bias training, including a discussion of antisemitism. However, opportunities for a collective anti-hate message that resonates with all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or creed, continue to be a discussion among administrators and student affinity groups. We heard directly from students' affinity groups that the burden of responding to bias and hate incidents at CCHS should not rest on any single student group/student demographic for educating the community or issuing a public statement of solidarity. Instead, students would like to focus on growth and on how they collectively move forward in ways that reflect the shared values of the CCHS community and their commitment to preventing incidents. Thus, on Wednesday, February 25th, student affinity groups gathered to share their perspectives and discuss next steps together. The following affinity groups convened: 

  • Muslim Student Association

  • Black Student Union

  • Southwest Asian and North African Student Union

  • Bible Study 

  • Far East Association (Faculty advisor: Agnes Han)

  • LatinX & Heritage Club (Faculty advisor: Wendy Cahill)

  • Asian Student Union

  • METCO Student Ambassadors

  • South Asian Student Society

  • Unified Sports

  • Girl Up

  • Jewish Student Union

  • SPECTRUM

• Review the curriculum for teaching the Holocaust and Jewish Identity
  • Update: Leveraging our ongoing partnership with Facing History and Ourselves, consultants from Facing History met with 8th-grade ELA and high school U.S. History and World History teachers to provide training on Holocaust-related curriculum. Topics included, but were not limited to, Literature of the Holocaust and Holocaust and Human Behavior.

4.  School Culture

• Students and families could indicate their religion or faith in our district's annual culture survey to ensure we could disaggregate data on Jewish families, allowing us to collect baseline data as we have for other groups.

  • Update: Our annual Panorama survey was distributed to staff, students, and families in November 2025. Disaggregated data student responses generally revealed a positive sense of belonging among the small population of Jewish students who participated in the survey. Participants reported feeling that they "mostly belong" or "completely belong" in school. There were consistently high ratings for teacher respect and support, and generally positive peer relationships, though some middle school students noted occasional social challenges. 

  • Update: On March 19th, the biannual Emerson Hospital Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was administered to students in 6th grade, 8th grade, and 9th through 12th grade on topics ranging from mental health and resiliency to technology habits, stress, body image, social media, bullying, substance use, and sexual activity. The YRBS will provide a quantitative breakdown by religion, and we will follow suit in the 2026–27 school year with a preliminary summary of the YRBS data.

  • Update: Student voice is very important. We established a Jewish Student Union at CCHS, co-advised by School Adjustment Counselor Kelli Kirshtein and English teacher Tyler Patterson. JSU met every Tuesday from 7:20-7:50 am. Their goals are to foster a strong Jewish community within the CCHS community, to inform the general public about the dangers of antisemitism, and to spread positivity about our culture and traditions. JSU is open to students of any religion, belief, race, or culture.

  • Update​​​​​: On Monday, March 16, 8th-grade students hosted Holocaust Museum Tours during their Enrichment Period across English Classrooms and Common areas at the Ellen Garrison Building at Concord Middle School. These tours provided students with an opportunity to engage with Holocaust-related historical exhibits and student learning, encouraging reflection, historical understanding, and meaningful discussion.

  • Update: Holocaust survivor Jack Trompetter led an in-person 8th-grade assembly on March 24th.

5.  Fiscal Resources

• The schools submitted a Hate Prevention Grant application to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on July 25, 2025, specifically to address needs related to antisemitism.

• Collaboration with other groups evolved as we sought additional grants or other fiscal opportunities to support the work.

  • Update: Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Shelly Chin submitted a Hate Prevention Grant application to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We were awarded $35,000 per district, totaling $70,000, to support hate-prevention efforts and reduce bias and hate incidents. 

6.  Community

• Focus groups, organized as an Antisemitism Coalition Committee with parents and school administrators, were held.

  • Ongoing collaboration will continue with the town leaders and related committees.

  • The District Anti-Semitism Coalition met three times this school year with an array of stakeholder representatives to share work and progress and ensure accountability. The first meeting of the Antisemitism Coalition occurred on December 3, 2025. The last meeting of the school year is scheduled for May 27th. The second meeting is scheduled for March 4th.

• Community-wide events included the following:

  • Building the Community We Want: Standing Together Against Bias and Hate: On January 27th, school leaders, community organizations, and student affinity groups held “Building the Community We Want: Standing Together Against Bias and Hate,” the first in a series of community events focused on confronting bias and hate in the community. Click here to read more, along with a copy of the presentation here.

  • Intergenerational Conversation with Holocaust Survivor Jack Trompetter: On Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30 PM. Holocaust survivor Jack Trompetter led a special in-person intergenerational community event in the Ellen Garrison Auditorium at Concord Middle School. Upper elementary and middle school students attended with their families, and families were equally encouraged to bring their elementary- and middle-school–aged children. Below is a copy of the event flyer.