By Mark Powell
SAN DIEGO — Protests continue across college and high school campuses as students voice opposition to Israel’s self-defense in the Gaza war, citing concerns about collateral damage and the loss of Palestinian lives. However, some of these demonstrations have transformed from anti-Israel protests to antisemitic protests. Therefore, it is important for educators to teach students about the history of Israel and the Jewish people to help curb the rise of antisemitism
Local school districts must provide teachers with additional training on issues surrounding antisemitism and the historical establishment of the state of Israel. San Diego schools have a unique opportunity to enrich our classrooms with the deep and multifaceted history of the Jewish people. While the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marks a significant milestone, it is merely the latest chapter in a long and remarkable narrative that dates back more than 3,500 years.
Certain student groups incorrectly perceive Israel as a racist, settler-colonial state that supposedly unlawfully took land from Palestinians, leading to the displacement of the Palestinian people. Consequently, they frame Israel as the oppressor and Palestinians as the oppressed. Since Israel is a Jewish state, Jews are considered the oppressor.
Teaching an in-depth history of the establishment of Israel through the newly adopted California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum can offer students multiple perspectives on the history of Palestine and provide a deeper understanding of the Jewish people to help put an end to antisemitism in our public schools and college campuses. This is not merely an act of historical preservation; it is an investment in our students’ future.
San Diego schools have a history of antisemitic hate crimes on campus. Just days after the gruesome attack on Israel by Hamas, a Nazi swastika was found in the boys’ restroom at Torrey Pines High School. In 2021 two large swastikas were found graffitied on the walls of the boys’ restroom at the same school. At San Dieguito High School Academy a restroom was defaced with swastikas in 2019, and in 2015 La Jolla High School was vandalized in the form of graffiti that included a swastika.
The facts speak for themselves — Jews have faced the most hate crimes of any religious group. That disparity is consistent with years of hate crime reporting showing that Jewish victims far outnumber other religious targets.
The persistence of these incidents in San Diego schools underscores the need for a more comprehensive and consistent approach to Holocaust education. Schools must prioritize educating students about the significance of the Nazi swastika and the profound impact it has on individuals and communities. This education should emphasize the harmful and offensive nature of this symbol. It is also crucial to convey that displaying or placing a Nazi swastika on a campus is not only insensitive and hurtful but also legally punishable as a hate crime.
In 2021, California passed a law mandating that ethnic studies courses be offered in high schools by the 2025-2026 school year, and the San Diego Unified School District already offers ethnic studies-influenced courses in world history. According to California Department of Education’s website one of the general principals of the newly adopted ethnic studies curriculum is to promote critical thinking and rigorous analysis of history and systems of oppression.
To effectively implement this curriculum, it is essential that all public school teachers possess a comprehensive understanding of the diverse historical experiences of various ethnic groups and be mindful of the potential consequences when addressing systems of oppression. In particular, teachers should be well-versed in the rich history of the Jewish people, a community that has endured centuries of persecution and discrimination. This knowledge will enable them to effectively guide students in exploring the complexities of antisemitism and its impact on Jewish students.
One of the most successful ways to combat antisemitism is through education, so let’s hope that our local school districts take the opportunity to provide the additional teacher training needed so all students feel safe on campus. Students who do not feel safe at school, either emotionally or physically, are more distracted and less successful than their peers. School safety and student achievement are connected; it’s hard to have one without the other.
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Mark Powell is a former San Diego County Board of Education Member. Powell was a teacher, dean of students and school administrator. He was reserve officer with the San Diego Police Department and holds a degree in criminal justice administration along with masters degrees in counseling and educational administration.
Preceding republished from Times of San Diego, with which San Diego Jewish World trades stories under auspices of the San Diego Online News Association.