From the Frontlines: Independent K-12 Schools Failing to Respond to Antisemitism

"From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism and hate. An unfortunate frontline since 10/7 has been the explosive rise in antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools in the United States. This is an important space for ADL as its staff works with thousands of schools across the nation touching millions of students each year. They respond to incidents of bias and hate in those schools, but they also provide programming to counter antisemitism, bias and discrimination, including teaching more than 125,000 educators to teach to about the Holocaust. That is why this rise in antisemitism in K-12 schools truly hits home. In response, ADL has become much more involved in advocacy in that space post 10/7 - so much so that a few months ago, ADL established the Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education. As one of its first initiatives, the Center decided to focus specifically on independent schools and and the situation there when it comes to antisemitism. The Center has just issued the report of its findings on independent schools across the nation, which is the subject of this show. Shira Goodman joined this edition of "From the Frontlines" to tell us all of the details. She leads the Ronald Birnbaum Center and is ADL’s Vice President for Advocacy Shira Goodman. To read the full report, visit: https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/independent-k-12-schools-failing-respond-antisemitism. This podcast was recorded in June 2025.