Jewish groups launch 'Bill of Rights' to protect students from antisemitism

Five major Jewish organizations launched a 'Jewish Students’ Bill of Rights' on Wednesday, calling on schools across North America to adopt six standards for combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish students, including training educators, establishing reporting systems, and ensuring accurate teaching about Jews, the Holocaust, and Israel.

Five major Jewish organizations — Jewish Federations of North America, the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and StandWithUs — launched a 'Jewish Students’ Bill of Rights' on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, as students return to school following years of elevated antisemitism. The six-point plan calls on schools and districts to train educators to recognize contemporary antisemitism, establish transparent reporting procedures, ensure accurate teaching about Jews, the Holocaust, antisemitism, and Israel, protect students who express Jewish identity or connection to Israel, excuse absences for Jewish religious observances, and present disputed political issues in a balanced manner. The initiative follows the ADL's 2025 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, which recorded 825 incidents at non-Jewish K-12 schools, compared with 860 the previous year. Overall, the ADL recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents across the United States in 2025, down 33% from 9,354 in 2024. Many incidents involved peer-to-peer behavior including harassment, bullying, and swastika displays. Leaders from each organization issued statements supporting the initiative, with Jewish Federations CEO Eric Fingerhut saying no child should choose between education and identity, and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt noting that when schools cannot identify or respond to antisemitism, Jewish students learn they do not belong.