Philadelphia teacher passing as Palestinian raised alarms for Jewish groups before she rose to fame

Philadelphia teacher Hannah Gann confessed to fabricating a Palestinian identity, revealing she is Jewish. Jewish groups had flagged her anti-Israel activism since 2023, including inflammatory social media posts and classroom materials, but say the school district failed to act. Her confession on Yom Kippur led to the dissolution of a pro-Palestinian educators group she co-led.

Philadelphia high school teacher Hannah Gann, 34, confessed in late September 2026 to fabricating a Palestinian and Black identity, revealing she is Jewish. Jewish groups, including the Philadelphia Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), had flagged her anti-Israel activism since December 2023, when she made strident remarks at a rally called 'Flood Philly For Palestine.' The JCRC documented a catalog of incidents: in 2024 she helped organize a pro-Palestinian teach-in that characterized October 7 as 'resistance,' posted an Instagram image of a fist holding a firearm with paragliders visible, and had a classroom poster reading 'Palestine will be free.' Despite complaints to the school district, including a March 2026 meeting with the superintendent, no disciplinary action was taken. Gann's confession on Yom Kippur led to the dissolution of the pro-Palestinian educators group she had co-led since 2024. Jewish groups say the real story is that she used her position to push anti-Israel advocacy without consequence, reflecting a broader trend of growing pro-Palestinian sentiment among K-12 educators.