Erasing Palestine from US School Curricula: An online film and discussion

ONLINE

“There’s a sense …. from educators and rabbis of, “Well, we have to make sure that kids love Israel and then we can introduce the hard stuff.”  But the actual experience, I think, of kids, is that nobody tells them anything and then they’re not actually prepared when they get to college and hear the hard stuff.” – Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

“…[I]naccuracies and biases in the way the Middle East is presented in textbooks approved by the Board undermine the goal of preparing citizens with a global perspective that will enable them to participate in a global economy.” – Dr. Faedah M. Totah, Virginia Commonwealth University

Where is Palestine? What are the occupied Palestinian territories? What is the Palestinian-Israeli struggle about?

Do teaching materials in US public schools and Jewish private schools provide accurate answers?

Probably not.

People who seek to maintain U.S. support for Israel, both within the Jewish community and in the larger U.S. population, have profoundly shaped the teaching of Israel and Palestine.

Voices from the Holy Land examines this issue through two films: Between the Lines presents interviews with students and teachers at U.S. Jewish day schools about “Israel education.” The Fight Against Israeli Propaganda in Virginia Textbooks reveals the behind-the-scenes efforts of an Israeli affinity.

Watch the films for free at your convenience; then join the Q&A discussion with:

• Ali Kriegsman: filmmaker, author, entrepreneur, and small business leader
• Ezra Beinart: Jewish day school senior; facilitator of online discussions between U.S. Jewish teens and Palestinians
• Susan Douglass: educator, author, outreach director for the CCAS at Georgetown University
• Faedah Totah (moderator): Associate Professor, School of World Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University

You must register to join the discussion and receive access to the film: Tinyurl.com/VFHL-September2023

Watch the trailer: Tinyurl.com/VFHL-BetweenLinesTrailer