Amid heavy opposition, Project Shema’s training at a Massachusetts school raises alarms over the growing presence of pro-Israel lobby groups in shaping American education policy., ADL and U.S. school curriculums, anti-Zionism vs antisemitism debate, Northampton High School Project Shema, parents protest pro-Israel agenda, Pro-Israel influence in education, Project Shema, Project Shema controversy, Project Shema training backlash, U.S. schools and Zionist lobby groups, Zionism in American schools, Zionist influence on public education,Amid heavy opposition, Project Shema’s training at a Massachusetts school raises alarms over the growing presence of pro-Israel lobby groups in shaping American education policy.

On September 3, Massachusetts’ Northampton High School (N.H.S.) was shut down – dramatically, yet without much fanfare. All 900 pupils were given the day off, with every teacher conversely cooped up inside. Meanwhile, swarms of armed police patrolled the grounds.

Their purpose was to deter any potential commotion from concerned parents or students who might attend to voice their discontent. N.H.S. was hosting a highly controversial staff instruction delivered by the “training and support organization” Project Shema.

Days earlier, local outlet The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported on how over 500 community members had signed a petition demanding N.H.S. scrap the “professional development training” delivered by Project Shema, which purportedly focuses on “addressing antisemitism” and instead “plan training on anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism.”

The petition was launched “by parents of current students and current high school staff” due to their concerns that “Project Shema conflates antisemitic comments with criticism of Israel and support for Palestine.”

They charged that Project Shema closely aligns with the noxious Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a prominent and extremely well-funded Zionist lobby organization. With a sordid history of infiltrating and destabilizing social justice movements, it preaches the perverse gospel that any condemnation of Israel’s genocidal actions against the Palestinian people equates to antisemitism.