Overview

• About 40 educators and activists gathered Aug. 28 outside the UFT’s lower Manhattan headquarters accusing union leaders of ignoring antisemitism in New York City public schools.
• Speakers pressed the union to rescind its endorsement of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, citing his support for BDS and his failure to denounce the slogan “Globalize the intifada.”
• Organizers called for the UFT to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, ban materials that demonize Jews or Zionism, mandate antisemitism training, and conduct an audit of union content.
• United Jewish Teachers leader Moshe Spern said 150 teachers have prepared letters to cancel union dues and cited the Hillcrest High School incident as evidence of inadequate union action.
• A UFT spokesperson defended the union’s record of supporting Jewish communities, and no retraction of the endorsement or specific policy changes were announced in the reported coverage.