National Education Association (NEA) President Becky Pringle speaks during a “May Day” rally in Washington, DC on May 1, 2026. Photo: Bryan Dozier via Reuters Connect

Antisemitism in America has reared its head in different ways over the last few years.

In the immediate aftermath of October 7, 2023, keffiyeh-covered Jew haters gathered and marched through US cities.

Across university campuses, support for genocidal terrorist groups was expressed through organized encampments, where left-wing activists and Islamists coalesced around a shared hatred of Israel.

Less than three years later, radical anti-Israel candidates are set to expand their representation in Congress, and are already leading some of our Nation’s largest cities.

Far-right podcasters muddy the airwaves and continue to push ugly conspiracies surrounding Israel and the Jews.

Antisemitism in America is, at times, buried in polls that show a majority of Americans between the ages of 18-24 support Hamas over Israel.

In other instances, an anti-Jewish animus is unveiled through roll call votes that may go unnoticed by most Americans but reflect a dramatic swing against Israel by Democrats once thought to be dependable pro-Jewish Congressional voices.

Taken together, developments over the past decade paint an unsettling picture for US Jewry and necessitate American Jewish groups to rethink the way in which they navigate today’s unsettling political and cultural currents.

Some of America’s most prominent Jewish institutions have historically upheld missions that prioritized a victimhood framework centered on fighting antisemitism and combating extremism.

This misguided approach resulted in planting American Jewry in the crosshairs of the intersectional left.

Pro-Israel activism has similarly been used as a vehicle to leverage liberal acclaim, with organizational press releases and platforms defaulting to Oslo-era strategies.

Jewish groups have expended precious time and cherished resources figuring out what they are fighting against.

In the process, these organizations have lost sight of what it is they stand for and no longer relate to the Jewish people they were tasked to defend.

Still, well-deserved condemnation is no substitute for meaningful change in a communal space that increasingly feels crowded and directionless.

Jewish groups must embark on altering their approach to antisemitism by replacing ideological grievances with Jewish pride and concede that gaining the respect of those they were hired to represent is more important than being desired by detractors.

It’s a paradigm shift that demands US Jewish institutions engage in the less enticing, more adversarial work of hands-on engagement with national activists and decision-makers.

Recent events may give American Jewry cause for brief and cautious optimism.

Delegates from some of America’s leading Jewish groups, such as the ADL and StandWithUs, attended this month’s National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly and, together with the NEA’s Jewish Affairs Caucus, defeated several anti-Zionist business items on the floor.

The 2026 gathering convened this summer in Denver and was attended by nearly 6,000 educators.

In addition to thwarting the antisemitic measures from being passed, one of which would have mandated resources from the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace be added to the NEA website, representatives from Jewish groups commented on an improved atmosphere from last year’s conference, when Jewish delegates were threatened and harassed.

The ADL publicly bolstering the Federal government’s launching of an investigation into Jew hatred at the NEA after the antisemitic antics at the union’s 2025 assembly was also notable, and fed into blunting the antisemitic momentum from seeping into this year’s gathering.

Absent from the cooperative Jewish organizational efforts that led to NEA’s reorienting away from its antisemitic leanings were influencers, photo-ops, and egos that often accompany larger conferences and galas.

The collaborative mindset was not without its share of tensions, but to the thousands attending the conference, the on-the-scene presence of activists determined to defend Jewish civil rights was enough of a reason to redirect the ire of America’s largest labor union away from Israel and the Jews.

As anti-Zionism has evolved into the most destructive and potent form of antisemitism, Jewish groups must also dispense with paternalistic platitudes and cease publicly weighing in on Israel’s domestic dealings.

Far from telegraphing friendship, these moves illustrate a misreading of the daily risks facing Israelis, and while also giving oxygen to the cause of Israel’s critics, this approach risks confusing younger Americans — whose drift away from Israel Jewish groups should be working to educate, not alienate.

Legacy Jewish institutions would be wise to take a page out of The Tikvah Fund’s playbook.

The Tikvah Fund is a leading ideas institution, whose vision includes teaching young Jews about the foundations of their Jewish inheritance while “exploring the majestic history of Western civilization.” 

The organization is intellectually curious without being apologetic, and promotes Jewish pride through an unfiltered and innovative lens that, over the years, has led to a surge in educational achievements, including the establishment of a Jewish Classical Academy and preparatory school in the heart of NYC.

A Jewish institutional reset requires that America’s leading legacy groups cease a universal “hate has no home” here approach to a modern-day antisemitism that targets the heart of Judaism and Jewish self-determination.

Perhaps an establishment pivot entails that these groups follow the inclusivity structure they have so relentlessly pursued by working to attract more Orthodox Jews under the institutional umbrella, given that Orthodoxy is the fastest-growing stream of Judaism in the United States.

As the success at the NEA conference demonstrates, professional presence and inter-organizational partnerships can alter outcomes.

It’s time for Jewish Legacy Groups to unshackle themselves from historic and outdated habits by adopting an assertive posture that fights the world’s oldest hatred through upholding Judaism’s particularities and investing in Jewish peoplehood.

Irit Tratt is an independent writer who resides in New York. Follow her on X @Irit_Tratt.