#ncss

Spooky Season is already upon us!

"I swear I saw the GENIO vending machine glowing near the Art Hall.. or maybe its the eye crust twinkling from lack of sleep."

~ Pig Breath

On June 10, 2022, the National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) issued a Position Statement on “antisemitism, antisemitic violence, and all bigotry and discrimination.” The statement reflects the urgency felt by NCSS members to respond to a spate of recent attacks on Jewish citizens and to a perceived increase in antisemitism in American society. It follows a 2020 resolution on antisemitism.  The current position statement encourages educators to examine their understanding of the Jewish people and consider what constitutes antisemitism.  

The position statement:  

– Includes the widely adopted IHRA definition of what constitutes antisemitism 

– Establishes that Jews are indigenous to the Middle East with their center of worship in Jerusalem

– Explains that Jews are a people comprised of individuals of diverse backgrounds and that grouping Jews as a race is prejudicial  

– Elucidates that education about the Holocaust must include teaching the history of antisemitism. This history is not limited to Europe or America but includes antisemitism emanating from the Middle East and North Africa.  

Find out about "Debating the Civil Rights Act of 1875" in a new article or the accompanying podcast. Two featured documents related to the 19th century U.S. civil rights bill can launch a fascinating classroom lesson on the complex trajectory of civil rights during post-Civil War Reconstruction.

Author Andrew Zetts is a social studies teacher in Jenkintown, PA, and a graduate student at Villanova University who interned with the National Archives this past summer.