Philadelphia teacher passing as Palestinian raised alarms for Jewish groups before she rose to fame
Hannah Gann’s anti-Israel activism caused concern for years, but critics said the school district didn’t do enough.
For decades, Philadelphia teacher Hannah Gann had concealed her Jewish identity while presenting herself as Palestinian, raising concerns among Jewish groups. In late September, the revelation of her deception sparked widespread outrage. However, Jason Holtzman, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, had first encountered Gann's name in December 2023, when she made inflammatory remarks at a local rally.
Gann's falsehoods extended to her social media presence, where she promoted extreme content related to Israel. Despite multiple attempts by Jewish organizations to address her behavior, the School District of Philadelphia failed to take any disciplinary action. Gann's recent confession on Instagram revealed that she had been lying about her heritage for years, admitting that she is a white woman without any Palestinian or Tunisian roots.
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