Jewish teachers cancel Italy trip over ‘antisemitic pressure’
American organizers, the Paradigm Project, said they canceled the trip, citing safety concerns amid the scrutiny of the Jewish school educators’ personal profiles by pro-Palestinian activists.
Educational institutions from Jewish schools in the United States decided to cancel a study tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy, due to concerns over potential "antisemitic pressure." This decision led to accusations of antisemitism from Jewish educators and leaders of the Italian Jewish community, as well as political disputes in Italy.
The American organizers, Paradigm Project, announced the cancellation on October 9 via email, attributing it to "antisemitic pressure being placed on the group." During a Zoom meeting with participants, organizers also cited safety concerns due to scrutiny of the Jewish school educators' personal profiles by pro-Palestinian activists.
A leaked audio recording from an October 6 meeting of the early childhood education council revealed that Reggio Children's president, Maddalena Tedeschi, had suggested asking participants to sign declarations distancing themselves from "the occupation of territories and genocide." However, this request was never officially imposed as a participation requirement.
The Paradigm Project, a professional development network for Jewish early childhood educators, had organized the trip for 68 Jewish educators. Simultaneously, a separate group of 22 educators from Israel was participating in the program. Despite their cancelation, the Israeli educators delivered opening remarks, asserting their commitment to maintaining a strong connection between the two communities.
Reggio Children, an educational organization partly owned by the municipality, supports Reggio Emilia's renowned early childhood education approach and provides training for educators.
The cancellation follows months of tensions in Reggio Emilia, where pro-Palestinian activists had protested the participating schools' ties to Israel. Prior to the trip, activist Cosimo Pederzoli had accused some of the schools of supporting the Israeli military. At an October 6 meeting, Reggio Children presented a charter titled "For a Democratic and Participatory Education," which urged visiting groups and partners to uphold human rights, oppose discrimination, reject war, and condemn genocide, without specifically naming Israel or Gaza.
Activist pressure led to an additional demand for participants to declare distancing themselves from the occupation of Gaza and violations of human rights in occupied territories, although this was never an official requirement.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
