ICYMI: NYT Highlights NYC Public Schools' Hidden Voices Initiative to Expand Jewish Identity Education

NEW YORK, NY (03/25/2026) (readMedia)-- The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) is spotlighting a new article in The New York Times examining New York City Public Schools' Hidden Voices curricular resources focused on Jewish and Muslim American history and identiy-an important step toward addressing rising antisemitism and Islamophobia through education. JCRC-NY was instrumental in the development of Hidden Voices: Jewish Americans, which, as JCRC-NY CEO Mark Treyger notes in the article, has not been done by "any other large [school] district in America".

The article details the pilot of Hidden Voices: Jewish Americans and the in-classroom experience of high school students engaging with the Jewish Americans and Muslim Americans resources. 33 schools signed up for the pilot, which will continue to expand in the coming years. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the New York City Department of Education and JCRC-NY to better reflect the diversity of American experiences in classroom instruction and to equip students with a deeper understanding of communities often overlooked in traditional curricula.

As highlighted in the Times, many students' exposure to Jewish history remains largely limited to the Holocaust, leaving significant gaps in understanding Jewish identity, culture, and contributions. This lack of context comes amid an alarming rise in antisemitism in New York City, where Jewish residents were the targets of a majority of reported hate crimes for the last two years.

Hidden Voices: Jewish Americans introduces students to a broader spectrum of Jewish life, from immigration and labor history to civic leadership and cultural influence, in addition to answering questions about who the Jewish people are, where they come from, and how they've contributed to and shaped American life, dating back to the first Jews that arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654. By doing so, it aims to present Jewish identity as a dynamic and integral part of both New York City and American history.

The Times also notes that the parallel development of a Muslim Hidden Voices resource reflects a citywide commitment to addressing multiple forms of bias through inclusive education, echoed by JCRC-NY. These efforts seek to counter the misinformation and online hate that continue to shape young people's perceptions of these religious identities. This education initiative is a major priority for JCRC-NY in partnership with UJA-Federation of NY, Center for Jewish Inclusive Learning, and other community partners.