Jewish students and educators in K-12 schools across the country are experiencing a surge of antisemitism, often in proudly “progressive” communities.

In those environments, antisemitism is often perceived as a solely right-wing phenomenon that conjures up images of Groyper bros hoisting tiki torches and chanting “Jews will not replace us.” There is little to no awareness of how progressive movements have become fertile ground for a hypocritical form of the world’s oldest hatred.

Far-left groups like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which have gained influence in teachers unions, are rooted in anti-Westernism, anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Zionism – all of which often lead to antisemitism.

They seek to tear down the meritocratic and pluralistic values that have empowered Jews and other minorities to achieve safety and prosperity.

And since the vast majority of Jewish Americans support and feel connected to Israel, Jewish identity itself has become suspect in many progressive circles.

Jewish students often report hiding their identity and connection to Israel to avoid being branded “colonizers,” “oppressors,” or “genocide supporters.” The problem has gotten so bad that StandWithUs joined the Louis D.

Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law in a lawsuit against the state of California, the California State Board of Education, the state Department of Education, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond “on behalf of Jewish parents whose children have been, and continue to be, the subjects of cruel, persistent, and pervasive antisemitism in their California public schools.” We had hoped that when a 2023 lawsuit against the Santa Ana School District succeeded in prohibiting the district from pushing antisemitic materials in class, the rest of the state would have heard the message, but it clearly has not.

Over and over, complaints of antisemitism have been denied, ignored, and covered up, and it’s time for California to honor its obligation to protect all students.

By repeating a set of big lies about Jews and Israel, the supposed defenders of the downtrodden have rebranded antisemitism as “punching up,” routinely painting the world’s only Jewish state as a uniquely violent, racist pariah born of European colonialism.

The charge that Jews are foreign colonizers in Israel is particularly absurd to anyone with even a superficial understanding of history.

When archaeologists dig in Israel, they find Hebrew-language artifacts corresponding to Jewish....