The Israeli-American Civic Action Network (ICAN) today released a comprehensive analysis of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism’s interim report on K-12 education, commending the Commission’s important work while offering recommendations to strengthen protections for Jewish and Israeli-American students and enhance educational standards.

The analysis, titled “Analysis and Recommendations on the Massachusetts Special Commission’s Interim Report on Combating Antisemitism in K-12 Education,” builds upon the Commission’s strong foundation by identifying opportunities to expand protections for students facing national origin discrimination and Israel-related harassment.

Expanding Support for Israeli-American Students: The analysis suggests building upon the Commission’s findings to include specific support for Israeli-American students who face unique challenges related to national origin discrimination and Israel-related harassment.

Strengthening Educational Standards: The analysis recommends enhancing Massachusetts’ Genocide Education Mandate with clearer guidelines to ensure comprehensive historical education while maintaining factual accuracy and preventing the introduction of biased content that may create uncomfortable learning environments.

Curriculum Enhancement Opportunities: The analysis recommends developing clear guidelines to ensure balanced presentation of complex topics in educational materials and strengthen standards to maintain educational integrity.

“The Commission has established an excellent foundation for addressing antisemitism in our schools,” said Robert Mayer, National Co-Chair of ICAN. “We’re offering these recommendations to help build upon that foundation and ensure comprehensive protections for all students, including Jewish and Israeli-Americans who face unique challenges in our current environment.”

[Click here to download the report.]

ICAN has proposed that the Commission host a panel representing immigrant Jewish communities, particularly Israeli-Americans, Persian Jews, and Russian Jews. These communities face distinct challenges including cultural barriers to reporting incidents and national origin-based discrimination that intersects with antisemitism.

“The immigrant Jewish experience has not been represented in the Commission’s hearings despite these communities being specifically impacted by documented incidents,” Mayer noted. “Including these voices would provide crucial perspectives on the full spectrum of antisemitic experiences in Massachusetts.”

The analysis also addresses discrimination in public facilities such as libraries, where inconsistent and non-transparent processes have resulted in viewpoint discrimination against Jewish and Israel-related programming. ICAN calls for equitable policies across all public facilities serving students and families.

The report emphasizes ICAN’s commitment to working collaboratively with the Commission to strengthen protections for all students. The organization’s recommendations build upon the Commission’s existing framework while addressing gaps in coverage for Israeli-American students and enhanced educational standards.

“This analysis is offered in a spirit of partnership,” said Mayer. “The Commission has laid important groundwork, and we want to ensure the final recommendations provide comprehensive protection for every student facing antisemitic harassment or discrimination.”

The Commission is scheduled to submit its final report by November 30, 2025.