Jewish groups call for apology after early childhood educators’ trip to Reggio Emilia, Italy, met with protests and political tests

The Jewish Federations of North America, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Prizmah said they were appalled that a planned professional development trip for early childhood educators affiliated with Jewish institutions, to the Reggio Children, Loris Malaguzzi International Center in Reggio Emilia, Italy, was met with political litmus tests and antisemitic rhetoric.

According to the statement, the announcement of the trip, which included Israeli educators, drew protests and antisemitic rhetoric. The organizations also said there was indication that several participants’ social media profiles were being searched for connections to Israel or the Israel Defense Forces, or for support of Israeli policies. In their account, Reggio Children did not condemn the protests. Instead, it issued a pledge that educators could sign, renouncing Israeli policies and military action.

The organizations argued that no circumstance justifies singling out educators at Jewish institutions for their personal views or online profiles in order to identify connections to Israel, a country they described as having deep religious, cultural, historic, and personal significance to Jewish people worldwide. They said using such connections against educators is alarming and antisemitic, and must be recognized as such rather than legitimized through political litmus tests. They described the incident as part of a broader pattern of isolating Jews and Jewish institutions and of suggesting that their full participation in civic life depends on renouncing the State of Israel, which they noted many Jews regard as the only clear refuge available to them in the face of antisemitic violence.

In the days after the trip was cancelled, the trip organizers said they had been in ongoing conversation with Reggio Children and the municipality. The organizations acknowledged that the mayor of Reggio Emilia had clarified that a signature was not required and had renounced political or religious litmus tests. They also noted that a group of Israeli educators refused to sign the statement, insisted on attending the event anyway, and reported warm treatment and appropriate security. The organizations said Reggio Children now understands that Jewish delegations need clear security in the face of threats or protests, and that the two sides are in dialogue about the harms of the statement.

However, the organizations said the mayor continues to reaffirm the value of the statement. Although direct references to Gaza were removed, the statement still denounces “genocide,” which the organizations called a contextually clear and inaccurate reference to Israeli policy, issued by an organization devoted to early childhood education. They said this response is insufficient. They called on Reggio Children to issue an unambiguous public apology acknowledging the antisemitism Jewish educators experienced, and to take concrete steps to ensure that educators of all backgrounds are welcomed, respected, and treated equally, regardless of religious identity or historical ties to any country. Pointing to the need for honest acknowledgment and fair dealing (Proverbs 18:17), they said a genuine commitment to inclusivity, including the safety of participants, must be shown in actions as well as words.

The organizations also called for the Charter for Democratic and Participatory Education to address injustice against children without singling out Israel or Israeli policy, and without targeting Jews around the world. They said any such language should reflect a commitment to justice for all children, including Israeli and Jewish children. They tied the matter to wider concerns, noting that Jewish organizations and individuals are targets of hate crimes and bias incidents, and that in the same week four Jewish schools in the United States were threatened with bombs.

The organizations said they would continue to stand with educators and support their access to training, professional development, and educational exchanges, and that they would continue working to ensure that Jewish children and the institutions and educators who serve them have opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive.

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