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NEW YORK, NY — At its National Business Meeting during the 2026 National Conference in Jerusalem, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, adopted two policy statements: Combating Online Antisemitism and Misogyny and Protecting American Education From Foreign Influence.
"Hadassah has always met rising antisemitism head on, and today that commitment extends into the digital spaces that have become such an integral part of our lives, even in the classrooms where the thinking of the next generation is being shaped," said Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz. "The new policy statements reflect our unwavering commitment to protect our community from online hatred and to ensure the transparency of the methods foreign entities use to influence our children and grandchildren."
Across the country, antisemitism and anti-Zionism persist at alarming levels in myriad arenas, including education and the internet. Foreign governments and entities are using donations to influence America’s educational system, and most Americans are completely unaware of it. Some of the materials funded by foreign entities have included conspiracy theories about Jews while others have rewritten history with an antisemitic bias. Similarly, a recent survey found that 85 percent of young Jewish adults have experienced antisemitism online, and for Jewish women, antisemitism and gender-based harassment frequently share digital space.
“Hadassah is meeting the moment by confronting two urgent and growing threats: the targeted online harassment of Jewish women and the covert influence of foreign actors in our schools," said Hadassah CEO Ellen Finkelstein. "Hadassah will continue to turn its values into action that advocates for the safety, dignity and full participation of Jewish women in public life."
With Combating Online Antisemitism and Misogyny, Hadassah responds to the intersection of antisemitism and misogyny increasingly targeting Jewish women online and pushing many to conceal their Jewish identity, from sexualized harassment to coordinated “pile on” campaigns and conspiracy-driven smears. Hadassah’s new policy statement calls for dedicated research into how these forms of hatred converge, greater accountability for online platforms and for policymakers, and unequivocal, consistent condemnation by leaders and public officials.
With Protecting American Education From Foreign Influence, Hadassah recognizes that undisclosed foreign influence on American education curricula threatens academic integrity, the safety of learning environments and American democracy itself. This is true now more than ever, when antisemitic and anti-Israel bias has increased in classrooms across the country. Hadassah’s new policy statement urges policymakers and school administrators to implement two things that will create more stringent transparency requirements that will prevent content intended to foster hatred or bias from seeping into US classrooms and curricula: stronger transparency requirements for foreign funding and the materials that come with it, in both K-12 classrooms and institutions of higher education, and greater scrutiny of education partnerships and the materials they bring.
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About Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America:
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the largest Jewish women’s organization in America. With nearly 300,000 members, donors and supporters, Hadassah brings women together to effect change on such critical issues as ensuring Israel’s security, combating antisemitism and promoting women’s health. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization, its Jerusalem-based academic medical center, Hadassah helps support exemplary care for more than 1 million people each year as well as pioneering medical research. Hadassah’s hospitals serve without regard to race, religion or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2005 for "building bridges to peace" through medicine. Learn more at hadassah.org.