A faction of activist New York City public school teachers is planning to use the coming Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday to teach children as young as six years old about “Palestinian resistance.”

NYC Educators for Palestine, a radical group affiliated with a caucus within the New York City teachers union, will host a “Palestine Teach-in” on January 19 aimed at children ages 6 to 18. The MLK Day session will focus on the question of “zionism” and marks the first installment of a six-part series titled “Palestine, zionism and Resistance.” 

Subsequent teach-ins will “dive beyond Zionism to consider contemporary and historical Palestinian resistance, Palestinian culture, Palestine’s deliberate absence from the mainstream classroom, and paths toward action,” according to a registration form for the event.

Fliers for the event, which deliberately de-capitalize the word Zionism, state that “there will be food, community, and age-conscious lessons on Palestinian history and culture as well as the origins of zionism” which organizers claim will be “delivered by trained educators and mental health professionals.” 

The event drew condemnation by the head of the United Jewish Teachers advocacy group, Moshe Spern. “Although this isn’t a sanctioned event by the NYC schools, it’s scary to think NYC educators would use their time to indoctrinate kids as young as six years old on a day off from school,” Mr. Spern told Belaaz News. He noted that while similar programs have been organized before, they haven’t previously targeted students as young as six.

The event was promoted on social media by the social justice-oriented caucus within the United Federation of Teachers, the Movement for Rank and File Educators, signaling institutional backing for the programming. Mr. Spern is calling on United Federation of Teachers leadership to “step in” and “stop this event.”

The timing of the event is notable. Martin Luther King Jr. was a staunch defender of Israel’s right to exist and actively opposed anti-Zionist sentiment within the civil rights movement. He forged strong bonds between the Black and Jewish communities, famously marching on Selma alongside his close friend and committed Zionist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Just two weeks before his assassination, King stated in a speech to the Rabbinical Assembly: “Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist … I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.”

NYC Educators for Palestine grew its following in the wake of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and has pushed for city schools to incorporate “Palestine” in the classroom via resources and guides that are staunchly anti-Israel. In a collaboration with Muslim advocacy group Teaching While Muslim, NYC Educators for Palestine encouraged teachers to spend a week covering what they called the “genocide” in Gaza and to commemorate the anniversary of Israel’s establishment — what they term the “Nakba.”

NYC Educators for Palestine also supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement and has advocated for NYC public schools to divest from Israel. The organization has not yet responded to the Sun’s request for comment.