Jewish Educators' Italy Trip Canceled Over Gaza War Stance

A planned professional development trip to Reggio Emilia, Italy, for approximately 100 Jewish educators from the U.S. and Israel was disrupted when organizers demanded participants sign a political statement condemning the "occupation of Gaza." The Paradigm Project, which organized the early childhood education seminar, canceled the participation of the American contingent following the demand. However, 25 educators from Israel proceeded with the trip as scheduled.

The statement participants were asked to affirm read: "I disavow the occupation of Gaza and the violation of the rights of children and human beings in the occupied territories, as well as anywhere else in the world." The trip aimed to teach educators the Reggio Emilia approach, a pedagogical method developed after World War II that emphasizes child-led learning and creativity, which has influenced many Jewish preschools in the U.S.

Discontent with the delegation's visit began prior to the statement's issuance. Parents affiliated with the host organization, Reggio Children, objected to the visit, citing support for the IDF by some participating institutions. The local branch of the Italian Workers' Union also joined, calling for the visit's cancellation due to the war in Gaza. Around 100 protesters gathered outside the educational center, with signs including "Remove Zionism from schools."

Dr. Pasha Kaltenik, director of Manhattan Day School in New York, described in a letter how participants' personal and institutional social media accounts were scrutinized, with Israeli flags and photos from visits to Israel presented as evidence of support for Israel and the IDF. The controversy also reached the city council, where proposals to condemn the cancellation calls or freeze the visit for further investigation were opposed by the Democratic Party.

Reggio Children's president stated that a values charter, including opposition to war and condemnation of genocide and the militarization of schools, was intended for all visiting groups. The delegation was also asked to explicitly distance itself from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government policies. The mayor of Reggio Emilia defended the decision to host the group, emphasizing the right of those different from us to remain so. The Paradigm Project countered that the current atmosphere prevents the open and calm environment necessary for the educational experience.

The 25 Israeli educators are expected to attend the program, while their American counterparts will not. The reasons for the Israeli educators' decision to proceed, or whether they signed the statement, have not been publicly disclosed.