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When we first learned about the ADL and the Deborah Project affiliated Jewish American Friends & Family Alliance  (formerly School District of Philadelphia Jewish Family Association or SDPJFA) in a Philadelphia Inquirer article in late February we were, to say the least, confused. 

The group is not part of the School District of Philadelphia (SDP), nor does it speak for all or most Jewish families. In many cases it is targeting schools where it has zero parents with children in the schools. 

Yet this group was able to force the actual SDP to censor student work and prevent the investigation and removal of one of its members, a teacher, who doxed children attending a public school in Philadelphia. 

Its intimidation, defamation, and dishonest tactics targeting K-12 schools and teachers resemble the tactics seen by national right-wing organizations who have focused attention on private colleges since last fall. Groups like it have for years attacked Social Studies education and African-American studies specifically. And it will get much worse unless we get organized and speak up for public education in Philadelphia.

That the SDP has consistently caved to a group that is not transparent in its leadership or funding, and peddles in the denial of the Nakba to which so many Philadelphia students and families are directly impacted is unacceptable. 

Update: as of September 2024, the organization now known as the Jewish American Friends & Family Alliance changed its name, removing an unauthorized affiliation with the School District of Philadelphia. Likewise, we have also removed "SDP" from our organization's name.