Jewish educators cancel Italy study trip, citing antisemitism and safety concerns

Sixty-eight early childhood educators from American Jewish schools have canceled a study trip to Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, citing concerns about antisemitism and participants’ safety.

The visit, organized by the Paradigm Project, a professional development network, was intended to introduce educators to the city’s internationally recognized approach to early childhood education.

In an October 9 email, organizers attributed the cancellation to “antisemitic pressures.” A participant told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) that concerns intensified after pro-Palestinian activists began scrutinizing participants’ social media profiles.

At the center of the dispute is a statement that visiting educators were reportedly asked to sign. In a recording of a meeting aired by Italian public broadcaster RAI, Reggio Children president Maddalena Tedeschi discussed potentially asking delegations to distance themselves from “the occupation of territories and genocide.”

Reggio Children spokesperson Francesca Severini told JTA that the wording had been discussed in a WhatsApp group but was never adopted as an official condition of participation.

That explanation appeared to conflict with the organization’s October 7 public statements, in which it acknowledged asking educators to distance themselves from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Reggio Emilia’s mayor also referred to that commitment in a press release.

Reggio Children’s published charter asks visiting delegations to uphold human rights, oppose discrimination and condemn genocide. It does not specifically mention Israel or Gaza. A separate delegation of 22 Israeli educators participated in the program this week.

Pro-Palestinian activists had opposed the American groups’ visit, citing some participating schools’ ties to Israel. According to JTA, one activist accused several institutions of supporting the Israeli military.

Several American Jewish school leaders backed the decision to cancel. Pesha Kletenik, head of Manhattan Day School and a prospective participant, told JTA she had “never felt so targeted as a Jew.”

The Jewish community of Modena and Reggio Emilia also condemned calls to boycott educational and cultural initiatives involving Jews, saying that equating Jewish communities outside Israel with the Israeli government constitutes antisemitism.