Tipsheet

Senator McCormick and AAG Harmeet Dhillon Team Up to Combat Antisemitism in Pennsylvania Schools

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  May 25, 2026 1:00 PM

Ever since the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel, there has been an alarming rise in antisemitism both in America and globally. In America, universities and cities like New York, are hotbeds of antisemitism, with incidents skyrocketing in the Big Apple since Zohran Mamdani took over as Mayor.

It's not just universities and colleges where antisemitism has found fertile ground. In K-12 public schools, anti-Israel activists are engaging in antisemitic indoctrination, and New York's public schools are facing a civil rights probe over it. 

The problem is also rampant in Pennsylvania's public schools, where Jewish parents have reached out to Senator Dave McCormick about the issue, saying 'antisemitic rhetoric, and language targeting Israel and Zionists,' had become 'commonplace' in schools. In a 45-minute Zoom call, parents asked Senator McCormick for help and guidance.

Here's more:

Ed Kovler, a parent and activist from Upper Dublin, outside of Philadelphia, asked McCormick for advice on codifying antisemitism policies and educational materials so that school board members and superintendents have resources available, even after leadership transitions. Kovler pointed out that he disagrees with the definition of antisemitism used in the state Department of Education’s glossary of equity, inclusion and belonging terms, which says that opposing Zionism is not, “on the face of it, antisemitic.” McCormick promised to look into it.

“I obviously am not a state official, but as a federal official, I’ll make an inquiry to the Department of Education and the governor and say this definition seems inconsistent with what we all would accept is antisemitism, and can you make the necessary judgment,” said McCormick. “That’ll be a takeaway from this call.”

Mark Isakowitz, McCormick’s chief of staff, urged the parents to document every instance of antisemitism that they see. 

“There are things we can do as policymakers, but please double down on cataloging the examples,” Isakowitz said. “I know there’s been a ton about Philadelphia, and I’ve seen it all, but we need more of that, because there are people who are still gaslighting the whole issue.”

McCormick said he's committed to helping these parents.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said she'd love to work with Senator McCormick on the issue.

As did Leo Terrell, Chair of the DOJ Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.

“I think part of the problem we’re seeing is people who aren’t antisemitic in public life are tolerating antisemitism,” said McCormick. “It’s not that they’re antisemitic themselves. It’s just that they haven’t shown the courage and the moral clarity to fight it.”