About Us

Our mission is to ensure that Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) upholds its commitment to a welcoming and safe environment for all students. To that end, we will advocate for historical accuracy and balance in ethnic studies teaching and the safety of all BUSD students, regardless of their religion, national origin, or beliefs. We will hold the district accountable to these standards through its ability to enforce district policy, follow regulatory guidelines, and adhere to state and federal law.

Jewish students have the right to safety in school and an education that is free from bias, anti-Jewish discrimination, and anti-Zionist discrimination.

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The enforcement of existing state and federal laws, education codes, and school board policies, is necessary to protect Jewish students.

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Adopting an inclusive model of Ethnic Studies uplifts and unites, rather than divides, diverse student communities.

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School should be a welcoming and inclusive environment, where students learn how to think critically, not what to think.

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Transparency and accountability in public schools is critical to keeping all students safe in school.

Berkeley Jews In School is a grassroots group of Jewish parents with children in the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD). Our group formed organically, in the wake of the October 7th attack on Israel, as a direct response to BUSD’s inadequate handling of rising antisemitism and biased, political propaganda in our schools.

We studied California Education Code, BUSD’s School Board Policies, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, so we could best advocate for our children. We wrote letters, met with teachers and school board members, attended school board meetings, and spoke out publicly against antisemitism. After exhausting every single diplomatic avenue for months, with zero results, an Office of Civil Rights Complaint was eventually filed with the Federal Department of Education on February 28th, 2023. 

We hope BUSD acknowledges its inadequate response to anti-Jewish hate and bias in its schools and undergoes a seismic shift in how it addresses civil rights for all students, because the acceptance and normalization of anti-Jewish hate anywhere, is a threat to marginalized communities everywhere.