JDS offers a wide variety of Judaic courses, giving students a comprehensive history of Judaism from multiple perspectives. However, in public schools, Jewish education looks different, as its goal is to inform the general public about the most relevant and significant parts of Jewish history.
Rachel Bergstein, Director of the Center for Excellence and Engagement in Jewish History, said that one method of teaching about Judaism is called integrated history. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) uses this approach, where Jewish history is taught within the context of broader world history.
“That would make more sense for a public school, and it makes sense intellectually,” Bergstein said.
Public schools teach about U.S. History as a whole, and then quickly touch on Jewish history in that era. Since public schools teach all kinds of students, they don’t focus on individual groups of people in great detail to make sure many groups’ history is covered.
The curriculum offered by MCPS starts in fourth grade. It kicks off by explaining Colonial America and why Jews were incentivised to move to America, and how they reacted to the antisemitism that came along with it. In fifth grade, the social studies course revisits this concept of immigration and how Russian pogroms affected the Jewish population.
In middle school, during sixth grade, students learn about the key components of Judaism as a religion, studying its origin and traditions. Sophomore Kody Silver, who attended public school all through middle school, pointed out how integrated history was taught in his social studies class.
“I feel like the biggest standout about teaching about Judaism and everything is [that] it’s general,” Silver said. “When we’re talking about Judaism, we’re talking about everything else [world religions], there’s no singular focus.”
Sophomore Ruby Spencer, who went to public school for sixth grade, also said that she feels that “sometimes things get lost in them trying to fit everything together.”
In seventh grade, the curriculum touches on how the Black Death led to a significant increase in antisemitism in a unit about the Middle Ages, when Jews were used as a scapegoat for Europe’s misfortunes. Then, the eighth-grade history course travels back to the US and explores the relationship Jewish immigrants had with social, economic, and political developments of the time.
For Silver, a trip to the Holocaust museum was also included in the learning experience as a part of his eighth-grade English class. MCPS does not require schools to send their students to the museum; however, some choose to make it a part of their curriculum.
Once students reach high school, they are introduced to xenophobia and the Holocaust when they take U.S. History. Then in eleventh grade, MCPS finishes Jewish education with an in-depth history of the Holocaust and its effects on Europe’s political landscape, learning about how it started and the horrors it involved.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, Maryland was ranked second nationwide in 2024 for having the most antisemitic incidents reported in public schools. Both Spencer and Silver first-handly experienced antisemitic incidents during their time at public school. Both schools made efforts to add lessons on antisemitism as a response to the events.
“My school immediately brought in a Holocaust survivor to talk to us,” Silver said. “I thought that was really good, because that was giving people firsthand experience.”
Students aren’t the only members of MCPS who receive education on Judaism and anti-semitism. Rebecca Kotok, parent of freshmen Asher & Eden Kotok and senior Ruby Kotok, works as a school counselor in MCPS and is co-leader of the Montgomery County Jewish Educators Alliance (MCJEA), which works to help teachers learn more about Judaism and anti-semitism.
“We created a curriculum to help educators understand what it’s like to be a Jewish student in Montgomery County Public Schools,” Kotok said.
The MCJEA builds different modules as ways of teaching, ranging from talking about topics such as Israel, anti-semitism and holidays. This way, teachers are more prepared to have conversations about these things in the classroom.
Due to the recent rise in antisemitism, MCPS has made some efforts to modify the Jewish curriculum. In 2024, the Educate to Stop the Hate Act was created, suggesting that all public schools in Maryland, as well as some private, include a revised and enhanced Holocaust curriculum in their classes. Though it did not pass, it does show that the need for quality antisemitism lessons is being recognized.
Additionally, the Maryland State Department of Education Social Studies Standards and Frameworks Validation Committee approved a new structure for Holocaust and antisemitism education in June of 2025. The instruction is set to go into effect during the 2026-2027 school year, and hopes to better inform students about misconceptions regarding the Holocaust.
“I think it’s important for Jewish students to see themselves in history,” Bergstein said. “There’s also a lot of other different peoples in the world, and it’s important to learn about all times and places.”
