A Brooklyn public school teacher’s praise for a Hamas leader has intensified concerns among Jewish families in New York City about the public school environment, fueling a notable shift toward private, charter, and religious education.
Damien Neva, a teacher at PS 77 in Park Slope, who previously worked as a fashion photographer, has drawn criticism for expressing support for Yahya Al-Sinwar, the Hamas leader linked to the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel. Despite the backlash, Neva returned to his teaching post recently, making efforts to shield his identity from photographers.
Jewish parents across the city increasingly cite incidents like Neva’s statements as part of a broader pattern that has contributed to heightened insecurity and dissatisfaction with public schools. Many say that since the 2023 attacks, classroom discussions and materials have become increasingly hostile or biased, leading to an exodus from public institutions.
Josh Horowitz, who relocated from Williamsburg to upstate New York with his daughter, described classroom content that allegedly included uncontextualized videos portraying Israel negatively, including claims that Israel starved Palestinian girls. Horowitz criticized what he sees as a one-sided perspective labeling Zionists as violent, emphasizing it is not a personal grievance but a troubling trend in the curriculum.
Similar concerns have been voiced by other parents, such as Natalya Murakhver, who withdrew her children from PS 87 in 2024. Murakhver said the tone and intensity of anti-Israel rhetoric in schools have escalated significantly over time. “The language changes, the caliber of the venom,” she said, observing a shift from framing criticism solely around Israel to what she and others perceive as overt antisemitism.
Data from educational organizations supports these anecdotal observations. A June report by the Teach Coalition noted that Jewish school enrollment in New York State increased by nearly 2 percent during the 2025-2026 academic year, adding roughly 3,100 students. The growth was especially pronounced in New York City and nearby communities such as Monsey. Sydney Altfield, CEO of the Teach Coalition, pointed to a 4.2 percent rise in enrollment from 2022 to 2025, more than doubling the previous three years’ growth rate of 1.8 percent.
Paul Bernstein, CEO of Prizmah, a network serving 300 Jewish day schools and yeshivas across the United States and Canada, cited recent survey data showing that about 60 percent of parents who enrolled their children in Jewish schools in the past few years would not have done so if not for the conflict in Gaza. Moreover, over half reported transitioning from public schools.
School admissions consultant Alina Adams corroborated this trend, noting a sharp increase in Jewish families seeking alternative schooling options. “The number of Jewish families in the city looking to move their kids to a new school has doubled, if not tripled,” she said. Adams noted that inquiries about how schools support Jewish students have become ubiquitous among families she assists.
The controversy surrounding Neva, whose pro-Hamas remarks surfaced through an online group of Park Slope parents, has further heightened the urgency felt by Jewish families concerned about their children’s learning environments. This dynamic unfolds against a broader backdrop of community-wide tensions and debates over school policies and curriculum following the 2023 attacks on Israel.