"Discussions after the first publication of the guide confirmed that there is no international debate about what educational work critical of antisemitism in schools can look like. We therefore chose two world languages for our guide - English and Spanish - and Arabic, which we thought made sense in the context of the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Gulf States that began in the 2020s," explains co-author Dr Marc Grimm, who is currently Professor of Social Sciences Education at the University of Wuppertal.

In addition to classroom education, the guide also addresses extracurricular activities, parental work, school culture and emotional education. "It's not a collection of materials, rather we want it to provide ideas for thinking about different manifestations of anti-Semitism, to identify pitfalls and to help counter the feeling of not being able to speak out," emphasises Grimm. The result is a collection of practice-orientated recommendations for action to make schools places of safety and appreciation for pupils of the Jewish faith. It presents examples of school work that can be realised in small steps. The individual chapters stand alone and are deliberately kept short in order to keep the guide readable.

Open access: Click here for the guide in different languages

Even though the guide repeatedly refers to the specific situation in North Rhine-Westphalia, the information is equally relevant for schools in other federal states, the authors emphasise. In the translations into English, Spanish and Arabic, Grimm and co-author Florian Beer also point out that the guide is based on findings from the German debate and that education in Germany is the responsibility of the federal states, but nevertheless note: "We are by no means saying: Look, we from NRW will explain the world to you! However, since Germany, unlike other countries, has established an independent field of research into the pedagogical handling of anti-Semitism in schools over the past ten years and we have the relevant knowledge, we believe that the guide can also provide impetus for the further development of anti-Semitism-critical educational work abroad."