NYC Teacher Faces Criticism for Antisemitic Messi Post
A NYC public school teacher has drawn backlash for sharing an antisemitic caricature of Lionel Messi on social media.
2 min read
A New York City public school teacher is facing criticism from Jewish education advocates after sharing an antisemitic caricature of Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi on Facebook. Maysa Jarara, a math teacher at Park Slope Collegiate in Brooklyn, posted a distorted image of Messi on July 19, depicting him with a Jewish skullcap, crying, and rubbing his hands, with an enlarged nose. The image was identified as similar to the ‘Happy Merchant’ meme, which perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Jews being dishonest and manipulative.
Concerns Over Antisemitic Tropes
Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers, condemned Jarara’s post, stating it repeated classic antisemitic tropes that portray Jews as greedy and scheming. ‘Jarara has crossed a major line by trafficking in classic antisemitic tropes,’ Spern told the New York Post. Jarara’s social media activity also included content attacking Israel, such as an image of an Israeli flag marked with blood and a post from October 7, three years after the Hamas-led attack on Israel, showing two people dancing near a fire.
Public Reaction and Wages
Karen Feldman, head of the New York City Public Schools Alliance, criticized Jarara’s conduct as an educator, calling it ‘deeply disturbing.’ Feldman emphasized that the teacher, entrusted with educating children, was sharing inflammatory and historically misleading posts about Israel and the Jewish people. According to public records, Jarara’s annual wages in 2025 totaled $140,016.
Broader Context of Antisemitism
Messi has already been a target of antisemitic posts during this year’s World Cup, according to CyberWell, a nonprofit tracking anti-Jewish content. CyberWell reported false allegations linking Messi’s performance and favorable refereeing decisions to Jewish control over soccer, with some users falsely claiming he was Jewish or acting under Jewish direction. Jarara’s post has drawn online criticism, with commenters questioning whether she should be teaching and what example she sets for students.
Source: Breitbart
