New Jersey’s largest teachers union is facing mounting criticism after Rep. Josh Gottheimer called on the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) to fire Ayat Oraby, an editor of its member magazine, over what he described as “divisive, violent, and hate-filled rhetoric.”
In a letter sent Tuesday to NJEA leadership, Gottheimer attached a series of online posts and tweets allegedly written by Oraby, including one in which she referred to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as “filthier than the Jews,” and others expressing sympathy toward Hamas. Several of the posts have since been deleted.
“Ms. Oraby has an extremely troubling public record of promoting divisive, violent, and hate-filled rhetoric that has no place in our great state, and that must be addressed immediately,” Gottheimer wrote. “Her recent appointment raises serious questions and concerns that do not align with the NJEA’s core values.”
Gottheimer cited posts in which Oraby described Israel’s presence in Gaza as “worse than Nazism” and accused Israel of killing its own citizens during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. “Equating the world’s only Jewish state with the perpetrators of the Holocaust is not only historically false, but also overtly antisemitic,” he said.
Other posts attributed to Oraby reportedly referred to Hamas members as “martyrs” and included calls for violence against Israeli leaders. Oraby began working for the NJEA in August and is currently a probationary employee, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The NJEA acknowledged receiving Gottheimer’s letter and said it is reviewing the matter internally. “We are aware of the letter addressed to NJEA and released publicly by Congressman Gottheimer today,” NJEA spokesperson Steven Baker said. “We are addressing it through our established internal processes. This is an internal personnel matter that we will not comment on further at this time.”
Oraby has not commented publicly, and a request for comment issued through the NJEA was not returned. The NJEA magazine she edits reaches more than 200,000 educators, retirees, and their families statewide.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor and a recent recipient of the NJEA’s endorsement, also called for Oraby’s termination. “I’m outraged by Ms. Oraby’s antisemitic, pro-Hamas social media posts,” Sherrill said in a statement. “This is unacceptable and the NJEA needs to immediately act and fire her from this position. An individual with bigoted views has no place as an editor of a magazine distributed to our state’s teachers.”
Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli likewise urged the union to remove Oraby, joining a growing bipartisan chorus calling for accountability.
Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, a former educator, also backed the demand for action. “As a teacher and public servant, I know that our words have power,” she said. “The statements attributed to Ms. Oraby are unacceptable. Antisemitism, hate, and the glorification of violence have no place in our classrooms, our institutions, or our state.”
Gottheimer reiterated that the NJEA’s response thus far has been inadequate. “I raised it with the NJEA, and they have failed to act,” he said. “Someone with a long record of vile antisemitism and anti-Christian posts should have no place in education in our state. I’m really hoping the NJEA does the right thing here.”
In a separate statement to News 12, the NJEA said, “This is an internal personnel matter that we will not comment on further at this time. NJEA remains unequivocally committed to advocating for justice and opposing all forms of bigotry, oppression, and discrimination.”
