NYC Teacher Faces Backlash Over Antisemitic Lionel Messi Meme Post
Her social media activity has drawn accusations of promoting hate.
A New York City public school teacher is facing criticism over antisemitic memes and anti-Israel posts shared online, including a disturbing caricature of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi that mirrors Nazi-era stereotypes portraying Jews as greedy and manipulative.
Maysa Jarara, a math teacher at Park Slope Collegiate, shared the image on Facebook July 19 under the name Maysa. It depicts a crying, submissive-looking Messi with an exaggerated nose, wearing a yarmulke and rubbing his hands together.
“The look on his face is priceless,” Jarara wrote alongside the image, which closely resembles the antisemitic online caricature commonly known as “The Happy Merchant.”
Messi, who traveled to Israel during a 2013 “peace tour,” has also been targeted by antisemitic conspiracy theories, including false claims circulated during the World Cup that Jews control FIFA and secretly influenced his professional success, according to CyberWell, a nonprofit that monitors online antisemitism.
“Jarara has crossed a major line by trafficking in classic antisemitic tropes that cast Jews as greedy and scheming,” said Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers.
The Brooklyn educator has also repeatedly shared posts attacking Israel, including one image showing the Israeli flag splattered with blood.
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On Instagram, Jarara marked the three-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack—which killed more than 1,200 Israelis—by posting an illustration of a keffiyeh-wearing man dancing with a hijab-clad woman before a burning pile. Its caption read: “And we love life and we can live it in a way.”
“This is deeply disturbing. We have a teacher who is entrusted with educating children publicly sharing inflammatory, biased, and historically misleading posts about Israel and the Jewish people,” said Karen Feldman, president of the New York City Public Schools Alliance.
New York City public schools have faced continuing concerns over antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attacks, with several teachers accused of posting anti-Jewish material or expressing support for extremist causes online.
A lawsuit alleges that Damian Neva, a history teacher at P.S. 77 in Park Slope, wrote “Long live Yahya Al-Sinwar” in a group chat with people seeking to organize a boycott of Israeli products at the Park Slope Food Co-op.
George Trim, a Brooklyn social studies teacher at I.S. 181, was reprimanded by the Department of Education after he was found to be hosting a podcast focused on antisemitic conspiracy theories while wearing a tinfoil hat.
Amid those controversies, thousands of Jewish families in New York City have reportedly moved their children out of public schools, citing concerns about anti-Israel activism and what they describe as ideological bias in classrooms.
Jewish schools in New York City and throughout the state have experienced a corresponding enrollment increase of about 3,100 students, according to a study by Teach Coalition.
Public records show Jarara earned approximately $140,000 in 2025. She could not be reached for comment.
