Brooklyn Teacher Sparks Outrage Over Antisemitic Messi Caricature
A Brooklyn math teacher sparked outrage after posting antisemitic caricatures online, including a distorted image of Lionel Messi using classic Nazi tropes.
A Brooklyn high school math teacher has sparked severe outrage after publishing antisemitic caricatures online, including a distorted image of football star Lionel Messi.
Antisemitic Imagery Online
Maisa Barara, a teacher at Park Slope Collegiate in Brooklyn, shared an illustration on her Facebook account depicting Messi weeping while wearing a kippah with an exaggerated nose and rubbing his hands. This visual echoes the notorious "Happy Merchant" antisemitic trope, which originates from Nazi propaganda depicting Jews as greedy and manipulative.
"The look on his face is priceless," the teacher wrote alongside the image, which was posted following a match.
Messi has previously visited Israel and became a target for antisemitic conspiracy theories online, being utilized to spread false narratives regarding Jewish control over global sports.
Glorification and School Outrage
According to reports, Barara's social media accounts also feature regular content defaming Israel, including images of the Israeli flag smeared with blood. On the anniversary of the October 7 massacres, she shared an illustration of individuals celebrating next to a burning fire.
"This is a deeply concerning situation where an educator entrusted with children's minds publicly shares inciteful content," said Karen Feldman, president of the New York Public Schools Alliance. Meanwhile, thousands of Jewish families in New York have reportedly withdrawn their children from public schools in favor of private Jewish educational institutions.
