Well-known children’s content creator Rachel Accurso, also known as Ms. Rachel worldwide, is facing a major scandal after StopAntisemitism shortlisted her for the title of “Antisemite of the Year.” She was nominated after voicing her disapproval of the Israeli government’s bombing and killing many innocent civilians and children in Gaza.
For many toddlers and their parents, the name Ms. Rachel stands for kind, developmental learning, and a soothing voice on YouTube. But now, she’s forced into politics that aren’t her playing field.
StopAntisemitism’s decision to nominate her, despite her record of teaching in an inclusive and anti-hate manner, led to an outcry from followers, activists, and parents who blamed her for speaking out against the deaths of civilians in Gaza and for her efforts to help children caught up in conflict zones around the world.
Those who support her argue that the nomination against her is baseless and harmful, especially because her following is huge and mainly consists of families.
Ms. Rachel Responds: This Should Not Happen
The often serene creator gave an impassioned statement on her Instagram, detailing the effects that the nomination has had on her and her loved ones.
“The Stop Antisemitism Now group should not be able to try to ruin people’s lives, cause them to receive threats and need security, try to get all business partners to drop them, accuse them of a serious crime (being paid by HAMAS) and get news to cover it with no evidence.”
In addition, the situation has affected her two young children, and one incident that no parent ever wants to go through.
“Remembering my son accidentally overhearing us talking about my safety and then him crying wanting to hold my hand all night scared something would happen to me. This has taken such a toll on me and my family and all I’ve wanted was to help kids.”
The message depicts the caring children’s teacher who created an environment of trust and safety for the kids, now needing to reassure her own.
We Received Threatening Letters
Ms. Rachel explained, with her caption, that they’ve had physical threatening letters written to her and her family members, one of whom is Jewish. All of this, Ms. Rachel stated, had been going on for many years, and she’s just tired.
Even with the pain, she concluded the same way she had when she started her work.
“That being said nothing will stop me standing with the kids of Gaza, Sudan, the Congo etc.”
Many People Rally to Help
On social media, parents, teachers, and activists are quick to come to her defense, saying that standing up for the prevention of violence and for children can’t be called antisemitism. They think that the appointment of one of the most popular online educators poses a threat to her own life.
As the story grows, it becomes clear that the repercussions for Ms. Rachel could spark a broader conversation about activism, online bullying, misinformation, and the cost of standing up for oppressed groups. For now, Ms. Rachel is choosing to lead carefully, as always, but the situation carries much higher risks.
