She Presented Herself as Palestinian, Tunisian and Black - Then It All Collapsed in an Instant

A Philadelphia teacher who presented herself for years as Palestinian, Tunisian and Black admitted to lying about her identity, and the activist group she worked with severed ties with her and demanded she publicly confess that she is a Jewish woman from an Israeli settler family.

A Philadelphia teacher who presented herself for years as Palestinian, Tunisian and Black admitted to lying about her identity, and the activist group she was part of severed ties with her and demanded she publicly confess her real background. The organization issued a formal statement: "We are stunned, sad and angry at this betrayal," and added that it severed all ties with the teacher, known as Gaan, and demanded she publicly confess that she is "a white woman with Jewish heritage from an Israeli settler family." On social media, Gaan admitted that she is "a white woman with significant privileges and wealth," but refrained from addressing her religion or family, and wrote: "I lied about my identity and I lied for years."

In a long Instagram video posted on Sunday, Gaan said she felt "shame, sorrow and regret," and added that she understands how her deception unleashed a flood of anger and suspicion toward other activists. However, she noted that her critics are exploiting her mistakes to "justify ideologies of supremacy, imperial terror and genocide violence." According to the report, Gaan did not respond to requests for further comment.

Gaan serves as a teacher at "Workshop School," a small high school that emphasizes real-world skills, including automotive training. A district spokesperson refused to comment on the matter, noting that the district is providing support to the school's staff and students. According to the report, Gaan's activism was a central feature of her career: she organized awareness activities about Gaza and worked for teachers' right to express their views, and her activism previously made her a target of a pro-Israel campaign by a conservative organization that placed a truck with billboards calling her "Philadelphia's leading antisemite."

Before her lies were exposed, Gaan gave several interviews to progressive media outlets, and in one of them described how educators feel silenced by "wealthy stakeholders" who support imperial occupation, in clear reference to Israel. Without revealing details about her background, she hinted that she is not white by claiming that non-white teachers receive harsher treatment, while "white teachers, or those passing as white, or closer to white like me" receive easier treatment.