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“There is no way to debunk the lies of antisemitism without 

 investing in teaching the truth about who Jews are.”

Dara Horn

Welcome to
The Tell

Acclaimed, award-winning author, scholar, and lecturer Dara Horn launched The Tell Institute to significantly reframe what students and the broader public know about Jewish civilization, the dynamics of antisemitism for 2500 years, and the ideas that shape free pluralistic societies, so that we can build our shared future together. 

Exploring the layers of Jewish civilization

An Education Project by Dara Horn

  • The erasure of Jewish life and civilization from education has left even well-meaning people with no knowledge of Jewish people and history — and primed for antisemitic sources to fill in the blanks. 

    By avoiding the subject of the Jewish people, schools have essentially outsourced teaching about Jews to new media sources, with horrific results. Jewish people across the United States and the world, as well as our broader societies, are facing the consequences.
     
    Time is not on our side. History shows us that antisemitism, when unchecked, always gets worse — and not infrequently brings entire societies down with it. We have a short window. This is urgent. 

  • The Tell Institute is an initiative of Dara Horn, the renowned scholar, lecturer, and author of the landmark book People Love Dead Jews. Dara Horn launched The Tell Institute to significantly reframe and deepen what people know about who Jews are. 
     
    In archaeology, a Tell is a hill formed from the accumulated layers of civilization built upon the same site for hundreds or thousands of years - each layer representing a story from the past and a physical reminder that our current moment is composed of all that has preceded us. It’s a powerful metaphor for our mission: to help people uncover the layers of Jewish history and meaning that shape our present, and to spark the curiosity and discussion that underpin a pluralistic society.
     
    The Tell is opened to anyone anywhere—both within and beyond our schools—who wants to learn about who Jews are, the role of Jewish civilization’s core ideas across millennia, how these civilization-defining ideas shaped the persecution and resilience of Jewish communities, the influence of these ideas on broader societies, the role of media and propaganda in forming public opinion, and why everyone should care.
     
    By modeling the values of civil discourse and literacy that have driven Jewish learning for millennia, The Tell Institute aims to inoculate the next generation against the historic patterns of antisemitism that we are witnessing today.

    The Tell Institute is fiscally sponsored by Mission Edge, San Diego (Tax ID: 27-2938491),

    pending approval of our 501(c) (3) application.  All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. 

  • Guided by Dara Horn’s vision and groundbreaking ideas, The Tell Institute has created dramatically reframed content and curriculum to spark curiosity around these subjects and more.
     
    The Tell Institute is developing a limited set of lessons to be the frame—the “Start Here”—for everyone wishing to fully grasp the Jewish story, the Holocaust, current Jewish life, contemporary antisemitism, and broader societal dynamics today.
     
    The Tell Institute will pilot our curricula in select classrooms beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, then measure, refine, and improve the lessons—and scale our vital work from there. In addition, our growing Tell Network will span educators, organizations, parents, and communities seeking to play a role in opening The Tell to everyone. 

  • Dr. Dara Horn

    Founder and President

    Jessica Levin

    Executive Director

    Sherry Preiss

    Curriculum Director

    Steve Flammey

    Director of Finance

    Our Team

    We have built a core team of outstanding educators from across North America who have brought their expertise and real-time experience to the development of The Tell Institute's lessons and training. Our team includes full-time classroom teachers from public and private schools in urban, suburban, and rural settings, seasoned teacher trainers, school district curriculum coordinators, and Jewish community professionals with decades of experience in building bridges with diverse communities. 
     
    If you are an educator or otherwise interested in working with The Tell Institute, we'd love to hear from you. Please fill out our survey here to tell us more about how we can work together. 

Get More Involved

Are you interested in test-driving our material in your classroom, school, or community, or helping us advance our mission in another way? We want to hear from you. 

Contact Us

Contact us at info@TheTellInstitute.org. 
We are still in start-up mode and apologize for any delays in responding.

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