A New York City public school teacher has sparked controversy after allegedly sharing a caricature of Argentinian soccer superstar Lionel Messi that appears to be rooted in antisemitic stereotypes. Per NY Post, Park Slope Collegiate math teacher Maysa Jarara is said to have posted the image on Facebook on July 19 under the name Maysa, depicting a crying, groveling Messi with an exaggerated nose, wearing a yarmulke, and rubbing his hands together.
“The look on his face is priceless,” Jarara reportedly captioned the photo, which resembles the antisemitic internet meme known as “The Happy Merchant.” This meme depicts Jewish people using offensive stereotypes about greed, dishonesty, and manipulation. The imagery has a long history in antisemitic propaganda, including material used to dehumanize Jewish people during the Nazi era.
Messi, who visited Israel as part of a “peace tour” in 2013, has also been targeted by conspiracy theories related to international football, according to CyberWell. This nonprofit organization monitors online antisemitism, including false claims circulated during the World Cup alleging that Jewish people control FIFA and have secretly influenced Messi’s career.
Jewish teachers are ‘disturbed’ over Jarara’s posts
United Jewish Teachers president Moshe Spern condemned the reported Messi image, saying: “Jarara has crossed a major line by trafficking in classic antisemitic tropes that cast Jews as greedy and scheming.” New York City Public Schools Alliance president Karen Feldman also called out the teacher for her misleading post about the Jewish people. “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,” Feldman said.
This is not the first time Jarara has been accused of posting antisemitic content on social media. Another post, shared on Instagram around the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, reportedly showed a man wearing a keffiyeh dancing with a woman in a hijab in front of a burning pile. Its caption read: “And we love life and we can live it in a way.” The attacks killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and triggered the war in Gaza.
Jarara has not commented publicly, according to published reports. Public records cited in the coverage indicate she earned $140,000 in 2025. No disciplinary action related to the posts has been reported.
The controversy comes amid broader concerns about antisemitism in New York City schools. Other educators have faced scrutiny over alleged social media activity and public comments concerning Israel and Hamas. Thousands of Jewish families in NYC have reportedly withdrawn their children from public schools, while Jewish schools have experienced a surge in enrollment, according to a study from Teach Coalition.
Published: Oct 19, 2026 05:30 am