A Philadelphia public school teacher who built her public identity around pro-Palestinian activism has admitted she invented Palestinian, Tunisian, and Black heritage. She is, in her own words, a white woman.
Hannah Gann, who teaches at the Workshop School in West Philadelphia, posted confessions this week after two activist groups she worked with confronted her. She described herself as "a white woman with significant privilege and wealth" with no Palestinian or Tunisian heritage, and said she had "outright lied" about her background to everyone in her life.
The groups, Philly Educators for Palestine and the Racial Justice Organizing Committee, said she finally admitted the truth after an hour of questioning. They asked her to acknowledge publicly that she is "a white woman of Jewish heritage and an Israeli settler family," and called her deception a "betrayal." Online, she has been dubbed "the Palestinian Rachel Dolezal."
Gann was among the most visible anti-Israel voices in the city's schools. She held a 2024 teach-in on "scholasticide" in Gaza. In December 2025, wearing a keffiyeh, she urged the Board of Education to treat anti-Palestinian racism as seriously as antisemitism. At one point, a mobile billboard outside her school called her "Philadelphia's Leading Antisemite."
The Lawfare Project said the real question is why Gann felt her actual identity was a liability and a fabricated one an asset. "This is a testament to an activist culture that has become inextricably linked" to that dynamic, communications director Jayne Zirkle said.
Neither of Gann's public apologies mentioned her Jewish heritage.
The affair has sparked outrage among activists who knew her for years. The organizations said they are "shocked, saddened, and angry at the betrayal," and announced they will no longer work with her.
The School District of Philadelphia also responded to the incident, stating it is aware of social media posts concerning the employee and her activities with an outside organization. The district added that support will be offered to students and staff at the school, but did not indicate whether Gann will face disciplinary action.
