Activist Exposed as White Jewish Woman After Posing as Palestinian

A Philadelphia teacher who became a prominent activist for Palestinian causes has admitted to falsely presenting herself as a Black Palestinian, a revelation that has led to her expulsion from activist groups and widespread criticism. Hannah Gann, 34, who taught at the Workshop School, a Philadelphia high school, reportedly used makeup to darken her skin and adopted a different accent while speaking at protests in the wake of the October 7th attacks on Israel.

Her true identity as a white Jewish woman with family in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was exposed by the Racial Justice Organizing Committee and Philly Educators for Palestine, groups of which Gann was a member. Members of these organizations met with Gann, questioned her about her background, and she subsequently confessed to lying about her identity. The groups expressed shock and anger, stating they had been betrayed and permanently removed Gann from their organizations.

Gann has since posted an apology on Instagram, admitting, "I hid the truth or outright lied about my background to everyone in my life." She acknowledged being "a white woman of significant privilege and wealth" and stated that she concealed her true identity even from close friends and family. Gann's actions have drawn comparisons to Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP chapter president who was exposed for falsely claiming to be Black.

Gann's activism included speeches in support of Hamas and rhetoric against police brutality. In a viral speech, she stated, "When a Palestinian child picks up a rock or a slingshot in the face of Israeli tanks or machine guns, we owe them that same energy. We owe them to take it to these streets and f*** the police until Palestine is free." She also led a "teach in" about the destruction of schools in Gaza, where her biography identified her as Palestinian-American.

Reports indicate that Gann frequently referenced a family in Palestine and a Palestinian-born grandfather, neither of whom existed as described. Her family, in reality, resides in the West Bank, and her grandfather was born in Baltimore. She had also solicited cash donations, claiming to send money to her "family in Palestine."

A former classmate from the University of Pennsylvania recalled Gann identifying as a white Jewish woman with family in the West Bank during their college years. This classmate stated that after returning from the Peace Corps in Rwanda, Gann "dove head-first into her activism," appearing to alter her appearance and accent. The Racial Justice Organizing Committee noted Gann's work with "predominantly black youth" in Philadelphia, suggesting she exploited a "sense of shared oppression" and manipulated young people based on her fabricated identity.

Despite the exposure, Gann stated in her apology that she stands by her pro-Palestinian stance and that her actions do not invalidate the experiences of other activists. She also urged people not to disengage from causes like the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, the genocide in Congo, police brutality, and other social justice issues due to her dishonesty.

A spokesperson for the Philadelphia School District confirmed awareness of social media posts concerning an employee and their involvement with an outside advocacy group. The district would not comment on potential consequences for Gann but stated that students were being supported.