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Philadelphia teacher admits faking Black and Palestinian identity 'for years' while secretly white and Jewish

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

Hannah Gann, described by critics as a woman of significant privilege and wealth, has been compared to Rachel Dolezal after being exposed as a white Jewish woman who posed as a Black Palestinian.
Hannah Gann, described by critics as a woman of significant privilege and wealth, has been compared to Rachel Dolezal after being exposed as a white Jewish woman who posed as a Black Palestinian.

Hannah Gann, a 34-year-old Philadelphia public school teacher and prominent pro-Palestinian activist, confessed this week to lying about her race and heritage for years, admitting she has "no Palestinian or Tunisian heritage" and is "a white woman of significant privilege and wealth." Two activist groups she worked with — Philly Educators for Palestine and the Racial Justice Organising Committee — confronted her after growing suspicious, forcing the admission after an hour of questioning. They also revealed Gann is of Jewish heritage and from "an Israeli settler family." She grew up in one of America's wealthiest suburbs in a home now worth $1.8 million.

Online commenters have dubbed Gann the 'Palestinian Rachel Dolezal', comparing her to the white woman who posed as Black and led an NAACP chapter until her exposure in 2015.

Critics accused Gann of wearing heavy bronzer, adopting a 'blaccent' and using long acrylic nails across years of Instagram lectures about racism and imperialism — all delivered from supposed personal experience.

A mobile billboard had previously been parked outside her school branding her 'Philadelphia's leading antisemite' after she attended a pro-Hamas rally.

MoreJewish News (GNews)A Jewish teacher in Philadelphia pretended to be Palestinian for yearsThe Jewish ChronicleWhite Jewish pro-Gaza activist ‘with settler family’ admits pretending to be black and Palestinian - The Jewish ChronicleNY PostBlack former UPenn classmate of ‘Palestinian Rachel Dolezal’ says race-faker cares more about ‘personal gain’ than activismFox NewsActivist teacher’s Palestinian identity claims unravel as she admits being a ‘White woman’ of privilegeprimetimer.com"I am a white woman of significant privilege": Jewish teacher Hannah Gann admits to lying about being a Black Palestinian - primetimer.comNortheast TimesPhiladelphia Teacher Hannah Gann Admits Faking Black and Palestinian Identity - Northeast Times
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