From the course: Understanding and Supporting Jewish Colleagues at Work

A brief history of antisemitism: An ancient bigotry

From the course: Understanding and Supporting Jewish Colleagues at Work

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A brief history of antisemitism: An ancient bigotry

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- The word antisemitism appeared for the first time in the late 1800s. It was created by a German journalist and politician named Wilhelm Marr, who founded an anti-Jewish social club. So to be clear, the term was created to define Jew hatred and does not apply to any other group. While the term antisemitism is new, the ideology and violence it describes is not because antisemitism is not only a modern phenomenon. In the ancient world, antisemitism was usually directed at Jews as an ethnic or national group. This means Jews were discriminated against for being a separate community and not because of their religious behavior. A good example of this is the Jewish revolt against Greek control of Judea and ancient Israel. The Jews revolted not only because of the restrictions on their religious behavior, but because they were expected to assimilate into a Greek way of life that would've prevented Jews from existing as a distinct autonomous community. This history is the inspiration for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Ancient Roman imperial leaders also instituted anti-Jewish policies and participated in state sponsored violence against Jews. Once again, Jews were often victimized for simply being a separate or other community outside of the imperial mainstream. Using speech that would fit perfectly in today's anti-Jewish discourse, the Roman politician Cicero talked about Jewish clannishness and complained about their influence in local governments. The first documented anti-Jewish riot took place in 38 CE in Alexandria Egypt. Roman officials destroyed Jewish synagogues and made it legal for mobs to murder Jews and destroy their homes. This violence was repeated in 40 CE when Jews were accused of not sufficiently honoring the emperor. Antisemitism has changed in different historical contexts. The word antisemitism was coined pretty recently, but anti-Jewish behavior has existed for almost as long as the Jewish people. Jews often intuitively understand how antisemitism adapts. And our concerns for our safety today are often based on our knowledge that anti-Jewish ideas can be present in so many different societies. I hope that you feel more comfortable now in your knowledge of how antisemitism can change over time and why that's important for keeping Jews safe today.

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