resources and information on antisemitism
made by @j3wess on instagram and twitter
antisemitism didn't start or end with the holocaust.
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origins of the jewish people
the jewish people are an ethnoreligious group indigenous to the levant. the term 'jew' is derived from the kingdom of judea which is located in the region of palestine. them being ethnoreligious means that they are related by not only religious practice but also ethnicity. the history of the jewish people is full of trauma and persecution.
origins of antisemitism - an incredibly brief timeline
destruction of the first temple
one of the very first incidents of antisemitism that can be recalled is the destruction of the first temple by the babylonian empire king nebuchadnezzar ii when the babylonians attacked jerusalem in 598 bce. he again besieged jerusalem and finally breached the city walls in 587 bce, burning the temple, and most of the city.
destruction of the second temple
in 63 bce, the romans conquered jerusalem, the center of jewish life. at the time, the romans worshipped multiple gods and demanded that the jewish people do the same. in 70 bce, the romans attacked jerusalem again and the majority of jews were displaced. this is what created the diaspora.
the rise of christianity
when christianity first rose, there was relative peace as many saw it as a subset of judaism. however, with the conversion of roman emperors, christianity became the sole established religion and when jews refused to convert, it was seen as a threat to the roman empire. as well, the lie was spread that the jews were the ones who killed jesus when it was actually the romans.
middle ages
from 300-600 ce, antisemitism became institutionalized in many ways. in 399 ce, jews were forbidden to marry christians. in 439 ce, jews were forbidden from holding positions in government. in 531 ce, jews were forbidden from appearing as witnesses against christians in courts. rumors of blood libel arose among other things (see common forms of antisemitism for more information).
in 1095, pope urban ii made an appeal to the christians of europe to ‘liberate the holy land’ in the crusades. it was meant to liberate the land of muslims but had direct consequences for jews as well. jewish communities were looted, raped, massacred, etc as the crusaders pillaged through them.
in the 1300s, the black death occurred and jews were blamed for it, partially because jews were more sanitary than the rest of europe. jews were accused of poisoning the wells and an estimated 100,000 jews in just germany and austria were burned alive for this. blood libel and the idea that jews used christian blood to make matzoh arose from this.
jews were subject to legal, political, economic, and social discrimination. they were restricted to ghettos during this time and sometimes forced to wear distinctive symbols, similar to as they did during the holocaust.
jews were not allowed to own land and the church did not allow christians to loan money for profit. since jews were restricted from most other industries, they were often forced to become money lenders. this is were the jewish and money trope originates.
jews were also often expelled during the middle ages. they were expelled from england in 1209, from france in 1394, and from spain in 1492.
the holocaust and mena jewish refugee crisis
over 6 million jews were ruthlessly killed in an attempt to exterminate the jewish people in the holocaust. this is the most known act of antisemitism. people often try to deny it and or minimize it. we must not forget that antisemitism did not begin or end with the holocaust.
note: i don’t feel too comfortable talking extensively about the holocaust because intergenerational trauma :D but you can easily find more information by going to any of the holocaust museums, virtually or in real life if you’re wearing a mask and social distancing!
following the holocaust, the state of israel was established in palestine. the jewish people who lived in surrounding states in the middle east and north africa were expelled from their homes in response to it. over 800,000 jewish people became refugees between 1948 and 1972 and most were absorbed by the state of israel because no where else was accepting jews. it is important to note that mena jews weren’t living perfect lives before the establishment of israel. they were subject to pogroms just as european jews were. one more well known example is the farhud in 1941 where iraqi jews were massacred, raped, and looted. the chart below shows the numbers of the refugee crisis more extensively.
note: me mentioning the mena jewish refugee crisis does not at all refute the nakba (palestinian ethnic cleansing) that occurred/still occurs to this day. both of these things happened around the same time period. however, i am only mentioning one of them because this carrd is specifically about antisemitism!
modern times
jews make up less than 3% of the population of the united states yet over 60% of reported hate crimes in the united states are against the jewish people. jewish websites are hacked, stabbings in jewish community centers, shootings at synagogues, bomb threats, mezuzahs broken, and swastikas vandalized at jewish homes. this doesn't even start to acknowledge the piles of antisemitism that jews have to endure as a daily occurrence.
this entire timeline is as brief as i can possibly make it yet it still is over a page long. modern antisemitism outside of the united states is not even mentioned here (sorry for the jewish american centered narrative - it's the one i'm best able to speak on). there are countless pogroms across the globe that i don't even begin to gloss over. this should let you know that antisemitism is likely much bigger than you realized.
judenhass vs antisemitism
antisemitism is not the hatred of the jewish religion but the jewish people as a whole.
the term antisemitism was coined by german journalist wilhelm marr in 1879 in order to describe a racial opposition to jews and it fostered a scientific basis for jew hatred. judenhass, the typical term for jew hatred before the new sophisticated sounding antisemitism came around, has largely been retired and now antisemitism is the main term used. while obviously jewish people are not a race as wilhelm marr claimed, the point i am trying to get at is that antisemitism isn’t only religious prejudice as it cannot be avoided by conversion to another religion.
note: some people find this confusing because ‘semitic’ refers to a number of different languages spoken in the middle east and north africa and isn’t exclusive to hebrew. it’s important to remember that jews did not choose this term for ourselves - it was chosen for us.
common forms of antisemitism
unlike most forms of oppression that rely on the idea that the oppressed group is inferior to the oppressor, antisemitism usually relies on the idea that jews are superior and need to be exterminated in order to stop the manifestation of their power. antisemitism is able to function like this because it tends to be cyclical. there are periods of stability and even success for jewry and these periods are almost always directly followed by intense and violent periods of antisemitism. in order for the myths and tropes of antisemitism to have any traction, jews have to be afforded at least a bit of success in society.
because of the cyclical formation of antisemitism, jews tend to be isolated from other marginalized groups because they are not entirely at the 'bottom' but they also aren't at the top - even when antisemites claim they are. instead, they are stuck in the middle, isolated from help, and alone.
these are some of the most common tropes that have historically been used to justify the pillaging, burning, massacring, and expulsion of jewish people.
blood libel
this refers to jews killing non jews to use their blood for religious rituals. it is completely baseless as jewish law forbids the consumption of any blood - human or animal.
power
this refers to jews having too much power. despite the fact that jews are .2 percent of the global population, antisemites believe that they are in control of the media, the banks, and weather, and more.
loyalty
this refers to the suspicion that jews hold allegiance solely to other jews and have a secret jewish agenda. today, people often use the dual loyalty trope, believing that all jews have a loyalty to the state of israel. this is obviously false.
greed
this refers to jews being greedy or stingy. it relates back to the power trope as many who believe jews are greedy also believe that jews control the world’s wealth. see a more extensive explanation of this trope here
how to help: action items to fight antisemitism
jews have a disproportionately large presence in most social justice and leftist spaces. however, our contributions have often gone unreciprocated by other leftists and activists when antisemitism is brought up. use this carrd page in order to find various action items you can do in order to help combat antisemitism.
follow jewish activists!
on instagram: @j3wess, @that.jewish.activist, @jewitches, @negrajoc
on twitter: @j3wess, @koshersemite, @jewish_activist
note: it is not your token jewish friend's obligation to put in the labor to educate you about antisemitism. go specifically to the accounts piled in this carrd that willingly do so.
places to donate or volunteer
jewish community centers, also known as jccs, are a vital resource for jewish people in north america. while today, they mainly promote jewish culture, education, and help to provide for jewish families in need, they were originally established to provide support for new jewish immigrants to america. you can find your local jcc through a quick online search and likely find volunteer opportunities. you can also donate through here.
shalva provides help to jewish women in domestic abuse situations in chicago. it provides free and confidential services for as long as one needs. you can donate, advocate, or volunteer with them through here
jews for racial and economic justice is an organization pursuing racial and economic justice in new york city, inspired by jewish values. they have multiple caucuses specifically for jews of color, mizrahi jews, and working class jews. you can donate to them through here.
every name counts is a project with a goal of transcribing the arolsen archives so that the names in them can be easily found online. it is a way to partake in holocaust remembrance without even leaving your house! you can help online through here.
more action items will eventually be added here! feel free to dm me (@j3wess) if there's any specific resources you think i should add!
sources used in creating this carrd
racist skinhead glossary // southern poverty law center
origins of neo nazi and white supremacist terms and symbols // united states holocaust memorial museum
the past didn't go anywhere // april rosenbloom
understanding antisemitism: an offering to our movement // jews for racial and economic justice
a brief history of antisemitism // the anti defamation league