Inquiry Question: Why have Jews experienced violence in the past?

As we noted in lesson 1, antisemitism was not invented or created by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. In fact, it has a very long history in Europe. The nature of this antisemitism, and its causes, will be examined in this lesson. Within this specific topic is a more conceptual issue; why do we hate and commit violence against others? While there is certainly no answer that applies to every act of violence, there may be some similarities we can draw.

Do a thing about the Frankfurt Ghetto.

Guiding questions for the video;

• How have Jews been affected by antisemitism? What impact does antisemitism have on others?
• What is the meaning of “scapegoat”? What do people gain from scapegoating?
• What is the effect of hateful images and speech? Do images and words reflect existing attitudes or create them? 
• How has antisemitism changed throughout history? What are some differences among religious, political, and racial antisemitism?
• Why would political or religious leaders espouse antisemitic ideas?
• How is antisemitism similar to or different from other forms of group hatred?

Time to watch: 6:30-END.

Scapegoat	Blaming someone for something they did not do or were not responsible for. Can also refer to someone who is blamed for something they did not do.
Religious antisemitism	Hatred or prejudice of Jews based on their religious beliefs. Christians persecuted Jews because they refused to convert to Christianity and renounce their own beliefs.
Racial antisemitism	Hatred or prejudice of Jews based on false view that they are racially inferior or naturally evil. This is distinct from religious antisemitism because Jews cannot change their perceived race or “blood” however they could convert to Christianity. This is significant because in the 20th century many Jews had converted to Christianity but were still pereceived by be Jewish.
Protocols of the Elders of Zion	A fake text that was made to look like it was written by a council of Jewish elders. First published in Russia in 1903 (later in English in 1919), it outlines a false Jewish plan to dominate the world through economic means and the infiltration of government authority. Again, it is really important to note that this text was a fake and was not written by a Jewish author. In fact, it is a combination of several common antisemitic stereotypes.
Dreyfus Affair	A scandal in 1890s France involving Alfred Dreyfus, a French military officer, accused of being a spy for the Germans. Dreyfus was also Jewish and many viewed the accusations against him as being antisemitic in nature. Accused of treason, Dreyfus’ trial deeply divided French society.
Blood Libel	The belief in some Christian communities up to the 20th century that Jews kidnapped Christian children, killed them, and used their blood to create matzo bread, which is consumed during the Passover holiday. It should be said that this is not a real custom of Jewish people, but was an extreme antisemitic stereotype.