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4.24

Based on 17 Goodreads ratings

ON ANTISEMITISM

by the middle third of the 20th century, “the Jewish question,” in the words of the Nazi Reich press office, became “the key to world history.” Antisemitism and the rise of the emancipation of Jews went together. Mazower writes, “As a movement against Jewish emancipation, antisemitism fundamentally involved a critique of the idea that the law should treat all alike.” The impact of antisemitism, then, went beyond laws discriminating against Jews. It created a world in which law and national identity became inextricably linked. In a postwar world, could Jews be “true patriots?” Mazower, professor of history at Columbia University and author of Hitler’s Empire, also argues that the emergence of the state of Israel as a world power reshaped both the social and the legal positions of Jewish communities throughout Europe and America. “With the secularization of American Jewry and its embrace of ethnic politics, antisemitism was gradually becoming more and more linked to the question of Israel.” While Mazower declines to equate anti\u002DZionism with antisemitism, he recognizes that, increasingly, some do. Mazower concludes his book with a reflection on student protests in the wake of Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza. The word “antisemitism” has become ammunition that fits many different guns. “To clarify terms like it,” he writes, is to make us aware of the “hidden depths” behind its modern history and, in the end, “make ourselves participants in the process of change in the world.”"

Book Details

Publisher:Of
Published:2024-01-01
Pages:353
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9780593833

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This essential collection of essays and analyses tackles the complex history and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism with unflinching clarity. The book provides a vital educational resource f...

Our Review

This essential collection of essays and analyses tackles the complex history and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism with unflinching clarity. The book provides a vital educational resource for young adults, breaking down the origins of prejudice, from ancient religious bigotry to modern conspiracy theories, in a way that is both accessible and deeply informative. It serves as a crucial guide for understanding how antisemitism functions as a form of hatred and its impact on individuals and communities. This is not just a history lesson but a toolkit for recognizing and confronting this specific type of intolerance in today's world.

What makes this volume particularly powerful is its direct engagement with current events and its relevance for readers navigating a world where online hate can spread rapidly. It empowers young people with the historical context and critical thinking skills necessary to identify and challenge antisemitic tropes and rhetoric, whether they encounter them in social media, news media, or daily life. For any student, educator, or concerned citizen seeking to become a more effective ally, this book offers the foundational knowledge and perspective needed to stand against this enduring form of bigotry.

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