Antisemitism: The Power of Myth
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"A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanging; it is the skin of living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used."-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 1918
Antisemitism is on the rise. A number of international organizations have documented a surge in crimes against Jews. In its 2002 report on antisemitism in Europe, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights observes, "Hate speech-spoken, broadcast, and published-provides a motor and a backdrop to antisemitic violence." This set of lessons explores the relationship between hate speech and violence.
Reading 1: Defining Antisemitism
How does one determine whether an act is antisemitic? Who makes the decision?
Reading 2: Confronting Antisemitism
Who is responsible for speaking out against antisemitism and other
forms of racism? What are the consequences of a strong stand? What are
the consequences of silence?
Reading 3: More than a Lie
How do myths become weapons in a war of words? What power do myths have
to turn neighbor against neighbor? How does one confront a myth? Is it
enough to expose it as a lie?
Reading 4: Rumors, Lies, and the Media
What responsibilities does the media have to expose myths, verify
rumors, and challenge stereotypes? How do journalists determine which
stories to tell and how those stories will be told?
Reading 5: A Student Movement
What responsibilities do students have as they examine new ideas and challenge old truths?
Reading 6: Academic Freedom
How
important is the right to exchange ideas freely in the classroom, to
explore and disseminate new knowledge, and to speak openly about the
issues of the day to the life of a university? What are the
responsibilities associated with that right?
Reading 7: Education in a Democracy
How can we engage in conversations that promote an understanding of one
another's views? How can we educate our students for democracy?
Introduction
Historically, Jews and other minorities have been vulnerable in
times of crisis. At such times, they have often been treated as
scapegoats-that is, held responsible for almost every misfortune from
plagues to wars and acts of terrorism. The attacks on the World Trade
Center on September 11, 2001, were no exception. Despite a mountain of
evidence to the contrary, rumors falsely allege that Jews who worked in
the Twin Towers were warned of the attacks and over 4,000 stayed home
that morning. Other false rumors claim that the attacks themselves were
not the work of Islamic terrorists but of the Mossad-Israel's
intelligence agency.
These rumors, as rumors often do, try to explain an emotionally charged
event by linking it to an old myth. In this case, the rumor connects a
terrorist attack on the United States with the myth that Jews are
engaged in an international conspiracy. In times of crisis, many people
find comfort in myths that simplify a complicated world by providing a
clear enemy. Yet another reason for the increase in anti-Jewish
sentiment has its roots in the conflict between Israelis and
Palestinians. In reflecting on the relationship between antisemitism
and the crisis in the Middle East, Steven Lubet, a professor of law and
comparative literary studies at Northwestern University, writes:
It would be foolish to suggest
that all criticism of Israel is motivated by anti-Semitism, but it
would be irresponsible to believe that none of it is.
Consider the continued insistence of New Jersey poet Amiri Baraka that
"4,000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers" were told to stay home the
day that the World Trade Center was attacked.
Mr. Baraka carries on the ancient tradition of blaming the Jews for all
types of disasters, from plagues to poisonings, in this case repeating
a canard that was first issued by a Lebanese radio station. It is
flatly a lie, but it is not merely a lie. In fact, it is a malignant
new myth, linking classic anti-Jewish slanders with contemporary
anti-Israel politics.1
Wilhelm Marr, a German journalist, coined the word antisemitism in 1879 to describe the hatred of Jews as members of a separate and dangerous "race." The term combines older stereotypes about Judaism with the racist thinking of the 19th century. In earlier times, Jews were hated because they refused to accept the religion of the majority. Jews who converted, or so the reasoning went, were no longer outsiders. They belonged. By the late 1800s, Jews were increasingly seen as perpetual foreigners, because conversion does not alter one's race. Race is one of the labels that has been attached to Jews even though Jews see themselves as individuals who share a religion and to some extent a culture. Most scholars today agree. They regard race as a meaningless concept in science; human beings, regardless of their so-called race, are more genetically alike than different.
What does it mean to be viewed as a perpetual foreigner beyond a nation's "universe of obligation"-the individuals and groups toward whom it has obligations, to whom its rules apply, and for whose injuries it seeks justice? That question is central to this set of readings. The focus is on antisemitism. Yet, by substituting a few words or phrases, the readings could apply to almost any vulnerable minority. Several focus on recent events on college campuses, because in many ways colleges and universities have long been "barometers" of where a society is heading. From the Civil Rights Movement to the War in Vietnam and beyond, college campuses have been at the forefront of change.
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