The Roots and Impact of Antisemitism (UK)

In the previous lesson, students began the ‘We and They’ stage of the Facing History & Ourselves scope and sequence by examining  the concept of a universe of obligation. This lesson continues the study of ‘We and They’ in the Facing History scope and sequence by introducing antisemitism, another historical example of how humans have created ‘in’ groups and ‘out’ groups. Students will explore the long history of hatred and discrimination against Jews, and they will see how anti-Judaism, a religious prejudice, was transformed in the nineteenth century into antisemitism, a form of racism. Learning about the development of antisemitism will provide students with important context for the world view of the Nazis. It will also help students recognise and understand the impact of stereotypes and myths about Jews that persist today.

A note on terms:

• The term anti-Judaism refers to religious prejudice against Jews before the historical emergence of the concept of race.
• The word Semitic does not actually refer to a group of people. It is not a ‘race’ but rather a linguistic term that refers to a group of languages traditionally spoken in the Middle East and parts of Africa, including Amharic, a language spoken in Ethiopia, as well as Hebrew and Arabic. Because there is no such thing as a Semitic race, Facing History uses the alternate spelling antisemitism.

Before you teach this lesson, please review the following guidance to tailor this lesson to your students’ contexts and backgrounds.

Activity 1 Rumours, Lies, Single Stories, and Myths

The history of anti-Judaism and antisemitism is in part a story of rumours, lies, single stories, and myths that have developed and persisted over the course of centuries. Ask students to record their observations about rumours, lies, and myths from their own experiences by responding to the following questions in their journals:

• How do rumours get started? 
• Why might lies and myths about people persist even after they have been proven wrong? 
• Have you ever helped to spread a rumour that you doubted or knew wasn’t true? Why?

Students should be allowed to keep their own stories of spreading rumours private. However,  you can ask for volunteers to share their more general observations about why rumours and lies can be so persistent; they can share these thoughts without having to share details of the particular incident.

Activity 2 Explore the History of Antisemitism

• Inform students that for the rest of the lesson they are going to learn about antisemitism. Tell them that its most basic definition is ‘hatred of or hostility towards Jews’, but it is also a form of racism. Explain to them that they will look at history to understand how religious prejudice against Jews evolved into racism.
• Give students the handout Overview of Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism.   
• Instruct students to read the handout with a partner, stopping at each box to annotate the section and answer the text-based questions. 
• If you have a class with students with different starting points in terms of reading skills, pair stronger readers with weaker readers and have them read the text aloud in their pairs.
• Debrief the reading with students by asking them to share their answers to the questions. Take this opportunity to correct any misunderstandings regarding the history of anti-Judaism and antisemitism.
• In the same pairs, ask students to discuss the following questions:

  • What do you notice about the history of hatred, discrimination, and violence towards Jews?
  • How is antisemitism, which emerged in the 1870s, different from the anti-Judaism that existed before the 1870s? Why is that difference significant?
  • How were ‘single stories’ used to exclude Jews from the protections, rights, and privileges that society provides for its members? What were the consequences?

• The questions increase in difficulty in terms of concepts or the language skills needed to express ideas; you could, therefore, allocate the questions to students according to which they will find the most accessible. Alternatively, you may wish to construct a timeline on the board with students providing the information, based upon their reading. This is useful if you feel that students need support in drawing together the whole narrative or if some did not complete the reading.
• Ask the student pairs to share their answers to these questions in a brief class discussion.

Activity 3 Explore the Impact of Antisemitism Today

• Explain to students that antisemitism still very much exists today and that it is in fact on the rise in the UK.  
• Share the reading Responses to Antisemitism Online (or an adapted version, if you have omitted some content – see Notes to Teacher) and read as a class using a Read Aloud strategy. 
• Then ask students to discuss these questions in pairs: 

  • How does antisemitism affect Izzy? 
  • How does it affect others in her community?
  • What role does social media play in this story? 
  • What does the presence of antisemitism reveal about the state of society?
  • What might it take to overcome antisemitic beliefs? 

• Invite the student pairs to share their answers to these questions in a brief class discussion.

Activity 4 Complete an Exit Card

Finally, if there is time, give students the opportunity to complete an exit card using the following prompts: 

• I came in thinking/feeling ______.
• I am leaving thinking/feeling ______.

Extension Activity Explore the History of Antisemitism in Depth

For a deeper and more detailed exploration of the history of anti-Judaism and antisemitism, you can substitute the resources below for the handout Overview of Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism. The readings, from Holocaust and Human Behaviour, and the videos listed below also include connection questions for additional discussion and reflection:

• Readings: Anti-Judaism before the Enlightenment and From Religious Prejudice to Antisemitism in Holocaust and Human Behaviour.
• Videos: The Ancient Roots of Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism from the Enlightenment to World War I.