1
Anti-Semitism in History and Literature
Fall 2015
Instructor: John Hoberman Office: BUR 322
Class Meetings: TTH 2:00 – 3:30 Classroom GEA 114
Office hours: MWF 9:00-10:00
Email: [email protected]
August 27.
1. Introduction to the Course: Basic Concepts
The Major Western Racial Doctrines:
Anti-Semitism
Anti-Black-African Racism
Other Major Themes:
Imagining the Normal Human Being
Racial Folklore as Doctrine and Medium of Transmission
Talking About Jews: What Counts as Socially Acceptable Speech?
Imagining the “Jew”
Can Jews Be Racists?
2
September 1.
2. Ancient and Modern Resentment of Jews:
1. “The Globalization of Antisemitism,” Forward (May 2, 2003).
2. "Corpus Christi Controversy," Forward (April 23, 1999).
3. “Ward Refers Writers to Bible” (2001)
4."A 'Christ-Killer Slur Stirs Rightist Tussle in D.C.," Forward (April 27, 2001).
5. “Syrian’s ‘Christ-Killer’ Charge Threatens” (2001)
6. "What's Taught, Learned About Who Killed Christ," New York Times (April 29, 2001).
7. David I. Kertzer, “The Modern Use of Ancient Lies,” New York Times (May 9, 2002).
8. "Right Rallies for 'Christ-Killer' Pundit," Forward (May 4, 2001).
9. "Fired Scribe Says 'Christ-Killer' Conservative Is Sorry," Forward (July 6, 2001).
10. “Billy Graham Apologizes to Jews For His Remarks on Nixon Tapes,” New York Times (March 3, 2002).
September 3.
3. Are the Jews a “Race”?
11. Ashley Montagu, "Are 'the' Jews a Race?" in Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race (1974): 353-377.
September 8, 10.
4. Early Christian Origins of Anti-Semitism
12. Léon Poliakov, "Anti-Semitism and Early Christianity," in The History of Anti- Semitism, Vol. 1 (1974): 17-25. 3
13. James Carroll, "Jesus, a Jew?" in Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews (2001): 71-88.
14. James Carroll, "The Threshold Stone," in Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews (2001): 89-99.
September 15, 17.
5. Medieval Anti-Semitism and its Legacy
15. Léon Poliakov, "The Western Jews in the High Middle Ages," in The History of Anti-Semitism, Vol. 1 (1974): 26-37. [85-90]
16. Léon Poliakov, "The Fateful Summer of 1096," in The History of Anti-Semitism, Vol. 1 (1974): 41-72. [91-106]
17. Léon Poliakov, "Anti-Semitism in the Pure State: France," in The History of Anti-Semitism, Vol. 1 (1974): 173-202. [145-160]
18. Barbara W. Tuchman, "'This Is the End of the World': The Black Death," in A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century (1978): 92-125. [73-89]
19. Joshua Trachtenberg, The Devil and the Jews (1943): 11-52.
20. Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe (1819): Chapters XI, XXIII, XXX.
21. Israel Abrahams, Jewish Life in the Middle Ages [1896] (New York: Atheneum, 1981): 211-244.
September 22, 24.
6. Origins of Protestant Anti-Semitism: Martin Luther
22. Léon Poliakov, "Activated Anti-Semitism: Germany," in The History of Anti-Semitism, Vol. 1 (1974): 210-245. [228-245]
23. Martin Luther, Against the Jews and Their Lies (1543) [http://vho.org/aaargh/fran/livres9/Luthereng.pdf] 4
September 29, October 1.
7. Foundations of Racial Anti-Semitism
24. George L. Mosse, "Eighteenth-Century Foundations," "The Birth of Stereotypes," "Nation, Language, and History," in Toward the Final Solution (1978): 1-50. [180-210]
October 6, 8.
The Anti-Semitic Critique of Jewish Health and the Body
25. Maurice Fishberg, "Pathological Characteristics," in The Jews: A Study of Race and Environment (1911: 270-295.
26. John M. Efron, "The Jewish Body Degenerate?" in Medicine and the German Jews: A History (2001): 105-150.
The “Jewish” Nose
27. Maurice Fishberg, The Jews: A Study of Race and Environment (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911): 78-85.
28. Elizabeth Haiken, Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery (Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press (1997): 182-200,
October 13.
The Myth of the Jewish World-Conspiracy
29. Norman Cohn, "The Origins of the Myth," "Against Satan and the Alliance Israélite Universelle," "The Antisemitic International," in Warrant for Genocide (1967): 21-59, 232-250, 262-269.
5
October 15, 20.
Anti-Semitism in Modern Britain
30. Somerset Maugham, “The Alien Corn” (1931).
31. H.S. Ashton, The Jew at Bay (1933): 15-45, 65-73, 105-116.
October 22.
Examination
October 27, 29.
Medieval Anti-Semitism and the Modern Vatican
32. David I. Kertzer, “Introduction,” “A Missed Opportunity,” in The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti- Semitism (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001): 3-21.
33. James Carroll, "Sign of Folly,” “Stumbling Block to Jews,” “The Journey,” in Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews (2001): 3-23.
34. “New Accusations of a Vatican Role in Anti-Semitism,” New York Times (September 1, 2001.
November 3, 5.
Jewish Criminality
35. Maurice Fishberg, “Criminality,” in The Jews: A Study of Race and Environment (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911): 407-418.
6
36. Michael Berkowitz, “Above Suspicion? Facts, Myths, and Lies about Jews and Crime,” in The Crime of My Very Existence: Nazism and the Myth of Jewish Criminality (2007): 1-23.
37. Daniel Vyleta, “Jewish Criminals,” Crime, Jews and news: Vienna, 1895-1914 (New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2007): 40-69.
38. Patricia Cohen, “But Is Madoff Not So Good for the Jews? Discuss Among Yourselves,” New York Times (January 17, 2009).
November 10, 12.
The Theory and Practice of Nazi Anti-Semitism
39. Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf (1925): 301-309.
40. Hans F. K. Günther, "The Nordic Race as 'Ideal Type'," (1933); Alfred Rosenberg, "The Earth-Centered Jew Lacks a Soul," (1928); "How We Can Learn to Recognize a Person's Race" (1935); "The Task of Proclaiming Christ among the German People" (1937); Martin Bormann, "National Socialist and Christian Concepts Are Incompatible" (1942); "The Jew Is Outside the Law" (1938), in George Mosse, Nazi Culture (1966): 61-65, 75-78, 80-81, 243-244, 244-246, 336- 337.
41. Sarah Gordon, "Hitler's Ethnic Theory," in Hitler, Germans, and the "Jewish Question" (1984): 91-118.
42. Michael H. Kater, “Everyday Antisemitism in Pre-War Nazi Germany: The Popular Bases” Vad Yashem Studies XVI (1984): 129- (1984): 129-159.
7
November 17, 19.
Jewish Self-Hatred: The Retreat (1984)
43. Aharon Appelfeld, The Retreat (1984).
44. John Hoberman, "Otto Weininger and the Critique of Jewish Masculinity," in Nancy A. Harrowitz and Barbara Hyams, eds. Jews & Gender: Responses to Otto Weininger (1995): 141-153.
November 24.
Anti-Semitism in American Society
45. "Jewish Degradation of American Baseball," in Jewish Influences in American Life, Vol. III(1921): 51-61. [Reprinted from The Dearborn Independent] Kenneth B. Clark, “Candor About Negro-Jewish Relations,” Commentary (1946).
46. Harold Brackman, “The Attack on ‘Jewish Hollywood’: A Chapter in the History of Modern American Anti-Semitism,” Modern Judaism 20 (2000): 1-19.
December 1, 3.
Anti-Semitism in Modern Europe
47. “Antisemitism on rise across Europe ‘in worst times since the Nazis,” The Guardian (August 7, 2014).
48. “Europe’s Anti-Semitism Comes Out of the Shadows, New York Times (September 23, 2014).
49. “The Return of Anti-Semitism,” Wall Street Journal (January 30, 2015).
8
50. “Europe’s Increasingly Targeted Jews Take Stock,” The Atlantic (February 17, 2015).
51. “Fear of a new darkness,” The Economist (February 21, 2015).
Information About the Course (Fall 2015)
Almost of the required course readings, lecture notes, and the syllabus are contained in electronic documents on the UT Canvas system with which UT students are expected to be familiar.
REQUIRED READING: You are required to read all of the material the instructor will assign as required reading in as well as anything you may receive by e-mail. The instructor will also point to optional supplementary readings that will be posted on Canvas for you to read and/or print out if you wish to do so. The required paperback book (Aharon Appelfeld, The Retreat, 1984) is available on Amazon or other book sites on the net.
My office hours are MWF 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. or (preferably) by appointment. I encourage you to schedule meetings with me to discuss the course material and, especially, if you ever feel you are falling behind in the course. I am always available to meet with you at short notice. The course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-3:15 in GEA 114. Attendance is mandatory. Documented medical absences will not count as absences.
This course has the following objectives:
(1) to introduce you to the ancient historical origins of anti-Jewish doctrines and their development over two millenia;
2) to build skills in critical cultural literacy by analyzing what we can learn from studying the various aspects and implications of a major form of racism;
(3) to encourage you to consider the historical legacy of important events and social developments along with their implications for contemporary society; and
(4) to assist you in refining your thinking and writing skills.
9
Graded assignments: Examination (October 22) = 60 points Take-home Examinations (due September 27, November 29) = 60 points, 60 points 5-Page Paper (March 12) = 20 points 10-Page Paper (due April 23) = 100 points ; TOTAL = 300 points
Additional short written assignments may be assigned in the course of the semester. For each class, please bring a hard copy of the essential course readings on paper or on your screen. The Writing Center offers support and help for student writing and research: http://uwc.utexas.edu. I am always available to talk with you about writing.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. One courtesy absence is allowed without penalty. Additional absences without medical documentation deduct 2 points per day from the overall point score. You will be asked to sign in at the beginning of each class. Unsatisfactory attendance unsupported by medical documentation will preclude a student’s receiving a grade higher than C. Active participation means being involved in discussions, being curious and asking in the event you don’t understand something, questioning statements and findings if you disagree, and defending your own findings and opinions, according to your own capacity to perform in a group. It also means doing your homework regularly (being prepared for class).
Additional Information / Rules of Conduct
CLASS AND CLASSROOMS: Cell phones must be turned off in class; computers may be used only for note-taking. If a student uses electronic devices for non-class related activities and creates a disturbance s/he will be asked to leave for the remainder of that class.
ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE Academic Assistance is provided by the UT Learning Center, in Jester Center, Room A332A. It offers help with college-level writing, reading, and learning strategies. It is free to all currently enrolled students. See:
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the 10
Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY. Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact the Service for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible to request an official letter outlining authorized accommodations. These letters must be given to your TAs to receive accommodations. See:
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS AND OTHER ABSENCES Students can make up work missed because of a religious holiday as long as they provide the instructor with documentation at least one week before the holiday occurs. The same applies to official university obligations like Club or Varsity sports. Documentation from a physician is required for medical absence; arrangements for work to be made up must be made promptly, and in no case should the work be completed more than 2 weeks after the absence. Other absences (e.g. family events) must be arranged for IN ADVANCE and missed work must be turned in at the NEXT CLASS SESSION upon return.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM Cheating and other forms of scholastic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will be reported to the Dean of Students. Cheating on tests or plagiarism on papers is an F for the assignment, with no makeup possible. If you engage in any form of scholastic dishonesty more than once, you will receive an automatic F for the course. If you are unsure about the exact definition of scholastic dishonesty, you should consult the information about academic integrity produced by the Dean of Students Office: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PLAGIARISM: The Student Judicial Services Website provides official definitions of plagiarism and cheating: Definitions of plagiarism and other forms of scholastic dishonesty, based on Section 11- 802d of UT’s Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php__ The University’s Standard of Academic Integrity and Student Honor Code (from Chapter 11 of the University’s Institutional Rules on Student Service and Activities): http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php Consequences of scholastic dishonesty: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_conseq.php Types of scholastic dishonesty: unauthorized collaboration, plagiarism, and multiple submissions: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_whatis.php 11