First Congregational United Church of Christ – Eugene, Oregon

THE ORIGINS OF ANTISEMITISM

IX “Summary & Conclusion”

We began this series nine weeks ago. Today we will summarize and draw whatever conclusions seem warranted. So let us begin at the beginning by reminding ourselves that antisemitism is almost as old as human civilization. One of the earliest instances of punitive measures taken against Jews as a people dates back to at least the fourth century B.C. in what the Book of Esther describes as a “plot to destroy all the Jews” in Persia because “their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws so that it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them” (Esther 3:8). Additional incidents throughout antiquity suggest that the source of this animosity toward the Jews was often their unique stance in the world which was rooted in their religious beliefs. Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin, in their book “Why the Jews?”, argue that there are four historic sources of antisemitism: (1) their belief in the Oneness of God, (2) their obedience to God’s Law, (3) their conviction that they are “chosen” to lead others to God, and (4) their self- identity as the “People of Israel” no matter in what nation they live. When examined over against several other popular explanations of alleged causes, these major sources of antisemitism seemed incontrovertible on the whole. The conclusion we drew from this was that antisemitism was and continues to be a hatred of Jews and all things Jewish—period! This led us into an examination of the role of Christianity in initiating and fostering a deep suspicion of and hatred for the Jews as a people. Shortly after the death of Jesus, the Gospel writers portrayed the Jews as being responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus rather than Pilate and the Roman Empire. According to the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation the Jews were “children of the Devil.” John even placed a confession on the lips of the Jewish leaders that it was they who were responsible for Jesus’ death and that his blood should be upon them and their children for all time. This led to the Christian charge that the Jews had murdered God, resulting in various church decrees, sermons and writings by esteemed Church Fathers up to and throughout the Middle Ages, condemning the Jews and consigning them to everlasting punishment for their sin. This type of vitriol fueled antisemitic fervor and lent credibility to the fraudulent “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and the various “blood libels” that later demonized Jews and made them the targets of discrimination, persecution, and eventually the Holocaust. We next looked at antisemitism within Islam as a religion and a culture and found that the initial relationship between Muslim and Jew was amicable until it became evident that Jews as a whole were not going to convert to Islam. From then on Jews were “tolerated” but not treated as equals and were made to remember through various customs, practices and laws that they were inferior to Muslims in every respect. When the “Protocols” began to circulate in the First Congregational United Church of Christ – Eugene, Oregon

early twentieth century, Muslims began to use this document as a rationale for further discrimination and overt hostility toward Jews who were accused of plotting to take control of the whole world. With the end of World War II and the partitioning of Palestine to create a homeland for the Jews in 1948, the stage was set for an all-out confrontation. Jews were tolerated and allowed to live among Arabs as inferiors, but when they presumed to become their own nation and displace Arab Muslims in the process it became too much. Within days of declaring Israel a state, war broke out with the clear intention of annihilating Israel in its infancy. Today, Israel’s own military and its powerful ally in the United States are enough to keep the lid on as tortuous efforts toward a peaceful solution continue to be pursued. Into this quagmire of conflicting and competing ideologies, Gordon Lafer from Temple Beth Israel entered in an effort to help us understand the complexities surrounding Zionism and the state of Israel today. Zionism is the belief that Jews have a right to their own homeland and that modern day Israel is the fulfilment of that right. While most Jews affirm the right to nationhood, not all support Israel as being the proper fulfillment of that right. Dissention inside and outside of Israel, together with harsh criticism from many of the member states within the U.N.’s General Assembly continue to make the issue of Zionism a flashpoint for international discord. One of the troubling questions to arise out of this controversy: is anti-Zionism the same as antisemitism? There are many who insist it is not; there are also many who argue that opposition to the Jew’s right to their own homeland is the same as opposing the right of Jews to be “Jewish.” Pastor Melanie concluded the series with a presentation on the role of Jews as “middle agents.” Quoting from an article by Levins Morales, a Puerto Rican Jew, Melanie summarized it this way: “The whole point of antisemitism has been to create a vulnerable buffer group that can be bribed with some privileges into managing the exploitation of others, and then, when social pressure builds, be blamed and scapegoated, distracting those at the bottom from the crimes of those at the top . . . This was the role of Jews in Europe. This has been the role of Jews in the United States, and this is the role of Jews in the Middle East.” And when incidents of antisemitism increase, as they have in the U.S. since 2016, the rest of society had best beware: for expressions of hate usually begin against the Jews, but they don’t stop there. Antisemitism is the canary in the mine.

Questions for Discussion

 What were some of your most significant learnings from this class? How did they inform and impact your previous understanding of antisemitism?  Have you seen, heard or experienced “antisemitism” in any way within you neighbor- hood, school, business, or social circle? How did you respond to it?  What more can FCC do to further our understanding and ability to combat antisemitism within our own community and nation?