The History and Essence of Antisemitism

This course examines a variety of questions that cut across several disciplines to examine the millennial phenomenon of antisemitism.  Exploring the history, causes, and essence of Jew hatred, the course delves into its philosophical, theological, ideological, political, and social aspects. 

The ultimate aim of the course is to arrive at a deeper understanding of the essence of Jew hatred as it appears among very diverse peoples and cultures ranging from ancient Greeks to modern intellectuals, from Saint Augustine to Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, from Karl Marx to Adolf Hitler.  Among the areas of focus are Nazi antisemitism, Jihadist antisemitism, and contemporary antisemitism.  The fundamental question to be examined in this course is: What is the antisemite anti-?           

Session 1: Word, Blood, Redemption: Three Pillars of Antisemitism

This session explores three recurring themes in the history of antisemitism: the appropriation of the holy word or the word of truth, the requirement of blood shedding or blood sacrifice to attain purity, and the ultimate aim of redemption through the murder of the Jews.  The presentation traces these themes from the Church Fathers, to the modern ideologues, to the Jihadists of our time.

Session 2: The Essence of Nazi Antisemitism 

Taking the case of Nazi antisemitism as a manifestation of its most extreme form, this presentation explores the defining elements of Nazi Jew hatred.  It explains what the Nazis set out to annihilate in the annihilation of the Jews.  Drawing on the words of the Nazis themselves, it argues that the target of the extermination of the Jews was the murder of the God of Abraham through the murder of His witnesses.

Session 3: Antisemitism from Hitler to Hamas

This session explains the genealogy of the evil of antisemitism from the Nazis to the contemporary Jihadist movement.  It explains the alliance between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Nazis, between the Nazis and Haj Amin al-Husseini, between the Brotherhood and most of the modern Jihadist movements, including Hamas.  The presentation demonstrates that the world’s most pervasive heirs to Nazis antisemitism are the Jihadists, who take Jew hatred to new and unprecedented levels.

Session 4: Intersectionality and the Academy’s Complicity in Antisemitism

This presentation investigates the ways in which antisemitism, particularly in the form of anti-Zionism, pervades the universities and colleges.  It makes the connections between antisemitism groups on campuses and their alliances with other “victim studies” groups.  It exposes ways in which the Woke culture bleeds into social movements through critical race theory and in social movements such as Black Live Matter and other left-wing activists.

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