Lauren Crampton

Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center, Director of Education, Steve Goldberg, a renowned scholar and author specializing in Jewish history and social justice, presented a history of antisemitism in Europe as the second installment of HERC’s “Lunch and Learn” Zoom lecture series.

Antisemitism, the hostility or prejudice against Jewish people, has been a persistent and tragic theme throughout history. Goldberg explained the origins of antisemitism in the ancient world. In antiquity, Jewish communities were distinguished by their monotheistic beliefs, dietary laws, and practices, which sometimes led to tensions with polytheistic societies. For example, in the Roman Empire, Jews were targeted for their refusal to worship Roman gods, a position seen as defiance of imperial authority. This early form of religious intolerance set a precedent for later manifestations of antisemitism.

During the Middle Ages, antisemitism became entrenched in Europe, fueled by theological disputes and economic factors. Goldberg highlighted historical events, such as the blood libel accusations, in which Jews were falsely accused of ritual murder, and the expulsion of Jewish communities from England in 1290 and Spain in 1492. These periods saw the rise of stereotypes born of misunderstanding and fear, casting Jews as heretics, scapegoats, and economic exploiters.

Goldberg also noted how post-medieval antisemitism was institutionalized through policies like forced conversions and ghettoization during the Protestant Revolution. These actions relegated Jewish populations to the margins of society, perpetuating cycles of exclusion and discrimination. The emergence of nation-states in the 18th and 19th centuries introduced new forms of antisemitism, despite new opportunities for economic and social integration of the Jewish population in Europe, and a hope that secularism would reduce religious bigotry. Goldberg argued that, tragically, the rise of urbanization and nationalism in Europe created new social circumstances in which Jews were often marginalized, and still incapable of fully assimilating into national cultures.

In the late 19th century, racial pseudoscience further transformed and mutated antisemitism in Europe. Wilhelm Marr coined the term “antisemitism” itself in 1879, shifting the focus from religious to racial prejudice. Goldberg underscored how these ideas laid the groundwork for the catastrophic events of the 20th century. For Goldberg, the Holocaust was the culmination of centuries of antisemitism, exacerbated by the intersection of modern bureaucracy and ideological extremism. Goldberg acknowledges progress in combating antisemitism since the Holocaust, but warns against its persistence.