Antisemitism is often referred to as the world’s “most ancient hatred”¹. Since the early beginnings of the religion, those who practiced Judaism have been severely persecuted. Their mistreatment dates back to at least 2000 BCE and can be traced through every major historical period. From ancient Egypt and Greece, to the Roman Empire, to the Bubonic Plague and the Spanish Expulsion in 1492, to the 21st century, Jewish have survived pogroms, massacres, exiles, forced conversions, and more².  

Early practitioners of Judaism, known as Early Israelites, came from what is historically known as the Ancient Near East, a region that greatly encompasses the lands of modern day Egypt, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the Gulf states and Turkey³. You may also know this land as ancient Mesopotamia! Early Israelites were faced with constant displacement and exiles, slavery, and the desecration and destruction of their places of worship. With the rise of the Roman Empire and subsequently the development of Christianity, Jews were faced with what can be noted as “modern” antisemitism. 

Christianity started as an offshoot of Jews who accepted Jesus as the promised messiah⁴. As the religion grew in popularity through widespread proselytization, Jews became easy targets as they became the religious minority. The death of Jesus was blamed on Jews as a result of a piece of New Testament scripture. Limitations of what Jews were allowed to do and what jobs they could hold were enacted. Jews were often barred from owning land and excluded from any sort of agricultural work. Instead, they shifted to money lending and merchantry. While some found success, this allowed for others to use Jews as scapegoats when economies took a turn. They faced massacres and pogroms, especially during the Crusades. Entire communities of Jews were destroyed as Christian crusaders made their way across Europe to “liberate” Jerusalem under the order of Pope Urban II⁵. Rumors of Jews ritualistically killing Christian children and using their blood in matzah and for other religious practices quickly spread through Europe, leading to the torture and crucifixion of European Jews. 1346-1353 saw Jews being accused of poisoning wells as an explanation for the widespread sickness of the Black Plague. During this time, Jewish communities in England, France, and other European countries were expelled and massacred. The Jews that settled in the Iberian Peninsula found a brief reprieve in a Muslim-ruled Spain until a Catholic government came to power and expelled and forcibly converted Jews⁶. 

Antisemitism continued well into the eras of the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment. The validity of Jewish lives and rights has always been questioned and up for debate in every country or territory Jews resided in. Even today, antisemitism is still widespread and rampant. Last month, synagogues across the US reported bomb threats being called in before and during Rosh Hashanah services⁷. For the sake of contextualizing Good, let’s look at how antisemitism developed in Germany and how this exploded under Hitler’s regime.