I found the recent OBSERVER article presented by Linda Dunn to the Fredonia Shakespeare Club on “Antisemitism in Children’s Literature” eye opening. We see In the creation of characters like Shylock in the Merchant of Venice or Fagin in Oliver Twist that neither Charles Dickens nor Shakespeare were above creating blatantly antisemitic characters, but I took notice when I found that even Mother Goose, allegedly a grandmother who lived in Boston in the 17th century and who wrote stories for her grandchildren was an antisemite who wrote about a “rascally” Jewish individual who cheated a boy out of his golden egg

I also learned the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm sometimes included antisemitic characters and themes, and this made me realize that in Walt Disney’s 1937 version of Snow White that her wicked stepmother the Queen finding that Snow White still lived, turned herself into a witch like old hag with a hooked nose; this was a typical Jewish stereotype of the time.

The Kingdom of Israel emerged around 1,000 BC and was ruled by kings such as King David and Solomon. Over the next 1,000 plus years various empires would take control of the land. These included the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Empires.

Between 66 AD and 136 AD the Jews engaged in three revolts against Roman Rule. In 70 AD during the 1st Jewish-Roman War the destruction of the Second Temple brought about fundamental changes in Judaism with the Synagogue becoming the center of worship and the rise of Rabbinic Judaism. The last revolt at the Bar Kokhba had catastrophic consequences, resulting in widespread destruction and mass slaughter which effectively depopulating Judea. According to accounts, hundreds of thousands of Jews perished, while others were enslaved or exiled throughout the Roman Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish-Roman_wars

The making of Christianity the state religion of Rome under Theodosius I in 380 AD, while not immediately leading to political persecution, created an environment where Judaism was viewed with increasing suspicion as a non-conformist religion. It was this perception that led to periods of persecution in the Roman Empire.

It was during the Middle Ages that Jews began being described as “Christ killers” referring to the claim that the Jewish people collectively killed Jesus. This accusation, that originated in early Christianity, has been used to justify antisemitism and violence against Jewish people for centuries. While the Catholic Church has officially repudiated the idea of collective Jewish guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus placing the blame for his death clearly on the Jewish Religious leadership the Sanhedrin, the term continues to be used even today in some religious and political contexts. 

In addition, Medieval European societies enacted numerous laws that limited the freedom and rights of Jewish people, restricting their ability to own land, participate in guilds, and engage in certain professions. They also were victims of forced conversions and were expelled from countries such as the 1492 expulsion from Spain and in 1496 from Portugal. They were the victims of false accusations like during the Black Death when Jews were blamed for the plague and they suffered at the hands of Crusaders on their journey to the Holy Land.

During the 18th century as Europe entered the Age of the Enlightenment anti-Jewish laws and other restrictions on Jews became less harsh. However, during the 19th century Jews, among other things, were blamed for the French defeat in its war with Germany in 1870. In 1895 a Jewish Army officer named Captain Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of treason by his army superiors and sent to Devil’s Island after being convicted. Dreyfus was acquitted in 1906, but his imprisonment would have ramifications in the next century.

In the first decades of the 20th century antisemitism still flourished in Europe as well as in the U.S. where Jews faced restrictions in employment, where they could enjoy their leisure, the clubs they could join with quotas on Jewish enrollment and access to teaching positions at major universities. For those unfamiliar with this period, I recommend Twentieth Century Fox’s 1947 production of Gentlemen’s Agreement starring Gregory Peck and John Garfield.

Today antisemitism even exists in Congress in the persons of Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar a story from the Jewish News Syndicate states, going on to state that, Democrats refuse to condemn or expel them, allowing antisemitism to fester at the highest levels of their party. Their reluctance to act has normalized anti-Jewish bigotry, particularly on college campuses.

After the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act passed the House last May by an overwhelming vote (320-91), it seemed assured that the Senate would send it to President Joe Biden to become law. However, Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), often referred to as the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American political history, refused to allow a vote. Schumer, also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an obstacle to peace and essentially called for his overthrow.

Antisemitism has been an evil in our world for the last 2,000 years. Many thought, myself included, that following the Holocaust where the killing of the Jews of Europe was on an industrial scale by the Nazis that in a world chastened by that horror that antisemitism would disappear and for a time it did seem to recede. But since Oct. 7, 2023, it has again been on the march spreading its message of unreasoning and mindless hate even on our own college and University campuses.

What makes it so frightening now is that it has been accepted by what are supposedly our best and brightest. I fear what the future might bring.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com.