JUS 387 - The History of Anti-Semitism

This course approaches anti-Jewish hatred as a historical and cultural phenomenon of various hues and dimensions that is a long-term challenge to social justice (including diversity, equity, and inclusion). We will examine how this form of animosity arose and continues to arise and be promoted—even by some Jews. We will see how anti-Jewish animus has mutated and why. We will also delve into the specific forms that it has taken—for example, racist forms. We will look at specific cases and trends from antiquity to the Middle Ages, to the modern era (including the Holocaust), and conclude with an examination of antisemitism in its radical left-wing and radical right-wing varieties in the present day.