Exploring the Roots of Hate: A Teen Guide

“You have to know the past to understand the present.”

― Carl Sagan, American Astronomer 

Antisemitism is one of the oldest forms of hate dating back to biblical times. It is rooted in the false notion that the Jewish people were the enemy of Christianity and responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. In 1965, the Catholic church finally denied any evidence of this claim and, since then, both Catholic and Protestant churches have strongly condemned antisemitism. Despite these actions, this false narrative has continued to fuel antisemitism today. One example of this that impacted teens specifically occurred in the aftermath of Kanye West’s rant against Jews on Instagram. Following that incident, a group of extremists hung a banner over a freeway in Los Angeles saying “Kayne was right.” Next to that banner was another poster that called out anti-Jewish passages from the New Testament. Given Kayne’s popularity and the number of followers he has on social media, his words have influence and only encourage more hate.

Another document from the past that continues to fuel antisemitism today is called the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Written in Russia in 1903 by the Russian secret police, it makes bogus claims that Jews control or are plotting to take over the world. Although this document has been exposed to be fake news, its message has been used against the Jews and has fueled conspiracy theories even today. When people claim that Jews “use shady practices to get what they want” or that they “control Hollywood and the media,” they are using stereotypes that originate from this fake and bigoted document.  

FACTS: The total number of Jewish people in the world is about 15 million (the population of the United States alone is more than 345 million). They make up only about 0.2% of the global population and hold 1.1% of the wealth. Think about it, with numbers like this, can Jewish people really control the world?

For further discussion on this and other roots of antisemitism see Professor Pamela Nadell’s PBS interview below: