A Message from the Rabbi: Antisemitism

Today, antisemitism is a term of severe opprobrium, and few would openly admit to being antisemitic. However, several euphemisms for it remain in wide circulation. Antisemitism itself remains a remarkably pervasive phenomenon, even when not explicitly labeled as such. Antisemitic ideas and expressions are encountered with disturbing frequency. For instance, public figures periodically take to the podium to profess theories on how Jews control global finance, politics, and the media.

At this juncture, it is worth noting that by even the most generous estimates, Jews constitute no more than one-fifth of one percent of the global population. This fact, however, does in no way deter the adherents of antisemitism. According to a European survey, a significant portion of respondents—perhaps even a majority—are convinced that the State of Israel (home to approximately 7 million Jews) poses the greatest threat to world peace, particularly in the Middle East (a region numbering some 120 million people). Another popular myth, which may well reside in the minds of one's immediate neighbors, holds that Jews possess horns and tails. Do people truly believe this? Have they lost all reason?

There is a well-known quote, attributed to various public figures, suggesting that an antisemite is someone who hates Jews more than they deserve. While a clever phrasing, it begs the question: why are Jews the target of such animosity, rather than cyclists, bald individuals, or redheads? A peculiar characteristic of antisemitism is that it is more widespread than belief in demons, persisting even in countries that have no Jewish population and where the chances of encountering a Jewish person are lower than meeting a demon. In other words, while much can be said about Jews, both positive and negative, the very attitude of antisemites toward them remains inexplicable and devoid of logic.

For generations, various thinkers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have attempted to explain the nature of antisemitism. Historically, multiple contradictory theories have often been advanced simultaneously in different quarters. Consider the following examples:

— In many Western nations, Jews were suspected of harboring a clandestine allegiance to communism, and were consequently deemed a threat worthy of expulsion. Concurrently, communist regimes accused Jews of cosmopolitanism, viewing this as incompatible with true communist ideology.

— Theodor Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, identified the primary cause of antisemitism as the absence of a Jewish national homeland. Consequently, he and his followers established the State of Israel. However, it has now become abundantly clear that antisemitism was not merely a consequence of statelessness. The declaration of Israel's independence has not diminished global antisemitism; rather, a substantial portion of this animosity has shifted from the Jewish people—conceived as strange, dispersed communities—to the Jewish state. Furthermore, Jews residing in the Diaspora, even those with no ties to Israel, suffer from harassment, discrimination, verbal and physical abuse, and sometimes even lose their lives simply because they are identified with the Jewish state and held collectively responsible for its actions.

— Two centuries ago, hostility toward Jews was attributed to their distinct attire, their lack of secular education, and their isolation from host societies. Today, the majority of Jews are outwardly indistinguishable from their neighbors, highly educated, and thoroughly integrated into local culture, economy, and politics. Yet, this integration has done nothing to alleviate antisemitism; indeed, it may have intensified it.

— In various countries, Jews historically differed in appearance from the local population—for example, dark-haired and dark-eyed individuals amid fair-haired, blue-eyed populations. Hostility was thus attributed to simple xenophobia. Yet, in many nations where Jews are outwardly identical to the majority population, animosity remains just as potent.

Evidently, reality refutes all these explanations—the logical and the illogical, the plausible and the preposterous alike. The true origins of antisemitism must be sought in deeper dimensions of Jewish existence, juxtaposed against the rest of humanity.

In the compelling book 'Voice of Destruction' (Conversations with Hitler) by the former Nazi Hermann Rauschning (published circa 1938), the author addresses the subject of antisemitism. He recounted asking Hitler: 'We both know that the antisemitic propaganda—which the Nazi Party utilized so extensively—is unfounded. What is the real cause of your hatred toward Jews?' To this, Hitler responded: 'I cannot forgive them for bringing morality into the world.' This response elevates antisemitic arguments from the rational domain into an entirely different sphere. It indicates that the origins of antisemitism lie not in mundane, pragmatic circumstances, but in the deepest recesses of the human psyche. This does not mean that the average antisemite in France or China engages in profound soul-searching or self-analysis. As in many other areas of life, individuals often offer superficial, arbitrary justifications to explain impulses and emotions whose underlying source they do not comprehend.

One of the most significant aspects of antisemitism is its fundamental ambivalence. In truth, hatred is not the polar opposite of love. The true antithesis of love is indifference. Hatred, much like love, is predicated on intense interest and the attribution of immense significance to the object of those feelings. There are many things in the world that people dislike, some of which evoke aversion or apprehension; yet, even those who harbor a strong dislike for pests do not feel genuine hatred toward them, as they are simply not significant enough to warrant such a powerful emotion. Antisemitism serves as a prime example of this dynamic. An individual for whom Jews hold no significance, and who does not place them at the center of their worldview, will neither love nor hate them. It can be argued that Jews share with their greatest detractors a profound awareness of the extraordinary significance of the Jewish people in the cosmic order—rendering them objects of either profound love and empathy, or total, consuming hatred.

Thus, antisemitism possesses a mystical connection to the enigma of Jewish existence. The survival of the Jewish people throughout human history is a phenomenon that defies rational explanation. Immanuel Kant is credited with the observation that the continued existence of the Jewish people was one of the compelling reasons that inclined him to believe in God. Indeed, regardless of how one attempts to explain Jewish continuity through theological or other arguments, one ultimately and invariably confronts a mystery that cannot be resolved by intellect alone.