Introduction to the Holocaust holocaust: destruction or slaughter on a mass scale Holocaust: 1933-1945 genocide of European Jews Anti-Semitism: hostility or prejudice against Jews

Where does Anti-Semitism come from? Throughout most of history Jews have been a minority group in whichever empire or country they have lived. Historically, Jewish communities typically maintained a distinct culture and did not assimilate into the larger community. This caused them to be seen as outsiders and easy scapegoats.

Anti-Semitism in the Ancient World: Ethnic Discrimination Ethnic discrimination (anyone who wasn’t Greek or Roman) But, Jews were a privileged minority in the Roman Empire (because of semi-successful rebellions and united resistance movements) which made other minorities in the Middle East dislike them Jews were forced to be tax collectors in the Persian and Islamic empires (a job deemed “too low” for the Persians or Muslims)

Anti-Semitism in the New Testament “The Jews” as the opponents of Jesus and the ones responsible for his death. Pontius Pilate asked “the crowd” (assumed to be Jews) if Jesus should be released. They replied, “Crucify him!” and so he was executed.* Historically, this is very unlikely. Subject people were rarely allowed any say in legal matters, especially involving capital punishment. And, crucifixion is an exclusively Roman punishment for crimes against the state. IMPORTANT NOTE: Biblical scholars haven’t found any other evidence that Jesus called the Jews “children of the Devil” – most agree that this was inserted when it was written in the late 1st century AD when anti-Jewish sentiment was already running high

Anti-Semitism in the Medieval World: Religious Discrimination In the eyes of medieval Christians, Jews are Jesus’s people who do not believe Jesus was the son of God – ultimate blasphemy Jews blamed for the death of Jesus Christ Crusades – thousands of Jews massacred or expelled from European cities Jews blamed for the Black Death – in one city, 900 Jews burned alive even before the plague got there Cartoon from a Tax Roll from Norwich in 1233 CE

Anti-Semitism in the Early Modern Era: Racial Discrimination Rising nationalism – Jews maintained their own distinct culture and were viewed as outsiders – never seen as part of the nations in Europe Scientific Racism – the idea of Jews as a race

Anti-Semitism in Hitler’s Lifetime (1889 – 1945) Late 1800s – pogroms (violent mob attacks) in eastern Europe 1896 - Theodor Herzl writes The Jewish State explaining that Jews will only be safe in their own nation (confirms for anti- Semites the idea of Jews as “other”) Austrian politician Karl Lueger (Mayor of Vienna from 1897-1910) wins election by blaming Jews for bad economic times (Note: Hitler was born in Austria in 1889) 1917 Bolshevik Revolution sympathetic to Jews – right-wing groups saw Jews as conspiring with communists

Adolf Hitler and Anti-Semitism Hitler lived in Vienna from 1905 to 1913 (age 16-24) which was a “hotbed for Anti-Semitism” thanks to Karl Lueger and a fear of immigrants from eastern Europe (Jews fleeing pogroms) WWI – right-wing Germans believed a conspiracy theory that Germany did not lose the war but were betrayed by civilians at home. Jews were welcomed in the new Weimar Republic, especially intellectuals into universities that had previously been closed off to Jews, and so some suspected that they had conspired to end the war and overthrow the Kaiser.

What was the Holocaust? The Holocaust was the “systematic, bureaucratic, state- sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators” Also, 5 million others: Roma (gypsies), political enemies, priests, religious leaders, homosexuals, Communists, socialists, physically and mentally disabled, and anyone who spoke out against Hitler WE know a lot about the Holocaust because Nazis were SO PROUD of what they were doing

How did the Holocaust happen? Gradually. 1935 – Nuremberg Laws deprived Jews of citizenship (boycott Jewish stores, ID cards, no right to vote) 1938 – Kristallnacht – “spontaneous” violence against Jews (really organized by Nazi Party) Jews forcibly moved to ghettos “for their own safety.” Jews forcibly moved to labor camps “for everyone’s safety.” Labor camps became death camps.

Effects of the Holocaust 12 million people killed. (6 million Jews and 5 million others) Some historians estimate 14 million

Effects of the Holocaust Nuremberg Trials – punishment of high-ranking Nazi officials (Many were never captured or tried. A lot of them escaped to South America and lived out their life there.) UN creates the state of Israel (1948) German shame - Vergangenheitsbewältigung (“Struggling to come to terms with the past”)