Antisemitism, Then and Now
RELI 3142A/HIST3122A
Fall 2024
Instructors: D. Butler and P. Walker
Course Description:
This course is offered for credit by both History and Religion and is taught by one professor from each discipline.
What is antisemitism and why do so many scholars and activists argue about the definition? Why is it so persistent, present in ancient times and in the 21st century, in places where there are no Jewish people and in places where Jews lived for a thousand years? How is it different from and related to other forms of racism or prejudice? Jews now suffer the highest number of religious hate crimes in Canada. Why?
This course looks at both historical and contemporary antisemitism. We examine the long history of antisemitism to understand the significance of antisemitism in historical contexts and to understand how it continues into the present. We look at continuity and change and the consequences of antisemitism, both in the past and present. We draw on religious texts, historical documents, legislation, political propaganda, oral histories, and film. Our work is shaped by the insights of critical race studies, particularly critical antisemitism studies.
This third-year course moves through the earliest expressions of antisemitism, sometimes referred to as anti-Judaism, in religious contexts from the ancient world through the medieval period. We begin to trace modern forms of antisemitism through the 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe, North America and the Middle East and Africa to provide a context for the genocidal antisemitism of the Holocaust. The second half of the course focuses on post-Holocaust and contemporary expressions of antisemitism with attention to politics and popular culture, including films, social media, and the press.
There are no prerequisites for the course. Second year standing or above is required. This course will include disturbing material that is difficult. Course materials include examples of hate speech, antisemitic propaganda, detailed descriptions of antisemitic violence and gendered violence. It is crucial for us to work together build a supportive classroom environment and forge collective knowledge. This process requires active engagement and listening intently to one another. Many issues we explore will be challenging, personal, and potentially painful. Therefore, we must work together to create a space in which we can learn together.
Graded Work
Graded work will include in class presentations on assigned texts, short comments submitted in class on course material, one group presentation, and short essays that draw on both class materials and research on a chosen topic.