Antisemitism, an American Tradition

 

Title of the book: Antisemitism, an American Tradition

Author: Pamela S. Nadell

Publisher: W.W. Norton

Publishing Date: 2025

ISBN:  9781324050643 

Summary:

The powerful story of antisemitism in America and how it has shaped the lives of Jews for almost four centuries

Jews met antisemitism upon landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the United States changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. Jews faced restrictions on holding office, admission into schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. In recent years antisemitic incidents have increased.

In Antisemitism, An American Tradition scholar Pamela S. Nadell investigates the depth of this fraught history. She explores how Jews battled antisemitism through the law and by creating organizations to speak for them. Jews would also fight back with their fists or join with allies in fighting all types of hate. This momentous work sounds the alarm on a hatred that continues.

Author Info:
(From goodreads)

Pamela S. Nadell is the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History and director of Jewish studies at American University. Her books include Women Who Would Be Rabbis, a National Jewish Book Award finalist. She lives in North Bethesda, Maryland.

Personal Opinion:

This is something close and personal to my heart, in particular since I share ancestry and parentage of the people within the book, thus this is a very personal topic for me. Coming in from Soviet Union as part of the 90s diaspora, I learned the hard way that prejudices aren't eliminated but are hidden inside. Thus the explosion of Jew hatred (or Judophobia as I will call it in my blog instead of antisemitism) didn't surprise me, but saddened me instead. Yet, how quickly the world and American Jews forget the Judophobia that existed throughout the few centuries, and how it didn't go away at all but instead it felt as if we were the ostriches seeking a moment's reprieve amongst the hatred. As the title implies, the narrative focuses on Judophobia from earliest colonial times and remarks to post October 7th 2023, thus besides the Judophobia there is little history of Jewish lives during that times or what they did and how they compromised living in America with Jewish values. Many of the things I learned have personally shocked me, but at the same time as someone who took American Jewish history class it wasn't surprising. I hate the world I am passing down to my son, and I am not optimistic that the world will become a better place for people like me. If you would like to learn how deeply Judophobia is engrained in American history, then by all means buy and read this wonderful book. 

This was given for review

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)