If it feels like you’re reading about a new incident of antisemitism or attempts to rewrite the history of the Holocaust by changing laws through, as one Jewish lawmaker described, “draconian Holocaust censorship bills,” you are correct. The St. Louis Jewish Light is publishing more stories like these because they are happening more often.
One of the reasons these incidents are rising could be the continued spread of non-truths otherwise known as antisemitic tropes. And in an effort to combat this, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) has released a series of videos conceived to explain and combat the seven most pernicious antisemitic tropes to a new generation of social media users.
Antisemitism Uncovered
The videos explore seven classic antisemitic tropes detailed in Antisemitism Uncovered: A Guide to Old Myths in a New Era, ADL’s comprehensive online guide to antisemitic canards and their modern manifestations. The videos will serve as a companion educational tool to the guide, which identifies some of the most stubborn tropes about Jews, explains why they are dangerous, provides the backstory behind the myths, and shows how they have evolved into the present day.
“With antisemitism at the highest level we’ve seen in decades, we must do everything we can to remind the public about its dangers – including the threats we continue to face from enduring antisemitic tropes,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “As we saw recently with the hostage crisis in Colleyville, Texas, there are those who not only take these myths seriously but are motivated to carry out violence because of them. We hope these videos – along with the guide itself – will help a new generation on social media to understand the bias the Jewish community encounters to this day because of ancient and persistent hatreds.”
The videos are being released weekly, with each based on one of the following myths:
- Jews have too much Power
- Jews are Disloyal
- Deicide, or “Jews killed Jesus”
- Jews are Greedy
- Blood Libel
- Holocaust Denial
- Anti-Zionism
The videos are shared across ADL’s social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Upon release, they will be also viewable in each chapter of the online guide.
Making Antisemitism Uncovered
Antisemitism Uncovered, which was originally released in March 2020, is a carefully researched, authoritative, peer-reviewed resource that provides a concise history of antisemitism through the ages and definitions of seven of the most common antisemitic tropes that have had remarkable staying power through the centuries.
The guide explains the history of antisemitism and the myths that have allowed it to endure for centuries. Each trope is explained using a modular format with a discussion of each myth using descriptions of its origin followed by contemporary examples and closing with an explanation of the faulty logic behind the antisemitic myths.
Among those experts who contributed editorial content or guidance in the development of Antisemitism Uncovered were Andrew Mark Bennett, a doctoral candidate in law, Freie Universität Berlin; Golan Moskowitz, Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Tulane University; Alvin H. Rosenfeld, Director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Indiana University; Jonathan D. Sarna, University Professor and Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History and Director, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University; Magda Teter, Professor of History and the Shvidler Chair in Judaic Studies at Fordham University; and the team at Be’chol Lashon / GlobalJews.org.
