First, what is anti-Semitism, and what are the origins of it? 

“Prior to the 20th century, there were large migrations of Jewish communities throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, Europe, and beyond. As minorities in each new land they settled in, the Jewish people faced varying forms of prejudice known as antisemitism, (Carroll, pg. 41). Antisemitism is the hatred, hostility or discrimination of any nature against those who identify as Jewish. The Jews are known to be the people of the Hebrew bible and lived in the land of Israel. In Judaism, they believe that there is only one G-d. When Jesus was put to death by crucifixion, according to the gospels account, the finger was pointed at the Jews for the blame of his death. But instead, Jesus was put to death at the hands of Roman authorities under Pontius Pilate in Judea. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2019). This caused the initial uprise in the hate towards the Jewish community. The accusations were renounced in 1960’s when the Second Vatican council officially rejected that the Jew had murdered Jesus. “For centuries, state and church laws restricted Jews, from preventing them from owning and holding public office, Guilds excluded Jews from most occupations, forcing them to pursuit things like money lending and trade,” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2019). 

The Holocaust  

Between 1941 and 1945, at least 6 million jews were killed during the holocaust of World War II by Nazi Germany. The holocaust is known as the mass genocide of innocent Jewish people and others. With Germany’s technological powers, they gathered, transported and killed off those who were Jewish, as well as gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and political dissidents in concentration camps, (Carroll, pg. 42). “Sadly, the antisemitism that spawned the holocaust still exists. Jews worldwide still suffer on a regular basis from antisemitic attacks on their synagogues, cemeteries and businesses,” (Carroll, pg. 42). 

 

 

What is a Scapegoat?  

A scapegoat can be revered as a person, or a group being blamed for wrongdoing done by another human or thing. An example of a scapegoat can be identified by the meaningless accusations made towards the Jewish community and the fault for Germany’s mishaps. “Throughout the Middle Ages, Christians prosecuted Jews and portrayed them as aliens and users. It was said the Jews poisoned the wells of Europe causing the black plague. The Jewish people were placed under lots of unreasonable blame for problems that many people really don’t know the main cause of how it happened. The Jews were also held responsible for the consequences being faced in Germany and the assassination of Czar Alexander II in 1881. “The devastation of World War 1, the demeaning peace of Versailles, the hyperinflation of the 1920’s, and the depression of 1929 fueled mass discontent, the presence of Jews in German cultural, economic, and political life made them a convenient scapegoat in Germanys misfortune,” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2019).   

 

 

 

Anti-Semitism Through the Years in Atlanta Georgia 

In Atlanta Georgia the region became to emerge as a virtue for many Jews to prosper and develop tremendously. The Jewish people implemented major contributions into the economic expansion of Atlanta Georgia. “Jews played an important role in Atlanta’s rise and development, helping to build the city and gaining remarkable acceptance. Despite this, Atlanta has also witnessed two of the most infamous incidents of anti-Semitism in American Jewish history,” (Goldring/Woldenburg 2022). 

Political Calamity 

Jews were targeted by many of those who opposed the economic and social changes that they brought upon, even in political terms. “Jewish candidates were increasingly losing local elections in the first decade of the 20th century; in several cases their opponents were explicitly anti-Semitic in their appeals,” (Goldring/Woldenburg 2022). Canidates who identified as Jewish were singled out because of their religion and ultimately from the past accusations made about the Jewish community, which still haunts them. It has adversely affected the way Jews are viewed in society. Jewish political candidates may experience horrific propaganda slander and lack of trust from the public. “One of the major political issues of the time was alcohol prohibition, Jews were overwhelmingly on the “wet” side of the debate. Public campaigns against alcohol sometimes took an anti-Semitic tone. After the 1906 riot, in which white mobs terrorized the city’s black population, some blamed Jewish saloon keepers for serving alcohol to blacks; after the riot, several Jewish saloon owners lost their licenses,” (Goldring/Woldenburg 2022).

 

 

 

 

 

The Trial of Leo Frank  

 The story of Leo Frank has predominately sparked the major degree of antisemitism, political corruption, and the horrific execution of an American born Jewish man. “Raised in New York, Leo Frank moved to Atlanta as a young adult, where he worked at his uncle’s pencil factory. On April 26, 1913, a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, was found murdered in the factory basement. Suspicion soon fell on Frank, who was arrested and indicted for the murder a few weeks later,” (Goldring/Woldenburg 2022). Jim Conley, an African American who worked as a janitor in the facility, was found as a key witness in the case against Frank. Jim Conley stated that Frank forced him to help move Mary Phagan’s body. “The case became a major news story in Atlanta, covered in detail by the local newspapers. Attacks on Frank, especially in Jeffersonian newspaper, often took an anti-Semitic tone. Scurrilous rumors about Frank were printed and widely discussed in the community,” (Goldring/Woldenburg 2022). Although the story of Jim Conley continuously changed, Leo Frank was found guilty of the Murder of Mary Phagan and was sentenced to death. But governor John Slaton had serious doubts about the verdict and decided to commute Leo’s life sentence before leaving office. This action infuriated those who were in favor of the death penalty. “On August 19, 1915, a vigilante group calling itself the “Knights of Mary Phagan” kidnapped Frank from the state prison farm, took him to Marietta, a small town outside of Atlanta where Phagan was from, and lynched him. The ringleaders of the lynching were among the prominent political and business leaders in the state, including the son of a U.S. Senator who was a former mayor of Marietta,” (Goldring/Woldenburg 2022). The lynching of Leo Frank has left a deep scar and the impression that the Jewish community will never be safe from antisemitism. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hateful Images and Hate Speech  

I believe we live in a world where hate is learned in a manner that turns into existing attitudes. Antisemitism targeted amongst the Jewish community became brought upon by terrible accusations made against them, which for centuries caused an invisible hatred towards the community by people who are engulfed in this attitude and are encouraged by others from the past. By invisible hatred I mean by there being no factual sense of hatred for any moral reason, especially when the lies aren’t true. For instance, after the Jews were blamed for the death of Jesus, “Some church leaders intensified the charge and condemned Jews as the agents of the devil or murderers of G–d. Illustrations depicted Jews as the devil with horns and cloven feet and showed them using the blood of Christian children in ritual sacrifices. Illuminations showed Satan binding they eyes of Jews that are unwilling to accept the church of G–d,” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2019). For centuries many people started to believe in these negative deceptions about Jews which created a false narrative of them being casted as the “root of all evil” in problems that many people don’t know how to fix or the answer too. Human beings are not born haters but can easily learn how to dislike others who have different views or customs. Hate speech and negative imagery causes society to divide instead of advocating for things that are true and positive. No one is born a prejudice; it is only taught. Antisemitism is like other forms of group hatred because it negatively impacts society at large. Like any other discriminatory term, antisemitism puts a hold on humanity as collectively feeling as one. When there are people still being tormented for their religion, race or traditions, it is hard to feel united as a whole.

 

 

 

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