Description:
The word "antisemite" was first used to describe a politically motivated enemy of the Jews in 1879. The subject of antisemitism has often been focused on the Holocaust; however, current events and history have much to add to this discussion. For example, in 1995 a Japanese pseudo-Buddhist religious cult, imagining itself to be under attack by Jews, released sarin gas on the Tokyo subway, killing 12. From 1881 to 1900 there were 128 public accusations of Jewish "ritual murder" allegedly involving the killing of Christian children to use their blood for religious purposes.
Entries in this encyclopedia span the period from ancient Egypt to the modern era. Key theoreticians of Jew-hatred and their written works, its permeation of Christianity and modern Islam, and its political, artistic, and economic manifestations are covered. This is the first comprehensive work that deals with the entire history of ideas and practices that engendered the Holocaust.
Brief description: Dean Phillip Bell (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) is President/CEO and Professor of Jewish History at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. He teaches a wide range of courses in Jewish history and Jewish leadership and has delivered programs and workshops and led working groups on the theme of religion and the environment. He is author of dozens of scholarly articles and author or editor of more than a dozen books, including recently as co-author of Interreligious Resilience: Interreligious Leadership for a Pluralistic World with Michael S. Hogue (Bloomsbury, 2022).
Review Quotes:
"This encyclopedia is groundbreaking, its most notable merits being the presentation of accurate and up-to-date information in an unbiased manner. The volumes . . . should be a necessary tool for journalists, politicians, and all people interested in understanding antisemitism."
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