Antisemitism has been present in the United States, as well as Europe for many centuries. The first government case of antisemitism occurred during the Civil War, when Ulysses S. Grant issued an order that expelled Jews from the portions of Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi.
Prior to the 21st century, antisemitism was more open and present among the non-Jewish population. Jews were discriminated against and excluded from many professions, barred from clubs, and owning certain properties. After the events of World War 2 and the Holocaust, Judaism was thought of as America’s “third faith” alongside Protestantism and Catholicism. Cases of antisemitism greatly decreased as a result of the greater interest in Judaism and sympathies toward the Jewish people, but never truly went away. In this section, we highlight how antisemitism affected the Jewish community. For any questions feel free to contact us at JWiz.
- How the Anti-Defamation League came to beThe Anti-Defamation League or ADL is an advocacy organization that started in Chicago in 1913. Its main goal is to fight against antisemitism targeted at American Jews and discrimination against other persecuted peoples. It was originally named Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, but later ADL split from B’nai B’rith and established its headquarters in New …
- Antisemitism in the United StatesAnti-Semitism is hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious or racial group. The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr, to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns under way in central Europe at that time. Although the term now has wide currency, it is a misnomer, since it implies a …