Activity 6: Nazis and Antisemitism

• Antisemitism is prejudice towards and discrimination of Jews. 
• The Nazis were not the first antisemites but they were arguably the most organised, the most powerful and the most destructive. 
• Jews come from all over the world.  There are Jews in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas. 
• Before and after the Nazi’s attempt to murder all Jews, Jewish life - like all life - around the world was varied and remains so.

The history of the Jewish people is a long one.  Jews were the first people of the Bible originating from the area we now call Iraq.

Jesus was Jewish.

When the first church was established it taught that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and the son of God.  The first Christians had been observant Jews who believed that the prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures (the Bible – what we now call the Old Testament) had been fulfilled in their lifetime and that Jesus was the Messiah.

This small sect (who called themselves Christians) exaggerated the differences between themselves and the Jews.  Most Jews did not recognise Jesus as the Messiah. 

The Romans ruled most of the land we now call the Middle East and they executed Jesus for being a trouble-maker. 

The Medieval church taught that evil Jews killed Christ

In 70 CE, the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and this began a time of violence. During the period that followed, Judaism and Christianity grew further apart.

The Christian church during early and late Medieval times, taught that Jews were the same as the devil. 

Medieval laws across Europe
forbade Jews from owning land
but
allowed Jews to lend money

Jews were not allowed to own land in medieval Europe.  At this time, Christianity was the dominant religion in Europe.  Jews were regarded as outsiders and did not have the same rights as Christians.  According to Christian teaching, it was wrong to lend money for interest (like banks do today).  Money lending as a business was called usury.  Although, Jews were not allowed to own land, they were permitted to lend money to Christians.

The Nazis spread three main lies about the Jewish people.

1. Jews were greedy for money
2. Jews were evil
3. Jews were ugly and had hooked noses

Look back at the section above outlining some of the history

What were the historical sources of the Nazi’s lies?