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Fighting Back – Jewish Responses to Antisemitism - In-person Event
Featuring Michael Brenner and Jane Eisner
In 1932, Germany’s leading Jewish civil rights organization, the Central Association of German Jews, or Centralverein, published a brochure entitled We German Jews. 321–1932. The dates in the title made explicit reference to the documented presence of Jews in the Roman provinces in the Rhineland for over 16 centuries to refute the antisemitic view that Jews were an alien presence in Germany.
The Centralverein represented the broad middle of German-Jewish society, and since the late-19th century, it had documented and fought antisemitism through various methods – in the courts, through political lobbying, and through publications like We German Jews. Yet each of these defenses against antisemitism had its pitfalls. Court trials often gave antisemites a platform for spreading their propaganda and rarely resulted in significant punishments. Even friendly political parties failed to take strong action out of fear that being perceived as a “Jewish Party” would have negative electoral consequences. And the apologetics typified by the 1932 brochure convinced too few among the public.
Join us when historian Michael Brenner and journalist Jane Eisner will discuss what lessons these Jewish responses to antisemitism offer for today’s world.
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