I've never understood Anti-Semitism myself, Amy. The only negative things I've heard said in regards to the Jewish people is that you killed Jesus and that you guys are cheap. To the latter I say "So?" and to the former I say that if we are going to blame present day Jews for the whole Jesus debacle, then maybe we should pay reparations to the decendants of slaves. Because if one group is all one homogeonized borg and they all answer for one another then so is the other. Can't have it both ways.

Now the postive things I've heard and experienced? Kindness, tolerance, peace, non-violence, generosity. Lots of wisdom and useful advice in the Torah. (Reminds me of Taoism/Buddhism in some ways.) There's really nothing to hate. So Anti-Semites are automatically slotted into the "he's a loooooney" category for me.

Three that you listed- Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, and that creepy designer Galliano, are all obviously seriously mentally ill. Ironic they all made (tens or hundreds of) millions while being repressed by their Jewish dominated industries.

We had an incident a few weeks back where a house in Spokane was desecrated with swastikas and a bible burned on their front porch, nasty things spray painted about Jesus on their house, cars and boats. Since we had demonstrations by the Nazis, the Klan, and the Westboro Baptist Church on Veteran's day, it was viewed and investgated as an organized hate crime.

Turns out it was a dispute between two teenage girls.

http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/9d5d9d3ef54e4da8a11c3e1918f2b2a4/WA-Spokane-Hate-Crime/

I second MissFancy. I never understood the hatred towards the Jews.

As for the Jews killing Jesus. Well it was the Romans that did the deed. And it was all part of God's plan so what's the problem?

I am watching ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour". They are discussing women's rights in the states as well as the future in Libya and Egypt. None of them mentioned what would happen under Sharia. They wouldn't even use the word Sharia.

But just a little earlier I talked to my father. He used the N word in reference to a cruise through the Caribbean. I just ignored it.

I have now reached the point that I know there are racists and anti-Semitic's at my age (40+) and above. They aren't vociferous -- just a product of how they grew up.

Amy,

I bet if you would go back and talk to those that taunted you as a child, you would find about 75% have changed their attitudes.

I think Jesus is entirely myth, so that makes Jewish persecution even more weird. Until, that is, you realize that Jews tend to be educated and successful and that breads jealousy. (Similar thing happens with Mormons and the Bahai's in Iran.)

I have a theory about this.

First, like many immigrant groups, many Jews like to keep somewhat apart from the societies they live in... marrying amongst themselves, doing business amongst themselves, etc. This is understandable, but keeps them labeled as "other", for better or worse. There are enough Jews doing this to make it seem like the entire ethnic group wants to keep itself apart.

Second, there are many Jews in positions of power, disproportionately to their numbers. On the one hand, good for them for working hard and getting there. On the other hand, the people in power are held responsible when things go wrong.

It's a combination of those two things. When something goes wrong, its easier to blame those people in power who are from the "other" group than to blame those from one's own ethnic/religious group.

NicoleK:

First, like many immigrant groups, many Jews like to keep somewhat apart from the societies they live in... marrying amongst themselves, doing business amongst themselves, etc. This is understandable, but keeps them labeled as "other", for better or worse. There are enough Jews doing this to make it seem like the entire ethnic group wants to keep itself apart.

uhhhhhh - you ARE aware that for 2000 years it was Christendom that "kept Jews apart" against their will - the word "ghetto" comes from the island in Venice to which they were restricted, as in most other places. They were forbidden from owning land - which forced them into trade and finance, leading to another set of stereotypes - and they had to wear badges or other special clothing, presaging the yellow star of the Nazis.

As soon as the Emancipation in the 18th century gave them equal rights, Jews immediately joined the larger society with great enthusiasm. As they have in America: most marriages involving a Jew in the US are intermarriages.

Christian antisemitism grew out of the Church's assertion that its new faith had superseded Judaism, and it's new covenant through Jesus replaced the old covenant of the Jews at Sinai. It's a grudge match.

This is also the root of Islam's antisemitism. Both of Judaism's daughter religions claim that they are the exclusive way to salvation. (In contrast, Judaism holds that all people who do good are beloved by God.)

Catholic, but now non-practicing. However, I was raised in a NJ neighborhood that was about half Jewish, half Catholic. I had never, ever heard about the whole idea that the Jews were responsible for Jesus's death until one day in high school a friend (who was Jewish) asked me about it. I had always been taught by my family that it was the Romans who were responsible. Ironic, considering I'm part Italian. So I'm suppposed to hate myself? Needless to say, I was horrified that she would even think that, and I immediately told her 'Of course I don't hold any Jewish person, alive or dead, responsible for Christ's death. What retard told you that??'

I cannot believe that there are such ignorant assholes around still who would spout such hateful things. Jesus had to die (if you believe in his divinity). Doesn't matter WHO was responsible. And factually, it WAS the Romans who killed him.

I think this is why we should all be required to do a little geneology on ourselves. I know, for example, that one of my great-great grandmothers was Jewish. My husband's family is from eastern Europe, and part Gypsy. Dig into the past, and we're all a mix of races, religions, and ethnicities. Which, in my opinion, is what makes us awesome.

Amy,

The most shocking thing about your article is that you were two in 1966. Holy crap, you look great!

The account of the death of Jesus in the bible if read carefully makes little sense, and does not align with contemporary commentary about the person of Pilate. He's not what we'd call a mystery to history the way someone like say...Arthur is.

He was written of as being iron fisted and cruel and not one to shy from violence or bloodshed to ensure security or Roman dominance. Not the sort to bend to the whimsy of a conquered people. No weak little lamb was he.

Moreover, the use of a holy occasion to spare a prisoner is not recorded elsewhere in the area before or after. It isn't impossible of course that it was just used as an excuse, but imagining that a man such as Pilate would free someone resisting Roman authority to satisfy a crowd of people on the verge of rioting against the same is improbable at best.

And these are just a few of the problems with the circumstances as described.

But lets say its all true...well God sent Jesus to die didn't he? So everyone had to play their part somehow. Why hold a grudge?

And factually, it WAS the Romans who killed him.

The Sanhedrin convicted Jesus of blasphemy (claiming to be the son of God) when it failed to convict him of a capital crime under Roman law (which would have obligated the Romans to execute him). Blasphemy was a capital crime under Mosaic law.

Because it was not a Roman tribunal, the Sanhedrin was not allowed to carry out the sentence of death. Only the Romans could carry it out.

Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea agreed with the Sanhedrin's earlier decision that Jesus had committed no capital crime against Rome. He asked a gathering crowd if he should execute Jesus or let him go. The crowd agitated for execution. So, Pilate gave in and ordered Jesus executed.

Jesus represented a threat to the Sadducees, the Jewish priestly elite at the time. He preached of a religion without an established priesthood and spoke of an afterlife. The Sadducees taught there was no afterlife.

But, the Church has long promoted this hatred of Jews, and it's rather sickening.

The Church does have a less-then-stellar record regarding other religions, Judaism especially. But it has been working on it.

In 1961, Vatican II rejected anti-semitism and publicly stated that the Jews as a whole were not responsible for the death of Christ. The measure passed with an overwhelming majority of bishops voting for it (2,221 to 88).

In 1962, the liturgy was changed to remove references to "perfidis Judaeis" (faithless Jews).

In 1971 the Catholic Church established an internal International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, outside the Church's Magisterium, to further efforts at reconciliation.

In 1994, John Paul II issued an apology for the role of Christians in the Holocaust.

The last three popes, John XXIII, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, have worked hard at establishing and maintaining good relations between Jews and the Catholic Church.

A friend of mine who was Jewish growing up was chased home every day from school and beaten up.

He told me that whenever he was told he killed Jesus, he replies, "I confess. I did it. But after 2000 years, I think a statute of limitations is in order."

To which I retorted, "And you don't look a day over 1500!"

When the Catholic kids in my Brooklyn neighborhood accused me of killing their god, I thought they were nuts. The God I knew about couldn't be killed, and if He could, He wouldn't be God. Not that I had ever heard of their god, anyway.

There was a lot of anti-Semitism when I grew up, both among the Catholic kids and the regular goyim. We were always getting cursed, chased, having to fight; it was a real hassle.

Because the Left hated Bush, they reflexively loved the terrorists. Since they can't criticize the enemy of their True Enemy lest their True Enemy be shown to be right, they accept the enemy of the True Enemy in everything they do. Since the enemy of the True Enemy hates Jews, they don't condemn that hatred. Since there's no condemnation, Jew-basing rose to the mainstream again. It became politically correct to criticize the Jews. Outside the US it's Blame Israel first, Blame USA second. In the US, the order today is US, Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, Republicans, Rich, Men, White People, Jews, Catholic Church. However, it's an 11-way tie for first so the order fluctuates depending on the time of day.

No offence hadsil, but three of those thing you listed acctually deserve the distain and ridicule they recieve

Ben David, you misunderstand me. As I said, not all Jews are keeping themselves apart... but enough of them are so that the PERCEPTION of the public is that they do keep themselves apart. So there is this perception of them as "other". Even if the perception is not correct.

Yes, I am aware of the history of the ghettos. I am not sufficiently educated about the history of Judaism to know whether or not many Jews liked to keep to themselves in ancient times, and whether or not this affected things back then. We're talking about now, though.

I think that's it, though, the public perception of Jews not only as being "other", but WANTING to be "other", combined with many positions of authority being held by Jews. It gives people the uneasy feeling that the people in authority are "other". I'm not saying they are RIGHT to feel that way, just that they do.

It's a bit like Obama, how much people are trying to paint him as a non-American Muslim. People are inherently tribal, and don't want to be ruled by a person who they feel is from a different tribe.

I do think there's been a rise in anti-semetism these past 15 years. I don't have scientific proof or anything, it just feels like there are more anti-semetic posts on internet boards, and more anti-semetic comments behind closed doors at dinner parties, things like that.

I think people are angry about things like the wars, the government intrusion, and the economy. Then you've got Madoff, Emmanuel, Wolfowitz, and other Jewish people involved in scandals. Of course, you've got Rove, Bush, Clinton and tons of non-Jewish people involved in scandals as well, but unfortunately, with the perception of Jews being "other", some people focus on them. Which is unfair. But nonetheless happening.

There's also the fact that the Jews have their own country now, and like other binational people, sometimes have their loyalties questioned (the Japanese-Americans in WWII come to mind as the most obvious example of questioned loyalties).

The more important question, is how to counteract it? For a long time, Holocaust movies moved the public in sympathy with Jewish people, but that seems to be backfiring these days. I'm not sure what the answer is.

"who said anti-Semitic stuff to me, and seeing our house egged and anti-Semitic stuff written on our garage door in shaving cream"

You were lucky Amy. My mothers family was simply accused of being Jewish and they were so violently persecuted that to this day I do not know what fucking religion they were in the first place.

Heh... I learned about jews in South Miami in the early 1960s. We were poor and my father had a friend that owned a small bakery. Sol had a blue tattoo on inside of his forearm, if you know what I mean.

His wife was gone and they had no kids, so he was alone. He had sold a shop in Philly and retired to South Miami Heights but he was the kind of man who could not remain inactive. He setup in a store front and busied himself baking breads and pastries. Creme horns to die for, danishes and the most fantastic filled donuts.

We would stop by to see him and my dad would buy a cup of coffee and a bagle, then hang out for a few hours and talk. Dad had been at the liberation of one of the camps, but they never talked about that. It was always about New Jersey or baking or fishing or current events. When we left, Sol would insist that we take a huge bag of "day old" bread, bread that was still warm from the oven. I developed a powerful jones for sour jewish rye bread that persists to this day.