A Long & Painful History
The religion of Judaism and the people who follow have been through a long and traumatic history. The ideology of anti-semitism, or the discrimination against Jews, has been around since the beginning of time, and is still present in today’s age.
The history of the Jewish hardship began early in history when they were viewed as the “original other” to the religion of Christianity. In a world dominated by the likes of Christianity, Jews quickly became the outsiders in their societies.
Facing scientific and social discourse dominated by Christian-dominated ideologies, it was very difficult for Jews to fit into certain places and spaces. Through micro-aggressions in everyday life, as well as the widespread belief that being Jewish was a “race” rather than a religious choice, the life of Jews worldwide quickly became very difficult.
These ideologies of “Jewish as other” began impacting policies and began becoming institutionalized in modern society.
The power hierarchy quickly began to take form when the majority of Christians starting forcing Jews into unsanitary parts of society.
The power hierarchy quickly began to take form when the majority of Christians starting forcing Jews into unsanitary parts of society.
Moving into areas called “ghettos,” Jews faced extremely harsh conditions as they battled their label as being the “other.” They began occupying undesired jobs like leather-making and money-lending, which were jobs deemed “uncleaned” by the powerful Christians at the time. Because of these jobs that were forced upon the Jewish population, it led to the creation of the stereotype of the Jew, especially in media, which is dissected in the media portrayal section of this site.
These distinguishments continued throughout time. Medieval laws required Jews to wear particular clothing and hats to distinguish themselves from the rest of the crowd. Plus, discrimination policies separated Jews from “others” similarly to what Jim Crow laws did during
With these ideologies and policies in place, it became quick to target Jews as an outcast in society. And, like most societal trends, they translate to the world of media and how they are portrayed.
It is important to note however that these anti-semitic ideals have been challenged over time, and that great process has been made. Historically, the Enlightenment Era and the French Revolution were both benchmark times in Jewish history for gaining rights.
During these eras, Jews gained great ground in their pursuit of citizenships, and this became the first time they began to weave themselves into mainstream society.
However, it is important that stereotypes of Jews and anti-semitism still occurs today, even at a lower-level scale. Especially on college campuses, anti-semitism can still be one of the popular spots for these kinds of problems.
In 2014, a student at Ohio Universitygot in serious trouble when she created a terribly inappropriate video that went viral on YouTube. Creating a “bloodbath” challenge spinning off of the popular “ice bucket challenge” that was popular a few years ago, this student’s version was incredibly offensive to Jews.
Along with that, these kinds of hate crimes even occur right in our own backyard. One student at SUNY Oneonta had a swastika keyed into his car in 2014, and even here at Ithaca College, one student’s dorm room door was painted with a swastika and the phrase “Heil Hitler.”
While it’s important to note that the discussion of Jewish equality has come a long way since the beginning of time, it is equally as important to note that that discussion is far from over.
While most diversity discussions often focus on race and in rare occasion, gender or sexuality, the topic of religion often goes undiscussed. Especially with Judaism experiencing this kind of extreme hardship that is laid out above, it becomes even more shocking that these kinds of issues aren’t being talked about.
