Antisemitism, an American Tradition

The powerful story of antisemitism in America and how it has shaped the lives of Jews for almost four centuries

Jews met antisemitism upon landing in New Amsterdam in 1654 when Peter Stuyvesant tried to expel them. The founding of the United States changed little, as negative European stereotypes rooted into American soil. Jews faced restrictions on holding office, admission into schools, and employment in industry, while their synagogues and cemeteries were vandalized. In recent years antisemitic incidents have increased.

In Antisemitism, An American Tradition scholar Pamela S. Nadell investigates the depth of this fraught history. She explores how Jews battled antisemitism through the law and by creating organizations to speak for them. Jews would also fight back with their fists or join with allies in fighting all types of hate. This momentous work sounds the alarm on a hatred that continues. View Less