How to Fight Anti-Semitism
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- Author：Bari Weiss
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Summary
"The most important book you will read this year。"--Caitlin Flanagan， author of To Hell with All That
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD - The prescient former New York Times writer delivers an urgent wake-up call to all Americans exposing the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in this country--and explains what we can do to defeat it。
On October 27， 2018， eleven Jews were gunned down as they prayed at their synagogue in Pittsburgh。 It was the deadliest attack on Jews in American history。
For most Americans， the massacre at Tree of Life， the synagogue where Bari Weiss became a bat mitzvah， came as a shock。 But anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred， commonplace across the Middle East and on the rise for years in Europe。 So that terrible morning in Pittsburgh， as well as the continued surge of hate crimes against Jews in cities and towns across the country， raise a question Americans cannot avoid: Could it happen here？
This book is Weiss's answer。
Like many， Weiss long believed this country could escape the rising tide of anti-Semitism。 With its promise of free speech and religion， its insistence that all people are created equal， its tolerance for difference， and its emphasis on shared ideals rather than bloodlines， America has been， even with all its flaws， a new Jerusalem for the Jewish people。 But now the luckiest Jews in history are beginning to face a three-headed dragon known all too well to Jews of other times and places: the physical fear of violent assault， the moral fear of ideological vilification， and the political fear of resurgent fascism and populism。
No longer the exclusive province of the far right， the far left， and assorted religious bigots， anti-Semitism now finds a home in identity politics as well as the reaction against identity politics， in the renewal of America First isolationism and the rise of one-world socialism， and in the spread of Islamist ideas into unlikely places。 A hatred that was， until recently， reliably taboo is migrating toward the mainstream， amplified by social media and a culture of conspiracy that threatens us all。
Weiss is one of our most provocative writers， and her cri de coeur makes a powerful case for renewing Jewish and American values in this uncertain moment。 Not just for the sake of America's Jews， but for the sake of America。
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD - The prescient former New York Times writer delivers an urgent wake-up call to all Americans exposing the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in this country--and explains what we can do to defeat it。
On October 27， 2018， eleven Jews were gunned down as they prayed at their synagogue in Pittsburgh。 It was the deadliest attack on Jews in American history。
For most Americans， the massacre at Tree of Life， the synagogue where Bari Weiss became a bat mitzvah， came as a shock。 But anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred， commonplace across the Middle East and on the rise for years in Europe。 So that terrible morning in Pittsburgh， as well as the continued surge of hate crimes against Jews in cities and towns across the country， raise a question Americans cannot avoid: Could it happen here？
This book is Weiss's answer。
Like many， Weiss long believed this country could escape the rising tide of anti-Semitism。 With its promise of free speech and religion， its insistence that all people are created equal， its tolerance for difference， and its emphasis on shared ideals rather than bloodlines， America has been， even with all its flaws， a new Jerusalem for the Jewish people。 But now the luckiest Jews in history are beginning to face a three-headed dragon known all too well to Jews of other times and places: the physical fear of violent assault， the moral fear of ideological vilification， and the political fear of resurgent fascism and populism。
No longer the exclusive province of the far right， the far left， and assorted religious bigots， anti-Semitism now finds a home in identity politics as well as the reaction against identity politics， in the renewal of America First isolationism and the rise of one-world socialism， and in the spread of Islamist ideas into unlikely places。 A hatred that was， until recently， reliably taboo is migrating toward the mainstream， amplified by social media and a culture of conspiracy that threatens us all。
Weiss is one of our most provocative writers， and her cri de coeur makes a powerful case for renewing Jewish and American values in this uncertain moment。 Not just for the sake of America's Jews， but for the sake of America。
Reviews
Twan
，
"Europe is very good at building memorials for dead Jews。 It is still learning how to protect the living ones。 Vigils honor the dead， but they don't do much for the living。 Solidarity does。'With this passage Weiss points out the essence of the struggling debate on antisemitism in the world （or in this particular case Europe）。 This essay refers to the three-headed dragon which is threatening Judaism: the extreme right， the extreme left and radical Islam。 It is an interesting read， although Weiss "Europe is very good at building memorials for dead Jews。 It is still learning how to protect the living ones。 Vigils honor the dead， but they don't do much for the living。 Solidarity does。'With this passage Weiss points out the essence of the struggling debate on antisemitism in the world （or in this particular case Europe）。 This essay refers to the three-headed dragon which is threatening Judaism: the extreme right， the extreme left and radical Islam。 It is an interesting read， although Weiss could've applied more depth in her argument。 。。。more
Chris Boutté
，
This is a topic I’ve been wanting to learn about for a while， and I recently discovered the work of Bari Weiss as well。 She’s a great writer and has a good perspective， so I decided to check out this book to learn more about antisemitism and how to fight it。 This is a short read， and Bari does a great job explaining some of the biggest issues Jewish people face in both the United States and around the world。 I learned so much that I had no idea about， and it definitely answered a ton of my quest This is a topic I’ve been wanting to learn about for a while， and I recently discovered the work of Bari Weiss as well。 She’s a great writer and has a good perspective， so I decided to check out this book to learn more about antisemitism and how to fight it。 This is a short read， and Bari does a great job explaining some of the biggest issues Jewish people face in both the United States and around the world。 I learned so much that I had no idea about， and it definitely answered a ton of my questions。 It was interesting to learn about how anti-semitism happens on the left， but it’s much harder to notice because it’s not as blatant as when it comes from the alt-right。 We often hear about Israel， but honestly， I didn’t know much about what’s going on， and now I have a far better understanding as well about some of the nuances and complexities of the conversation。 When I finished the book， I walked away knowing a lot more about the problems and how we can all help。 But more importantly， I think it highlighted how much I still need to learn because I still have a ton of questions。 I will say that since learning more about Bari’s views on many other issues， it feels like there may be some contradictions based on how she views other issues going on in the United States。 I may be wrong， but it’s definitely something I’m curious about。 。。。more
Jasmyn
，
Really excellent。 I love how thorough Bari is and how she doesn't worry about staying on the right political side of this debate。 She calls out far right white supremacists who are anti-Semitic， leftists who hate Zionists and want to see the state of Israel dissolved， and Muslims around the world who are increasing in their attacks on Jews。 No one gets a free pass。 She is an American， left-leaning woman who is watching the rising anti-Semitism in the world and sounding a warning voice。 Her ideas Really excellent。 I love how thorough Bari is and how she doesn't worry about staying on the right political side of this debate。 She calls out far right white supremacists who are anti-Semitic， leftists who hate Zionists and want to see the state of Israel dissolved， and Muslims around the world who are increasing in their attacks on Jews。 No one gets a free pass。 She is an American， left-leaning woman who is watching the rising anti-Semitism in the world and sounding a warning voice。 Her ideas are practical and many for fighting anti-Semitism， and they apply to anyone who wants to preserve religious freedom and respect the diversity of varying cultural and ethnic groups。 Excellent read。 。。。more
Meghan
，
This book is for anyone， Jew or gentile who cannot look away。 ~ Bari Weiss
Doug Cordova
，
Eye opening， well written， intelligent and very well done Bari Weiss manages to tackle a very historical and tough subject as good as anyone can。 Mixing past and present she brings to light the many different faces of anti semitism in a factual， no nonsense way。 She calls out all factions and explains in detail how and why she is doing so。 I highly recommend this book。
Jake
，
3。5/5Definitely opened my eyes to many things I did not know about what Jewish people are subjected to and to what scale。
Melanie
，
I wish I could buy hundreds of copies of this book and give one to every person I know。 I also wish I could somehow rate it higher than 5 stars。 I started reading this after the conflict in May when antisemitism began to rise both in Europe and the US-- anti-Israel protestors yelling "Kill the Jews;" attacking visibly Jewish people in New York， LA， and London; vandalizing synagogues; causing "Hitler was right" to trend on Instagram; etc。 Seeing all the same rhetoric that had been used to justify I wish I could buy hundreds of copies of this book and give one to every person I know。 I also wish I could somehow rate it higher than 5 stars。 I started reading this after the conflict in May when antisemitism began to rise both in Europe and the US-- anti-Israel protestors yelling "Kill the Jews;" attacking visibly Jewish people in New York， LA， and London; vandalizing synagogues; causing "Hitler was right" to trend on Instagram; etc。 Seeing all the same rhetoric that had been used to justify expelling， persecuting， and killing the Jews for 2，000 years rebranded with the terms "Israel" instead of "the Jews" and "anti-Zionism" instead of "antisemitism" and "Jew-hate"， was disturbing and troubling， especially seeing friends and acquaintances believing and spreading these dangerous lies on their social media and verbally attacking my husband and me for speaking up about it。 I had one former classmate tell me in one breath "I don't support Antisemitism" and in the next breath tell me there should be no two-state solution and essentially that the Jews should be ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland。 A thirteen-year friendship ended with the accusation that "your allegiance to Israel is obviously more important to you than friendship" and accusations of supporting genocide。 All of this can make one feel very isolated， fearful， and even depressed。 It can be hard to know what to do to counter all the lies。 So I decided to finally read this book that has been on my list for quite a while now， in hopes of finding solidarity and some tangible tools for confronting this rising virus of hate that has been poisoning people's minds for over 2，000 years。 "How to Fight Antisemitism" is an easy， quick read， and because of the condensed nature of the book， it's almost like an introduction to all the many aspects of Judaism， Zionism， antisemitism， etc。 that one can explore。 Bari Weiss is a talented writer who has an amazing way of wording things so succinctly and so perfectly （you can find more of that in her substack newsletter！） She's a liberal writer who isn't afraid to confront the ugly truths of both sides of the political spectrum， something that seems to be becoming more and more rare。 Weiss devotes a chapter each to antisemitism on the right， on the left， and within radical Islam。 The latter two might ruffle feathers for readers on the left， but true intellectual honesty will be willing to confront ways one's own side can do better and be aware of ways in which negative ideology and problematic beliefs can infiltrate ones own chosen group。 The final chapter presents practical ways to fight antisemitism: Call it out when you see it。 Resist hierarchical identity politics。 Maintain your liberalism。 Nurture your Jewish identity。 Etc。 Some of these are specific to Jewish readers， some will apply to everybody。 To any non-Jewish ally who sits down to read or listen to this book， thank you so much for your willingness to explore this issue and stand up for your Jewish neighbors！ And to everyone， run out to the store or the library and get a copy of this book。 Now。 I can't recommend it enough。 。。。more
David Kotler
，
Bari Weiss has now completely flipped and recognizes leftists are the largest threat to Jews in Europe and the USA。 Be sure to follow her on twitter and substack。
Martin
，
Examines an “ideology that cannot withstand critical thinking。 Understanding it also the beginning of fighting it。” There is much discussion of how anti-Semitism manifests on the right and on the left。 On the right， it’s pretty obvious。 Some parts of Christianity believe that Jews reoccupying Jerusalem， and the following war， will hasten the end of days。 They are all for the state of Israel for that reason。 Others are anti-Muslim and go by the theory ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend。’ On the Examines an “ideology that cannot withstand critical thinking。 Understanding it also the beginning of fighting it。” There is much discussion of how anti-Semitism manifests on the right and on the left。 On the right， it’s pretty obvious。 Some parts of Christianity believe that Jews reoccupying Jerusalem， and the following war， will hasten the end of days。 They are all for the state of Israel for that reason。 Others are anti-Muslim and go by the theory ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend。’ On the left， there is such a concern about not appearing anti-Muslim that it appears easy to not fight or even be aware of anti-Semitism if it would involve looking anti-Muslim。 On college campuses and in the Black Lives Matter movement， there is now an anti-Israel campaign because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is seen as a racial matter， or a colonial matter。 If it is a colonial matter， it’s been inherited from the U。K。 and the U。N。 Americans only know how to see things through the lens of race， which is historically America’s problem， and people tend to see the world through the lens of their own experience。 Race is a false equivalency， and even people on the left who understand that will gripe about disproportionate fatalities， settlements， and refugees without understanding that Hamas is a terrorist organization that refuses to help the Palestinians because their suffering makes good press， and that it does not want a two-state solution。 It wants， as do many Arab countries still， to wipe the state of Israel off the map。 It appears that the media in the U。S。 and the U。K。 have taken the bait， and even if a newspaper article becomes even-handed as it goes along， the headline and opening paragraphs are skewed towards the Palestinians。 The author shows how anti-Semitism is easy to spot on the right， like insurrectionists wearing t-shirts supporting the Holocaust， but is couched in specific language on the left， making it appear that people support Israel’s right to defend itself， but take umbrage only with certain policies， either holding Israel to a higher standard than we can even muster in the U。S。 or U。K。， a double bind， or containing a kernel of the old prejudice about grabby Jews controlling everything。 Meanwhile， nobody acts half as concerned about the Chinese treatment of the Uighurs， who actually are being sent to concentration camps， but it does not fit the narrative about colonialism or racial oppression as we know it in the west。 。。。more
Dan Jacobson
，
Whilst this may lose me some friends who frankly I could probably do without， I am an admirer of Bari Weiss and the stance which she is taking against this new form of journalism which is driven far more by current and potential readers and consumers than it is by the news itself。 I feel like regarding this topic， which she also discusses extensively in her new podcast， she is incredibly articulate and is able to present， clearly， where the dangers and issues lie。 And I believe her exit from the Whilst this may lose me some friends who frankly I could probably do without， I am an admirer of Bari Weiss and the stance which she is taking against this new form of journalism which is driven far more by current and potential readers and consumers than it is by the news itself。 I feel like regarding this topic， which she also discusses extensively in her new podcast， she is incredibly articulate and is able to present， clearly， where the dangers and issues lie。 And I believe her exit from the New York Times was one of integrity， even if Weiss， and also her detractors， may have presented it as some kind of preliminary cancellation。'How To Fight Against Anti-Semitism' seems like it would draw on her strength in articulation， whilst pairing with her own personal attachment to the topic。 Whilst the book was thorough， I felt there was a tendency for her to muddle these aspects of the book， implanting feeling and emotion right when a point is about to be effectively completed， thus somewhat detracting from the messages themselves。That said， the opening chapter， about the essentiality of fighting antisemitism and what made her take this seriously， is one of the most striking chapters I've read in a long time， and ought to be essential reading。 。。。more
Charles Cohen
，
Weiss does a solid job of providing a survey of the history of antisemitism on the right and left， which is by and large surprisingly well-balanced。 Her prescription for fighting antisemsitism， though， is a little simplistic， and represents my challenge with the whole endeavor。 Fighting antisemitism implies that there's a possible victory - it can't be conquered， or defeated。 It can be weathered， and minimized， but it's not going away。 And while most of her recommendations are sound in terms of Weiss does a solid job of providing a survey of the history of antisemitism on the right and left， which is by and large surprisingly well-balanced。 Her prescription for fighting antisemsitism， though， is a little simplistic， and represents my challenge with the whole endeavor。 Fighting antisemitism implies that there's a possible victory - it can't be conquered， or defeated。 It can be weathered， and minimized， but it's not going away。 And while most of her recommendations are sound in terms of keeping the Jewish people strong in the face of unending hatred and discrimination， she randomly throws in a plea to "resist hierarchical identity politics"。 She makes the point of refusing to leave any part of one's identity at the door not matter what room/space one's entering， so this kinda feels like a potshot at those radical libs。 It was the only time I really felt Weiss' politics/op-ed writing persona slipped in， but it was enough to almost take me out of the whole book。 。。。more
Toby Katz
，
“Passionate， timely and necessary”。 This is the Guardian’s review of the book。 I cannot better it。 To all my Jewish and non-Jewish friends: please read。
AJ
，
I think this book is super important， but I guess I'm a little puzzled where the boundary lies between being critical of Israel's policies and being an anti-Semite。 I think this book is super important， but I guess I'm a little puzzled where the boundary lies between being critical of Israel's policies and being an anti-Semite。 。。。more
Jales ☾
，
Really enjoyed。 She has facts and passion。 Love how she looks at all sides from right to left， showing how the anti-semitism can exist in any condition if we don't have a well education， which is honest BASIC: respect everyone。 But also， learning History， please do！ And about this aspect is really nice to "give" - can't "give" what isn't ours - to voice for this passion - and I say here passion as individual deep feelings - to arise from this many years of blind ignorance。 3。49 Really enjoyed。 She has facts and passion。 Love how she looks at all sides from right to left， showing how the anti-semitism can exist in any condition if we don't have a well education， which is honest BASIC: respect everyone。 But also， learning History， please do！ And about this aspect is really nice to "give" - can't "give" what isn't ours - to voice for this passion - and I say here passion as individual deep feelings - to arise from this many years of blind ignorance。 3。49 。。。more
Emily
，
Life changing。 Required reading。 Thank you， Bari Weiss， for giving me the tools and words I need to feel powerful in conversations that call out antisemitism and defending the everlasting chain of Judaism’s liberal， human values
Ameerah
，
In theory， the book is Weiss’ response to the October 2018 massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue。 This was a personal tragedy for Weiss: It unfolded not only in her hometown but at the very synagogue where she was bat mitzvahed。 Unfortunately， she has used the attack as a launchpad for a bizarre and undercooked exercise rhetorically， in which she argues that American Jews should be just as worried about college students who overzealously criticise Israel as they are about the aspiring In theory， the book is Weiss’ response to the October 2018 massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue。 This was a personal tragedy for Weiss: It unfolded not only in her hometown but at the very synagogue where she was bat mitzvahed。 Unfortunately， she has used the attack as a launchpad for a bizarre and undercooked exercise rhetorically， in which she argues that American Jews should be just as worried about college students who overzealously criticise Israel as they are about the aspiring Einsatzgruppen who shoot up shuls - Part of the reason Weiss takes such a catastrophic tone， I think， is that she doesn’t just think anti-Zionism will lead to ‘cultural genocide，’ as she puts it。 She is worried about real genocide。 She seems to think that a lot of activists are， in their ‘insidious’ way， trying to get Jews killed。 This doesn’t necessarily make the book any better。 But it does help explain its volume and pitch。 The fact that so much of Weiss’ conception of who is and who isn’t anti-Semitic comes down to how supportive they are of Israel。 In the end， though， the thing that bugs me the most about How to Fight Anti-Semitism is Weiss’ disdain for the people， who are actually trying to do it。 Specifically， she criticises journalists， who have spent time documenting and understanding online radicals。 Weiss doesn’t seem to realise that part of stopping online radicalisation， and perhaps the murders it leads to， is understanding how it works。 。。。more
Avi
，
A sensible analysis of modern day antisemitism that focuses on a productive resolution rather than placing blame。 Weiss acknowledges that criticism of Israeli policy is not antisemitic， while drawing on other disciplines to establish where "criticisms" cross the line into antisemitism （e。g。 promoting violence against civilians is not a criticism， even if someone labels it as a criticism）。This book is a must-read for everyone。 It helps you realize bigotry in places you may never have seen it befo A sensible analysis of modern day antisemitism that focuses on a productive resolution rather than placing blame。 Weiss acknowledges that criticism of Israeli policy is not antisemitic， while drawing on other disciplines to establish where "criticisms" cross the line into antisemitism （e。g。 promoting violence against civilians is not a criticism， even if someone labels it as a criticism）。This book is a must-read for everyone。 It helps you realize bigotry in places you may never have seen it before， and gives you the conviction to address it。 。。。more
Cory Donavon
，
Really impressive and great book that I would recommend to anyone。 I learned so much about the Jewish tribe and the challenges they've faced basically throughout written human history。 I'm really impressed by Jews and their resilience， as well as their ability to take their shared trauma and overcome challenges and turn them into Holidays。 They have pretty comprehensive retellings of different challenges they have faced throughout time and I really like that。 They keep an annual oral tradition。 Really impressive and great book that I would recommend to anyone。 I learned so much about the Jewish tribe and the challenges they've faced basically throughout written human history。 I'm really impressed by Jews and their resilience， as well as their ability to take their shared trauma and overcome challenges and turn them into Holidays。 They have pretty comprehensive retellings of different challenges they have faced throughout time and I really like that。 They keep an annual oral tradition。 It's amazing how one people can stand up to so much hate from so many angles over such an incredibly long length of time。 Since as long as we have had written history。 I never thought about how many challenges Jews face from folks on the Left， as well as the Right and from Islamist extremists。 Basically wherever Jews go in perceptible numbers， they face scrutiny and hate， which is why having a Jewish state and homeland is so important for them （Israel）。 Weiss does a great job at weaving historical plights with more modern challenges， as well as naming both friends and enemies of the Jews。 I found the book really informative and helpful。 I had no idea Henry Ford was such a raging anti-semite， for example。 This book， along with having the honor to attend Jewish Holidays and events with my Jewish girlfriend and her family， as well as a couple events with my Jewish friends， has helped me gain a much better understanding， appreciation and respect for the Jewish global tribe。 This book does a great job explaining the conflict over Israel and helped my understanding in that regard as well。 I recommend this book to literally everyone。 Thank you Bari Weiss。 。。。more
Richard Girling
，
A incredibly important perspective on one of the greatest crimes of moral relativism。 Builds a fantastic picture that at the very least should open the door to discussion in any rational mind。
Lev Rothenberg
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An excellent book。Having immersed myself in Black Lives Matter， Systemic Racism and Implict Bias， it is perhaps understandable that I generally ignore one of the oldest and most deadly prejudices - anti-Semitism。This book pulls no punches。 It is well thought out and extremely well written。BrieflyJews have perhaps never had it as good as they currently do in the US。Jews are nonetheless in danger - in our country and much more acutely around the world。Fighting anti-Semitism is not the same as expl An excellent book。Having immersed myself in Black Lives Matter， Systemic Racism and Implict Bias， it is perhaps understandable that I generally ignore one of the oldest and most deadly prejudices - anti-Semitism。This book pulls no punches。 It is well thought out and extremely well written。BrieflyJews have perhaps never had it as good as they currently do in the US。Jews are nonetheless in danger - in our country and much more acutely around the world。Fighting anti-Semitism is not the same as explaining that Jews have a right to exist Tell the Truth Trust your discomfort Call out。 Especially when it's hard Apply the kippah （or Magen David） test Don't trust people who seek to divide the Jew - even if they are Jews Notice your enemies。 But even more， notice your friends Praise those who do the right thing At the same time， we must fight anti-Semitism on our own sid Expect solidarity Stop blaming yourself Choose life Never ask of yourself what you would not ask of another minority Resist hierarchal identity politics Never， ever forget to love your neighbor Fight， first and foremost， as Americans Wherever you are， vote for freedom Support Israel Maintain the David and Goliath paradox Build community Do not divide。 multiply Lean into Judaism Nurture your Jewish identity - and that of those around you Know that one person can change history。 Is it you？ Tell your storyIs the anti-Semitism that posits that Jews are evil capitalists who control the worlddifferent from the one that posits that they are evil community who control the world？Is the anti-Semitism that posits that Jews connive and exploit gentile powerdifferent from the one that insists that they connive and exploit via their own state power？Is the anti-Semitism that says Jews are secret betrayers of the white raceDifferent from the anti-Semitism that says they are secret white supremacists？Is the anti-Semitism that asserts Jews have upended traditionDifferent than the anti-Semitism that asserts that they stand in the way of progress？Is the anti-Semitism that forces us to designate ourselves publicly with Jewish startsDifferent from the anti-Semitism that insists we must not？One form of the hatred originates on the political right， the other on the left。 。。。more
Sally
，
A very good and practical book on anti-Semitism today。 At times it is clearly addressed to Jewish readers but it is valuable for anyone。 Most anti-Semetic activity isn't reported so that it's easy to be unaware of the extent of the problem and its impact of people's daily lives。 The fact that currently there is hostility from both the right and the left makes it a particularly challenging time。 A very good and practical book on anti-Semitism today。 At times it is clearly addressed to Jewish readers but it is valuable for anyone。 Most anti-Semetic activity isn't reported so that it's easy to be unaware of the extent of the problem and its impact of people's daily lives。 The fact that currently there is hostility from both the right and the left makes it a particularly challenging time。 。。。more
Samantha
，
Here's a nugget the "Radical Islam" chapter starts with: in 1298， European Jews were burned at the stake over Eucharist wafers。 Jews in Rottingen were accused of stealing wafers and defiling them， and in one case， tortured a wafer until it bled。 Yes， you read that right。 Wafers were the body of Christ， and in the eyes of towns folk， they could bleed。 This wafer scandal set off a blitz of violence where about 100 Jews were murdered over the course of a few years。 This book lays out centuries of s Here's a nugget the "Radical Islam" chapter starts with: in 1298， European Jews were burned at the stake over Eucharist wafers。 Jews in Rottingen were accused of stealing wafers and defiling them， and in one case， tortured a wafer until it bled。 Yes， you read that right。 Wafers were the body of Christ， and in the eyes of towns folk， they could bleed。 This wafer scandal set off a blitz of violence where about 100 Jews were murdered over the course of a few years。 This book lays out centuries of superstition， scapegoating and violence that Jewish people have endured。 That history in and of itself， condensed and easily digestible， is reason enough to check out this book。 I know Bari isn't for everyone， and that's fine。 I like to read so I sort through all kinds of ideas， and this book has a lot of them。 。。。more
Bradley Endsor
，
A great book on an important issue and shows how this is not a one sided issue but one where both the right and left fall short。
Cheri
，
So。 I found this an incredibly frustrating read and， ultimately， it ended up pissing me off。 Yes， we should definitely not treat anti-semitism on the right as more "important" than anti-semitism on the left， even though that on the right is typically more violent or traditionally dangerous。 She opened my eyes to a lot of the anti-semitism on the left。 BUT， there were several times where she took things out of context or left out critical information which， I felt， severely weakened her argument So。 I found this an incredibly frustrating read and， ultimately， it ended up pissing me off。 Yes， we should definitely not treat anti-semitism on the right as more "important" than anti-semitism on the left， even though that on the right is typically more violent or traditionally dangerous。 She opened my eyes to a lot of the anti-semitism on the left。 BUT， there were several times where she took things out of context or left out critical information which， I felt， severely weakened her argument and credibility overall。 As just one example - she talked about an incident in Philly where school aged children sang or recited a poem at an event that included lyrics essentially advocating for death to all jews， etc。 Did she mention that the song was sung in arabic and these kids didn't know what they were singing？ No。 Completely changes the story from one of indoctrinating school aged kids in hatred to one of a bad actor selecting an anti-semitic poem in a foreign language。 She misrepresented the incident， which didn't sit well with me。 There were a few other examples of this in the book。 It is disappointing。 Because， surely， there is plenty of anti-semitism in the world， on the "right" and "left" that needs to be addressed。 。。。more
Brooke
，
Just read this book。
Karen
，
This book needs to be read by everyone， right， left， conservative。 You may not agree with all her ideas， but it gives us a starting place to think about what is going on in the U。S currently。
Eric Barvin
，
Well stated and presented。
Lee
，
I really wanted to learn how to fight AntiSemitism so voted for this book option in a book group。 The last chapter of the book addresses that question and I found it different than much of what I have read or heard in seminars before; it also resonated with me as insightful and helpful。 Chapter one was very well written and was certainly accurately named “waking up。” I have very specific criticisms of chapters two through five on scholarly grounds that are not appropriate for a goodreads review。 I really wanted to learn how to fight AntiSemitism so voted for this book option in a book group。 The last chapter of the book addresses that question and I found it different than much of what I have read or heard in seminars before; it also resonated with me as insightful and helpful。 Chapter one was very well written and was certainly accurately named “waking up。” I have very specific criticisms of chapters two through five on scholarly grounds that are not appropriate for a goodreads review。 Suffice it to say that readers of this book are likely to know that there has been a long history of AntiSemitism。 Mostly， I wanted to read a review of how to fight AntiSemitism and I didn’t find these four chapters helpful for that purpose。 。。。more
Steve
，
Boldly speaking truth to the power of both the Right and Left （and destined to be "cancelled by both）， this is an important， passionate， and eye opening little book。 Especially important right now-- just read it。 Boldly speaking truth to the power of both the Right and Left （and destined to be "cancelled by both）， this is an important， passionate， and eye opening little book。 Especially important right now-- just read it。 。。。more
Roxann
，