Contemporary Antisemitism

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School

COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language

The lessons in this unit increase students’ awareness that antisemitism did not end after the Holocaust and provide them with opportunities to learn about the persistence of antisemitism in its contemporary forms. Students investigate the ways in which old ideas about Jews and Judaism have given rise to new expressions of antisemitism and consider the interconnectedness of all forms of oppression. In addition, students are introduced to individuals who refuse to be bystanders to bigotry as they explore the responsibility of all members of society to respond to and prevent antisemitism and all forms of hate.

Learning Objectives:

• Define and identify examples of historical and contemporary antisemitism.
• Analyze historical and contemporary instances of antisemitism in order to understand how antisemitism has morphed in the modern era.
• Demonstrate the scope and scale of antisemitism in today’s world.
• Describe how classic forms of antisemitism have influenced and find expression in the new antisemitism.
• Explain how antisemitism may sometimes be related to white nationalism.
• Identify the features of the “new antisemitism,” including Holocaust denial and distortion and demonization of Israel.
• Reflect on the skills and dispositions needed to respond effectively to antisemitism and other forms of bias.
• Identify specific actions that they can take in their daily lives to combat hate.
• Communicate their ideas about how different forms of prejudice are interconnected.
• Construct evidence-based arguments on the features of contemporary antisemitism.