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Looking for an Enemy: 8 Essays on Antisemitism
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About This Book
Great Jewish thinkers offer salient historical commentary on the roots of antisemitism and its contemporary resurgence. From medieval accusations that Jews murder Christians for their blood to the far-right conspiracy theories animating present-day political discourse, it's clear that the belief that Jews are plotting against society never dies―it just adapts to suit the times. In eight illuminating essays from brilliant Jewish writers and thinkers, Looking for an Enemy offers an urgent, profound take on the experience of antisemitism and its historical context. In order to present a nuanced, global understanding of antisemitism, editor Jo Glanville solicited essays from writers across a wide spectrum of ages, political ideologies, and nationalities. American rabbi Jill Jacobs and respected Israeli historian Tom Segev explore the thorny question of antisemitism in politics. British journalist Daniel Trilling investigates how antisemitism drives far-right extremism, while author Philip Spencer rethinks the forms that antisemitism takes on the left. Polish writer Mikolaj Grynberg reflects on a childhood shadowed by the trauma of the Holocaust; journalist Natasha Lehrer and novelist Olga Grjasnowa explore the culture of antisemitism, and the forces behind it, in France and Germany. In her own contribution, Glanville searches for the historical roots of this dangerous hatred. In moving memoir, rich history, and incisive political commentary, these essays navigate the complex differences in each country's relationship to its Jewish citizens and reveal the contemporary face of antisemitism. Eye-opening and evocative, Looking for an Enemy explores how an irrational belief can still flourish in a supposedly rational age.
Reviews
"The subject merits a longer, more comprehensive study, but the variety of perspectives in this slim collection captures the emotional intensity of the subject and the urgent need to address it ..."
"In a series of beautifully written (and perfectly translated) essays, Glanville has assembled different national accounts of antisemitism."
"The contributors bring a healthy diversity of experiences, and while Glanville acknowledges in her introduction that 'the far right remains a bigger threat to Jews,' the pieces, taken as a whole, transcend partisan positions for a larger look at 'antisemitism's resurgence.' The result is eye-opening."
"They provide forceful historic arguments for the deep roots of antisemitism and show how the ancient hatred manifests itself in different forms on both the left and the right ..."
"one would be hard-pressed to find such a succinct and yet fulsome discussion on the state of antisemitism today as is found in this collection authored by historians, journalists and activists involved in documenting and counteracting deeply ingrained historical and political hatred of Jewish people."
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