The term antisemitism was coined only in the nineteenth century, but anti-Jewish hatred and Judeophobia (fear of Jews) date back to ancient times and have a variety of causes. These can be religious, political, social, economic, but in all its varieties, antisemitism is evil.
Read this article on the Holocaust Encyclopedia: https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005175
Please look over the content of the US Holocaust Museum’s anti-semitism page: https://www.ushmm.org/confront-antisemitism
Anti-semitism isn’t the only kind of hate, and Jews are not the only ones who face this kind of baseless hatred. Can you think of other groups in the past or today who have faced discrimination and prejudice?
Homework (Choose One)
Visit a Holocaust museum. Write about your experiences there and how it made you feel.
Think of three groups who face hatred. Write a paragraph on each group explaining who they are, the issues they face, as well as what you can do to help them.