41845358-Antisemitism

xviii
ANTISEMITISM
science, the arts, and economic life. Knowledge of Jewish history, literature,
and institutions is required to explain this extraordinary burst of creativity.
Nor can the rise of ultranationalist movements in the nineteenth century and
their fascist heirs in the twentieth century, which saw Jews as an alien race and
a threat to the nation, be understood without reference to the roles played by
Jews in these nations and the negative images, inherited from the Christian
past, that people had about Jews. The authors of this volume hope that an examination
of the evolution, nature, and meaning of antisemitic myths will contribute,
however modestly, to diminishing the power and appeal of what has
been aptly called “the longest hatred.”
In the process of writing this book, we have contracted many debts for
guidance and assistance. Chapter 1 owes much to two recognized authorities
in the field, Manhattan College colleagues Professors Donald Gray and Claudia
Setzer. We wish to thank Manhattan colleagues Professor Robert Kramer
for his translation of Hitler’s 1920 speech, Dr. Eleanor T. Ostrau for her help
with Civiltà Cattolica material, and Dr. Joseph Castora for his translation of
Origen.
Librarians and libraries have greatly facilitated our researches. Most especially,
Brother Thomas O’Connor, FSC, Ph.D. and the Hayes-O’Malley Library
of Manhattan College; Eleanor Yadin and the Dorot Jewish Division of
the New York Public Library; the Walsh Library of Fordham University and
its Sidney Rosenblatt Holocaust Collection at Lincoln Center; the Research
Department of the Anti-Defamation League in New York City; the Jacob H.
Schiff Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Butler Library
of Columbia University; the library of Union Theological Seminary; and the
British Library in London.
For reviewing portions of the book, criticism, bibliographical suggestions,
and various forms of assistance, we thank Manhattan colleagues Professors
Joan Cammarata, Jeff Horn, Brother Patrick Horner, FSC, John Keber, Claire
Nolte, Mark Taylor, and Nevart Wanger. On specific topics we have had the
benefit of expert guidance from Professor Luc Dequeker of the University of
Louvain, Belgium; Dr. Eugene Fisher, director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical
and Interreligious Affairs of the National Conference of Catholic
Bishops; Rabbi Steven Franklin of Riverdale Temple; Rabbi Leon Klenicki
then of the Anti-Defamation League; Dr. John T. Pawlikowski, O.S.M., of the
Catholic Theological Union of Chicago; Professor William D. Rubinstein of
the University of Wales, Aberystwyth; Dr. John Weiss, Professor Emeritus of
Lehman College, CUNY; and Mark Weitzman of the New York Wiesenthal
Center. Special thanks to Mark Freiman and Caroline Zayid of McCarthy Té-