Antisemitism in the Middle Ages - 1616 Words

In the year of 1492, most people instantly think of the Columbus’ discovery of the New World. But in the joy of the discovery of the New World also comes the tragedy of the Old World. The Spanish Inquisition was one of the darkest periods of time in Jewish history. Christianity’s view of other religions as inferior is portrayed in many well-known pieces of literature, including one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, The Merchant of Venice. Towering over Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Merchant of Venice is the tragic figure of Shylock, a man who represents the treatment of the Jewish people in his time period. Before beginning to understand Shylock, it is vital to understand the historical and dramatic influences under†¦show more content†¦A decision was eventually made and the Venetian Republic decided to allow them to remain and ordered the segregation of the Jews of the city in a special quarter, formerly known as Ghetto Nuova, a small, dirty island which became the world’s first ghetto. â€Å"A little later, the Ghetto Vecchio, was added to the district. Hence the term Ghetto spread throughout Italy, where the Jewish quarters, compulsorily established in subsequent years, became known officially by this name,† (Roth. 273.) Jews of Italian and German origin both moved into this ghetto. The Germans came to Venice to seek refuge from of persecution in their former communities, while the Italians came from Rome and from the South, where they faced anti-Semitism. Jews from the Levant, who practiced Sephardic traditions, moved into Ghetto Vecchio in 1541. The Spanish and Portuguese Jews also came to Venice in the late 16th century and were the strongest and wealthiest community in the ghetto. Many of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews were Marranos and became â€Å"Jewish† again once moving to Venice. The Spanish/Portuguese and Levantines lived in the Ghetto Vecchio. The German, Italian and Levantine communities were independent, yet lived side by side to one another. A hierarchy existed among them, in which the Sephardic/Levantine Jews were at the top of the scale, Germans in the middle and Italians at the lowest rung on the hierarchal ladder. Eventually more restrictions wereShow MoreRelatedAnti-Semitism and Lack of Concern Among Non-jews During the Holocaust997 Words   |  4 Pages Thesis Statement: Antisemitism is to blame for the lack of concern among non-Jews during the up rise of the Holocaust. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is hard to grasp the number of lives lost during the Holocaust. How someone could have so much hatred towards one group of people. Or how so many people could set back and watch something like this take place without protest. To begin to understand how a tragedy like the Holocaust could have took place without intervention we need to understandRead MoreAntisemitism Before the Nineteeth Century766 Words   |  3 Pages Before the nineteenth century antisemitism was largely religious, based on the belief that the Jews were responsible for Jesus crucifixion. It was expressed later in the Middle Ages by persecutions and expulsions, economic and personal restrictions. After Jewish emancipation during the enlightenment, religious antisemitism was slowly replaced in the nineteenth century by racial prejudice, stemming from the idea of Jews as a distinct race. In Germany theories of Aryan racial superiority and chargesRead MoreGeorge orwell3885 Words   |  16 Pagesï » ¿George Orwell Antisemitism in Britain There are about 400,000 known Jews in Britain, and in addition some thousands or, at most, scores of thousands of Jewish refugees who have entered the country from 1934 onwards. The Jewish population is almost entirely concentrated in half a dozen big towns and is mostly employed in the food, clothing and furniture trades. A few of the big monopolies, such as the ICI, one or two leading newspapers and at least one big chain of department stores are Jewish-ownedRead MoreThe Jewish Self Identity Essay2488 Words   |  10 Pagespeople have formed a self-identity that is unlike any other cultural group in this world. There are three components that make up the Jewish self-identity: antisemitism and its effects, the image of the self-hating Jew, often a result of antisemitism, and the events and repercussions of the Holocaust. 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As antisemitism grew stronger, it triggered a feeling of community among the Poles who for many years had very little connection with Judaism. Year earlier, Jews were blamed for lack of assimilation. However, when the assimilation process did start and the JewishRead MoreThe Impact Of Nazi Policy On The Young People1242 Words    |  5 Pageschildren were expelled from public schools by the Reich Ministry of Education. Books and writings that were considered unfit for education resulted in being burnt and replaced by new ones to promote Nazism, Aryan supremacy, eugenics, militarism, antisemitism and devotion to Adolf Hitler. The curriculum and syllabus was remodeled to encourage Nazi beliefs and subjects such as German, History, Geography, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics were catered to focus on national pride, militarism and racial