Looking for an Enemy: 8 Essays on Antisemitism

As one essayist aptly notes, when it comes to antisemitism, Judaism is both a religion and a racial category of hate that, even if every Jew converted to Christianity, would still remain as a problem. Thus, 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. Even the vocabulary of these essays is something of a primer on trending ideas such as philosemitism and Holocaust manipulation. Furthermore, these writers are not reluctant to disparage the tin-eared rhetoric of President Trump, nor to challenge Israel itself for acting in ways towards Palestinians that eerily mimic Nazi Germany’s official intolerance. But what these essays ultimately demonstrate is unwavering evidence that the white-hot maelstrom of antisemitic hatred remains alive and well.