An Exceptional Hatred? Re-Examining Antisemitism in Germany and the United States in a Time of War and Upheaval, 1914-1923

Abstract:This article seeks to better understand antisemitism by comparing the anti-Jewish environments of the United States and Germany after the First World War. While antisemitism in Germany has been studied extensively, the Holocaust has distorted our understanding of its significance in the decades prior to the Third Reich, making it appear more pathological and dangerous than it actually was in reality. At the same time, America's reputation is that of a "Golden Land" spared from the hatred and terror of Europe. Its antisemitism, therefore, must have been qualitatively different and fundamentally benign. Placing these two societies side by side helps us assess the validity of both common depictions. What we see are two anti-Jewish environments that were not nearly so different as one has come to assume. This reminds us of the importance of looking at history going forward, not back through the distorting lens of the Holocaust.