This 3-Month Book Journey will explore the history, ideology, and forms antisemitism has taken over the last millennia—in ancient, modern, and contemporary times, from East to West. You will encounter the most fundamental elements that have driven Jew hatred for as far back as we can remember. Our readings of the past, we will deepen our understanding of contemporary forms of antisemitism.
Global tensions between people’s beliefs of Israel and their beliefs of Jews came to head often over the last few years, but those tensions exploded on Oct. 7. Since then, antisemitism has skyrocketed across the world. Jews, and Israel, are under attack in unprecedented ways since the Holocaust. Unfortunately, the question of antisemitism has become crucial for us today. And that is this Book Journey’s primary topic: What is the essence of antisemitism?
Each month, you will read one book, engage in a weekly discussion board, and join Malka Simkovich for a live session. By the journey’s end, you will:
- Understand the origins and fundamentals of antisemitic tropes
- Examine antisemitism across cultures, periods, and ideologies
- Build frameworks for identifying contemporary forms of antisemitism
About the Book Journey Leader: Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich, a two-time 18Forty guest, is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016) and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), which received the 2019 Association of Jewish Libraries Judaica Reference Honor Award. Dr. Simkovich’s articles have been published in the Harvard Theological Review and the Journal for the Study of Judaism. She is involved in numerous local and international interreligious dialogue projects which help to increase understanding and friendship between Christians and Jews.
