Apocalyptic Hatred
“Apocalyptic and Gratuitous Hatreds: The Revival of Jew-Hatred in the 21st Century”
Richard Landes (Dept. of History)
Professor Landes discussed the historical phenomenon of “Jew hatred,” including the recent revival of medieval conspiracy theories and blood libels. He focused on the shift of animosity from Jews to Israel, which in the most extreme cases has become an apocalyptic enemy: for Jihadis, the “Dajjal”; for Western anti-Zionists, a secular antichrist. This talk, which attracted more than sixty guests to our library, explored the apocalyptic dimensions of these surprisingly resilient hatreds and suggest some ways to disarm them.
Sunday April 26, 2015 at 5 pm
Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies
147 Bay State Road, Second Floor Library