Munaeem's Blog

  Antisemitism in Europe is not a recent phenomenon. It grew over centuries from religion, economics, and politics, and it left scars that shaped Jewish life long before the Holocaust. The Church had the power to challenge it, but too often it did not. The Religious Blame The roots of European antisemitism lie in Christian theology. Early Church leaders accused Jews of deicide—the killing of Christ. Saint John Chrysostom, a fourth-century Church Father, preached that Jews were “murderers of the Lord” and “fit for slaughter.” His sermons echoed through medieval Europe, painting Jews as enemies of faith. This accusation created a permanent shadow. Every Easter, the story of the crucifixion was retold, and mobs sometimes turned against Jewish communities. Hatred became part of religious memory. The Economic Resentment Medieval laws excluded Jews from farming land or joining most guilds. Christian teaching also forbade lending money at interest, but Jews were not bound by canon l...