Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is prejudice toward Jews and Jewish culture. From a social psychological perspective, it is a devaluation of the group of Jews and their culture or a devaluation of a Jewish person, because she or he is a member of the social category. A common definition refers to anti-Semitism as hostile beliefs—expressed by attitudes, myths, ideology, folklore and imagery, discrimination, and violence—which destroy the worth of Jews and Jewish culture. In its most comprehensive sense, it is hostility toward Jews as “Jews,” and thus an expression of devaluation and of inequality between groups. Anti-Semitism is expressed by individuals, groups, or institutions against Jewish people, groups, or culture through the categorization of Jews as negatively different or Jewish culture as strange. Jews are seen not as ...