The problem of anti-Semitism in the United States has existed for many centuries and is still relevant to American Jews. It is important to note that, although acts of persecution and discrimination against Jews in the United States never reached the same level of brutality and widespread violence as in Asia or Europe, where Jews experienced pogroms and other mass acts of violence that ultimately led to the Holocaust .
The Jewish community has been present in the modern United States since the colonial period, and before World War II, American anti-Semitism was accompanied by a general history of traditional American racism, which was directed primarily against non-Anglo-Saxon and, in particular, non-Christian populations.
Today, the United States has the second largest Jewish community in the world, although by the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries it was much smaller. It is important to note that the decline in anti-Semitism in the 20th century is associated with a general decline in socially acceptable racism in the United States, especially after World War II and the Civil Rights Movement.
Despite changes in society, issues of racism and anti-Semitism still remain relevant in the United States. According to a 2007 ABC News report, approximately 34% of Americans said they had “some racist feelings.”
However, it is important to note that most Americans strongly reject anti-Semitism. In 2011, 64% of those surveyed expressed appreciation for Jewish cultural contributions to the nation’s history, while just 19% supported the anti-Semitic myth that Jews control Wall Street. Holocaust denial has gained support in recent years among less than 10% of Americans, mostly among radical opposition groups or among less educated members of society.
One of the stories from Harvard University
Harvard is shaken by scandal: the president resigned under the onslaught of accusations of anti-Semitism and plagiarism.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned after receiving criticism for her performance at a congressional hearing where she was questioned about issues of anti-Semitism and allegations of copyright infringement. In recent weeks, Claudine Gay has felt increasing public pressure, which finally led to her decision to step down as president. In her resignation letter, she emphasized that this decision was being made in the best interests of the university.
“I was deeply saddened to see my commitments to combat hate and uphold scientific accuracy come into question,” – Dr. Gay said.
“This decision was difficult and humbling and difficult to put into words,” – she said, emphasizing that her resignation was intended to help Harvard maintain its reputation as an institution, not an individual.
Dr. Gay also noted in her resignation letter that she had to deal with personal threats and acts of “racial animosity.”
The Harvard Management Corporation has announced that Dr. Gay will return to his former academic position. The official statement stressed that she took responsibility for the mistakes she made and showed “Remarkable resilience in response to prolonged and highly personal assaults.”
During tense congressional hearings the previous month, Dr. Gay strongly condemned calls to kill Jews as abhorrent. However, when asked whether such remarks violated Harvard’s anti-bullying code of conduct, Gay was evasive, arguing that it depended on the context.
Following this declaration, over 70 members of Congress came together and endorsed an open letter, calling for the resignation of Dr. Gay. They also demanded the departure of the University of Pennsylvania’s President, Elizabeth Magill, who had already stepped down on December 10th, and the President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sally Kornbluth. This collective action stemmed from their reluctance to provide a straightforward response to the question in question.
A 53-year-old woman, a public administration major, served as president for six months.She emerged as the inaugural African American and just the second woman to assume the leadership of a renowned Ivy League institution. Nevertheless,her tenure as president was the shortest in the history of the university, which has been in existence for 388 years.