Antisemitism Quote by Phyllis Goldstein
““Antisemitism did not begin in Germany, or anywhere else, in 1918; Jews had been regarded as dangerous outsiders for centuries, and anti-Jewish feeling usually intensified in times of war and other upheaval. But during World War II, for the first time in history, a government, with the support of many of its people, had systematically hunted and then murdered Jews for no reason other than the fact that their parents or grandparents were Jews.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Holocaust Memorial Lecture, 1990s
Antisemitism has deep historical roots, but WWII marked the first state‑sponsored, mass genocide of Jews based solely on ancestry.
In simple terms: Jews faced centuries of prejudice; WWII saw systematic murder.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the danger of unchecked hatred.
Themes
history
genocide
prejudice
war
societal responsibility
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- human rights advocacy
- museum exhibits
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
anti‑Jewish sentiment
state violence
collective memory
Questions to Reflect On
- What factors enable societies to accept state‑led genocide?
- How can we prevent similar atrocities today?
A Different Perspective
The quote may oversimplify complex causes beyond ancestry.
![“After Portia has trapped Shylock through his own insistence upon the letter of the law of Contract, she produces another law by which any alien who conspires against the life of a Venetian citizen forfeits his goods and places his life at the Doge’s mercy. […] Shakespeare, it seems to me, was…” quote by W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/25c/w-h-auden-2-7412_antisemitism_after-portia-has-trapped-shylock-through_382814.jpg)
