In recent years, research on antisemitism has opened new dimensions and facets. Scholars are examining not only the historical roots but also contemporary manifestations and societal impacts. These studies illuminate the role of media, social networks, and political discourse in the spread of antisemitic stereotypes. The findings are crucial for understanding and combating antisemitism in today's society.

The Dunkelfeld Study

The Dunkelfeld Study by Heiko Beyer, Lars Rensmann, Hanna Brögeler, David Jäger, and Carina Schulz offers new insights into the forms, manifestations, and prevalence of antisemitism in North Rhine-Westphalia. It examines specific contexts, social environments, as well as geographical and demographic factors. Notably, it highlights the widespread "antisemitic background noise" (Hanna Veiler, cited in Schmidt 2024), which explains the dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023—from graffiti to threats and physical violence.

The study distinguishes four forms of antisemitism: religious antisemitism, modern (or traditional) antisemitism, secondary (or Holocaust-related) antisemitism, and Israel-related antisemitism. Additionally, it differentiates three communication forms of antisemitism: open (direct), camouflaged (indirectly communicated through codes), and tolerated antisemitism (attitudes toward antisemitic remarks by others). Camouflaged antisemitism is particularly prevalent in modern antisemitism, as it is often perceived as taboo in German society.

Here is the link to download the study.

Study on the effects of the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 on the Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany

The attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023 marks a deep turning point for the Jewish and Israeli communities in Germany. Jews are faced with the task of dealing with the traumatic consequences of the deadly attack and the related anti-Semitic threats. Starting in February 2024, the research project examines the experience of the phase since October 7th, 2023 from the perspectives of Jews of different generations and social backgrounds in urban and rural areas in Germany. The perceptions, classifications and effects from Jewish perspectives are analysed on the empirical basis of narrative interviews, group discussions and documented observations from research participants. Changes in processing are reconstructed over time and in connection with previous and current events. The study in collaboration with our partners is funded by the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency and being carried out at the research department of the Competence Center and the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.

Antisemitic violence and discrimination is a form of collective violence directed against groups. The term collective violence describes the use of violence by people who see themselves as members of a group and attack other groups for ideological reasons in order to achieve political, economic or social goals (Wilkinson/Marmot 2003). Therefore, collectively directed violence affects entire communities and develops traumatic potential (Auerbach2022). People who have suffered from exclusion and persecution often experience a variety of consequences for decades afterwards (Moré 2015). It can be assumed that antisemitism has a lasting impact on the psychological and social well-being of those affected. In antisemitism research here, the effects of antisemitic discrimination and violence on the everyday life, well-being and health of Jews have hardly been examined.

The interviews are conducted in German, English, Hebrew, and Russian. In addition to interviews with adults of all age groups, including university students, the sample also includes interviews with children and adolescents, as well as group discussions with students from Jewish schools. The qualitative data is analyzed using interpretive and deep hermeneutic methods.

More information here. Study Participation here!

First excerpts from the study: October 7th as a turning point for Jewish communities in Germany. Chernivsky, Marina / Lorenz-Sinai, Friederike (2024). In: APuZ - Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte: Antisemitism. Vol. 74, Issues 25-26, 2024, pp. 19-24. Available online here.

This anthology documents the "2nd Interdisciplinary Conference on Antisemitism for Early Career Researchers," which took place from October 12 to 14, 2022, at the University of Trier.

"We have no concept of it yet, and we have no term for it yet" (Rabinovici 2024: 15). What happened on October 7, 2023, left even those who are well-versed in the millennia-long history of persecution of Jews dumbfounded—those who know about the pogroms in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, who have engaged deeply with the history of the Holocaust, and who confront antisemitic violence and terrorism in the present day. Above all, of course, Jews in Israel and the diaspora, who are almost universally confronted with eradication, persecution, expulsion, expropriation, and discrimination in their own family histories. With the massacre by Hamas on October 7, yet again a "genocidal message" (Diner 2023) was explicitly directed at all Jews worldwide. "October 7 was not a terrorist attack. It was the beginning of a new global antisemitic war, in which all Jews feel attacked because they are all under attack" (Schapira 2024). The violent rampages of Hamas and its allies were meant to "explicitly and immediately convey that a new Holocaust can be repeated at any time" (Hartmann/Ebbrecht-Hartmann 2024: 67). The threat was intended to fundamentally shake the already often fragile sense of security of Israelis and Jews worldwide and to open up an existential threat scenario. Indeed, October 7 marks a fundamental "break" (ebd.: 70), a "turning point": "In fact, the ground was pulled out from under the feet of the Jews on that day" (Illouz 2024: 46). The "state of emergency" has since become the "normal state" (Ott 2024) — not only in Israel but in Jewish communities and for Jews worldwide." (Marc Seul, Luca Zarbock, Salome Richter, Franziska Thurau, Gina Krewer 2024).

LET'S TALK. October 7, the War in Gaza, and Its Consequences in Germany

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Julia Bernstein, antisemitism researcher at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and chair of the Network of Jewish University Educators in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Just before the first anniversary of October 7, the Anne Frank Educational Institute invited participants from September 23 to 25, 2024, to engage with the consequences of terrorism and the Gaza War on society in Germany. The date of October 7, 2023, marks a turning point: since the Hamas attack and the ensuing war in Gaza, antisemitism and anti-Muslim racism have alarmingly increased. There is a climate of fear among those perceived as Jewish and Muslim regarding attacks and exclusion. The majority society is also facing significant uncertainty: How to take a stance? How to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict? Educational institutions are particularly affected by the current situation. How can they remain (or become) places for controversial exchange while also protecting individuals from discrimination? How can they handle protests? How should they respond to hate and polarization online? Three focus days addressed key areas: schools, universities, and NGOs.

Information about the network of Jewish scholars in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

On the Situation of Jews at German Universities After October 7, 2023

Lecture on the situation of Jews at German universities following October 7, presented by Prof. Dr. Julia Bernstein (UAS Frankfurt), chair of the Network of Jewish University Teachers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. This lecture is part of the series "After October 7: Where Does Anti-Semitism Against Israel Begin?" at Hannover University on October 10, 2024. Concept and organization by Prof. Dr. Wolfram Stender.

Here is the link to the lecture.

Historikerstreit 2.0 - taz Talk with Lars Rensmann and Ingo Elbe

A conversation with Lars Rensmann and Ingo Elbe on German memory culture: Remarks on the Historikerstreit 2.0. Moderated by Jan Feddersen, taz editorial team.

Lars Rensmann

Dr. Lars Rensmann is a DAAD Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (USA) and a Permanent Fellow at the Moses Mendelssohn Center for European-Jewish Studies at the University of Potsdam.

Dr. Ingo Elbe earned his doctorate in Berlin with a thesis on the reception of Marxism in West Germany. He is a research associate and private lecturer at the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Oldenburg. He has published numerous works on Marxist studies, political philosophy, and the topic of anti-Semitism.

Here is the link to the talk.