Key Figures and Concepts in Jewish History

John Locke

A philosopher who promoted religious tolerance and individual rights.

Baruch Spinoza

A Jewish philosopher who was excommunicated for his controversial views, including pantheism.

Moses Mendelssohn

A leader of the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) who encouraged Jews to integrate into European society while maintaining their faith.

Gotthold Lessing (Nathan the Wise)

A playwright who advocated religious tolerance in his work Nathan the Wise.

Napoleon Bonaparte

French ruler who granted Jews rights through the Assembly of Notables, Paris Sanhedrin, and Jewish emancipation.

Czar Alexander II

Russian emperor who eased restrictions on Jews but was assassinated, leading to harsher policies.

Abraham Geiger

A founder of Reform Judaism, promoting modernization of Jewish practice.

Samson Raphael Hirsch

A leader of Orthodox Judaism who emphasized tradition while engaging with modern society.

Zecharias Frankel

Founder of Conservative Judaism, advocating for moderate change in Jewish law.

Wilhelm Marr

Coined the term 'antisemitism' and promoted racial theories against Jews.

Alfred Dreyfus

A Jewish French officer falsely accused of treason in the Dreyfus Affair.

Emile Zola

A writer who defended Dreyfus in J'Accuse!, exposing the injustice of his conviction.

Theodor Herzl

The founder of modern political Zionism, advocating for a Jewish state.

Vladimir Jabotinsky

A Zionist leader who promoted Jewish self-defense and a militant approach to establishing a Jewish homeland.

A Letter Concerning Toleration

John Locke's essay advocating religious freedom.

Nathan the Wise

A play by Gotthold Lessing promoting religious tolerance.

Pantheism: G-d is Nature

The belief that God and nature are the same, associated with Spinoza.

Excommunication/Cherem

Banning someone from the Jewish community, as happened to Spinoza.

Toleration

Accepting different religious beliefs and practices.

Haskalah

The Jewish Enlightenment, encouraging integration into European culture.

French Assembly of Jewish Notables

A group convened by Napoleon to address Jewish loyalty to France.

Emancipation

Granting Jews equal rights as citizens.

Assimilation

Jews adopting non-Jewish customs and culture.

Orthodoxy, Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism

Different branches of Judaism with varying levels of adherence to tradition.

Judenfrage

"The Jewish Question," referring to debates on how to integrate Jews into European society.

Wissenschaft des Judentums

The academic study of Judaism using modern scholarly methods.

Dreyfus Affair

A scandal where Alfred Dreyfus was falsely convicted of treason, exposing deep antisemitism in France.

French and German antisemitic political parties

Groups that promoted laws and policies against Jews.

J'Accuse!

Emile Zola's open letter defending Dreyfus and condemning the French government.

Eugenics

A pseudo-science that aimed to 'improve' human populations through selective breeding, often used to justify racism.

Racial antisemitism

Hatred of Jews based on race rather than religion.

Alliance israélite universelle

An organization advocating for Jewish rights and education worldwide.

World Zionist Conference

The first official gathering to promote Jewish statehood, led by Herzl.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

A fabricated document claiming a Jewish conspiracy to control the world.

Russian Imperial antisemitism

Government policies restricting and oppressing Jews in Russia.

Russian popular antisemitism

Widespread hatred of Jews among Russian citizens, often leading to violence.

Pale of Settlement

The area where Jews were forced to live in the Russian Empire.

Pogroms

Violent attacks on Jewish communities, often government-sanctioned.

May Laws

Russian laws that restricted Jewish rights and movement.

Kishinev Blood Libel Pogrom

A deadly 1903 attack on Jews in Kishinev, fueled by false accusations of ritual murder.