Erasive antisemitism is a form of antisemitism which involves the erasure of Jewish identity or the erasure of Jews of victims of prejudice.

Definition[edit]

"Erasive antisemitism" was defined by writer Ben Freeman in September 2020 as antisemitism manifesting in two forms: the erasure of Jewish identity or the erasure of Jews as victims of prejudice.^[1] Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League differentiates erasive antisemitism from what he deems more overt and aggressive antisemitism, defining erasive antisemitism as when "Jewish stories don't get told, or when Jews are not included."^[2]

Examples[edit]

As an example, Freeman pointed to the mainstream media not prominently mentioning the Jewishness of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the first Jewish U.S. Supreme Court justice upon her passing, ^[3] despite the fact that "Ginsberg herself centered her Jewishness. It was an important part of her law practice."^[4]

On February 1, 2022, Whoopi Goldberg was suspended for two weeks as co-host of The View following comments that race was not a factor in the Holocaust.^[5] Louis D. Brandeis Founder and Chairman Kenneth Marcus argued that Goldberg's comments reflected a "misunderstanding of Jewish identity that is both widespread and dangerous that is sometimes described as erasive antisemitism."^[5]

In Sapir, Alyza Lewin of the Brandeis Center argued that college campuses failed to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment, which was a form of erasive antisemitism.^[1]

References[edit]