#antisemitism: Coming of Age during the Resurgence of Hate

by Samantha A. Vinokor-Meinrath

Overview

Exploring what it means to come of age in an era marked by increasing antisemitism, readers see through the eyes of Jewish Gen Zers how identities are shaped in response to and in defiance of antisemitism.

Using personal experiences, qualitative research, and the historic moment in which Generation Z is coming of age, Jewish educator Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath uses antisemitism from both the political left and the right to explore identity development among Jewish Generation Zers. With insights from educators, students, activists, and more, she holds a lens up to current antisemitism and its impact on the choices and opinions of the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Chapters cover Holocaust education for the final generation able to speak directly to Holocaust survivors and learn their stories firsthand; anti-Zionism as a modern manifestation of antisemitism; and how the realities of 21st-century America have shaped the modern Jewish experience, ranging from the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh to how Generation Zers use social media and understand diversity. The core of this book is a collection of stories: of intersectional identity, of minority affiliations, and of overcoming adversity in order to flourish and thrive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440878992
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/01/2022
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Samantha A. Vinokor-Meinrath, EdD, is senior director of knowledge, ideas, and learning at the Jewish Education Project in New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 Jewish Generation Z: Who/What/Where/Why 1

2 Never Again: The Burden of the Last Generation to Meet Holocaust Survivors 18

3 #Jewish: Telling Their Stories via Social Media 39

4 Pittsburgh: The Day Safety Ended 55

5 The Dyke March: How Anti-Israelism Becomes Antisemitism 68

6 Jewish Stars, Shirts, and Swag 90

7 But You Don't Look Jewish: Diversity within the Jewish Community 102

8 What about Mom and Dad? 112

9 Proud but Uncertain: Jewish Identity and Self Definitions 122

10 Where Do We Go from Here? 145

Appendix A Learning Guide for Jewish Communities 155

Appendix B Learning Guide for Allies 159

Index 163

What People are Saying About This

William C. Daroff

"A must-read for teens, their parents, and community leaders who want to better understand Generation Z in the context of understanding and combatting antisemitism."

David I. Bernstein

"Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath is wise beyond her years. She is a highly knowledgeable academic and pedagogue, and this book reflects both of these qualities. By weaving together personal stories from a diverse group of Generation Zers, as well as her own experiences, she creates a portrait of today's young American Jews that is well-written and compelling."

Ann F. Lewis

"This important book enables us to hear today’s Jewish Generation Z, in their own words, speaking from their own lived experience. What does it mean to them to be Jewish? In their young lifetimes, the ancient hatred of antisemitism has reappeared as an ugly, dangerous problem. What is the impact on them? What should we know about their hopes and goals for the future? Because their future is ours."

Editorial Reviews

#anti­semitism is a por­tray­al of how anti­semitism has pen­e­trat­ed social media, aca­d­e­m­ic insti­tu­tions, and mod­ern soci­ety. Saman­tha Vinokor-Mein­rath uses a series of anec­dotes to high­light the expe­ri­ence of the gen­er­a­tion now com­ing of age in the Unit­ed States. The author cor­rect­ly calls out overt and sub­tle anti­semitism across the polit­i­cal spec­trum. The book par­tic­u­lar­ly high­lights how the increas­ing preva­lence of anti­semitism has per­son­al­ly affect­ed the gen­er­a­tion that is devel­op­ing its Jew­ish iden­ti­ty. The pic­ture that emerges is both enlight­en­ing and fright­en­ing. While there are no mag­ic solu­tions, the first step in try­ing to over­come the new chal­lenges of an age-old prob­lem is to fair­ly and com­pre­hen­sive­ly describe the prob­lem, which Vinokor-Mein­rath has accom­plished bril­liant­ly in this riv­et­ing and read­able work.” —Jewish Book Council

“This important book enables us to hear today's Jewish Generation Z, in their own words, speaking from their own lived experience. What does it mean to them to be Jewish? In their young lifetimes, the ancient hatred of antisemitism has reappeared as an ugly, dangerous problem. What is the impact on them? What should we know about their hopes and goals for the future? Because their future is ours.” —Ann F. Lewis, Former White House Director of Communications

“A must-read for teens, their parents, and community leaders who want to better understand Generation Z in the context of understanding and combatting antisemitism.” —William C. Daroff, Chief Executive Officer, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations

“Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath is wise beyond her years. She is a highly knowledgeable academic and pedagogue, and this book reflects both of these qualities. By weaving together personal stories from a diverse group of Generation Zers, as well as her own experiences, she creates a portrait of today's young American Jews that is well-written and compelling.” —David I. Bernstein, PhD, Dean Emeritus, Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies

From the Publisher