Philo-Semitism
Encyclopedia
Philo-Semitism or Judeophilia is an interest in, respect for, and appreciation of the Jewish
people, their historical significance and the positive impacts of Judaism
in the history of the western world, in particular, generally on the part of a gentile
. Within the Jewish community it also includes the significance of Jewish culture
and the love of everything Jewish. The concept is not new, and has been avowed by thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche
, who described himself as a "anti-anti-Semite", but it has perhaps recently become a growing phenomenon. It is characterized (among other things) by an interest in Jewish culture and history
, as well as increasing university enrollment by non-Jews in courses relating to Judaism (including Judaism, Hebrew
and Jewish languages
). A philosemite or Judeophile is a gentile who substantially subscribes to, or practices, any of the above.
Philo-Semitism has been the subject of a series of books and journal articles (see partial listing below). Philo-Semitism has been met by a mixed response among the Jewish community. Some warmly welcome it and argue that it must lead Jews to reconsider their identity, a viewpoint expressed by a leading liberal Jewish publication.
Others reject philo-Semitism, as they feel it (like its apparent opposite anti-Semitism
) implicitly gives a special status to Jews. This contradicts the traditional goal of Zionism
to make Jewry "a nation among nations." Philo-Semitism is not a unique phenomenon, and it is part of the larger phenomenon of Allophilia
, admiration of foreign cultures (like anglophilia
, francophilia, etc.). Daniel Goldhagen
, Harvard scholar and author of the controversial Hitler's Willing Executioners
, argues that philosemites are often closet anti-Semites. His detractor Norman Finkelstein
agrees. The thesis is that Jew haters feel a need to talk about Jews, and with anti-Semitism no longer being socially acceptable they must instead make exaggerated positive statements.
But in modern transcultural
contexts, where the terminologies used to describe people are more clearly seen, the issue of the terminology is perhaps more important than the term itself. In this case, a Jew does not think of his non-Jewish friends as automatically philosemitic (ethnicity having little or nothing to do with friendship). Similarly, there may be certain people whom he or she finds disfavorable, on grounds that are completely unrelated to Judaism
. Thus philo-Semitism, and similarly anti-Semitism, are rather new perceptual terms used by Jews to describe their perceptual relationship to the views of non-Jews (both in their common society and abroad).
The rise of philo-Semitism has also prompted some to reconsider Jewish history. While the significance of anti-Semitism must be acknowledged, they claim, it would be wrong to reduce the history of the Jewish people to one of suffering. In many cases, this was helped by philo-Semitism among surrounding Gentiles. While the existence of so-called "righteous Gentiles
" during Jewry's most recent darkest hour, the Holocaust, has long been recognized, they were by no means a new phenomenon at the time.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
people, their historical significance and the positive impacts of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in the history of the western world, in particular, generally on the part of a gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
. Within the Jewish community it also includes the significance of Jewish culture
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and the love of everything Jewish. The concept is not new, and has been avowed by thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
, who described himself as a "anti-anti-Semite", but it has perhaps recently become a growing phenomenon. It is characterized (among other things) by an interest in Jewish culture and history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
, as well as increasing university enrollment by non-Jews in courses relating to Judaism (including Judaism, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Jewish languages
Jewish languages
Jewish languages are the various languages and dialects that developed in Jewish communities around the world.Although Hebrew was the daily speech of the Jewish people for centuries, by the fifth century BCE, the closely related Aramaic joined Hebrew as the spoken language in Judea and by the third...
). A philosemite or Judeophile is a gentile who substantially subscribes to, or practices, any of the above.
Philo-Semitism has been the subject of a series of books and journal articles (see partial listing below). Philo-Semitism has been met by a mixed response among the Jewish community. Some warmly welcome it and argue that it must lead Jews to reconsider their identity, a viewpoint expressed by a leading liberal Jewish publication.
Others reject philo-Semitism, as they feel it (like its apparent opposite anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
) implicitly gives a special status to Jews. This contradicts the traditional goal of Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
to make Jewry "a nation among nations." Philo-Semitism is not a unique phenomenon, and it is part of the larger phenomenon of Allophilia
Allophilia
Allophilia is having positive attitude for a group that is not one's own. The term derived from Greek words meaning "liking or love of the other"....
, admiration of foreign cultures (like anglophilia
Anglophilia
An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture or, more broadly, British culture. Its antonym is Anglophobe.-Definition:The word comes from Latin Anglus "English" via French, and is ultimately derived from Old English Englisc "English" + Ancient Greek φίλος - philos, "friend"...
, francophilia, etc.). Daniel Goldhagen
Daniel Goldhagen
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen is an American author and former Associate Professor of Political Science and Social Studies at Harvard University. Goldhagen reached international attention and broad criticism as the author of two controversial books about the Holocaust, Hitler's Willing Executioners and...
, Harvard scholar and author of the controversial Hitler's Willing Executioners
Hitler's Willing Executioners
Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust is a book by American writer Daniel Goldhagen that argues that the vast majority of ordinary Germans were as the title indicates "willing executioners" in the Holocaust because of a unique and virulent "eliminationist antisemitism"...
, argues that philosemites are often closet anti-Semites. His detractor Norman Finkelstein
Norman Finkelstein
Norman Gary Finkelstein is an American political scientist, activist and author. His primary fields of research are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the politics of the Holocaust. He is a graduate of Binghamton University and received his Ph.D in Political Science from Princeton University...
agrees. The thesis is that Jew haters feel a need to talk about Jews, and with anti-Semitism no longer being socially acceptable they must instead make exaggerated positive statements.
But in modern transcultural
Transcultural
Transcultural may refer to:*Transcultural psychiatry, also known as Cross-cultural psychiatry*Transculturation, the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures*Transculturalism*Transcultural diffussion...
contexts, where the terminologies used to describe people are more clearly seen, the issue of the terminology is perhaps more important than the term itself. In this case, a Jew does not think of his non-Jewish friends as automatically philosemitic (ethnicity having little or nothing to do with friendship). Similarly, there may be certain people whom he or she finds disfavorable, on grounds that are completely unrelated to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Thus philo-Semitism, and similarly anti-Semitism, are rather new perceptual terms used by Jews to describe their perceptual relationship to the views of non-Jews (both in their common society and abroad).
The rise of philo-Semitism has also prompted some to reconsider Jewish history. While the significance of anti-Semitism must be acknowledged, they claim, it would be wrong to reduce the history of the Jewish people to one of suffering. In many cases, this was helped by philo-Semitism among surrounding Gentiles. While the existence of so-called "righteous Gentiles
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
" during Jewry's most recent darkest hour, the Holocaust, has long been recognized, they were by no means a new phenomenon at the time.
See also
- Antisemitism
- Christian HebraistChristian HebraistA Christian Hebraist is a scholar of Hebrew who comes from a Christian family background/belief, or is a Jewish adherent of Christianity. The main area of study is that commonly known as the Old Testament to Christians , but Christians have occasionally taken an interest in the Talmud, and...
- AllophiliaAllophiliaAllophilia is having positive attitude for a group that is not one's own. The term derived from Greek words meaning "liking or love of the other"....
- Concerning the JewsConcerning the JewsConcerning the Jews is a short essay by Mark Twain. Twain had lived in Austria during 1896, and opined that the Habsburg empire used scapegoats to maintain unity in their immensely diverse empire, namely Jews...
- JudaizersJudaizersJudaizers is predominantly a Christian term, derived from the Greek verb ioudaïzō . This term is most widely known from the single use in the New Testament where Paul publicly challenges Peter for compelling Gentile believers to "judaize", also known as the Incident at Antioch.According to the...
Books
- Alan Edelstein. An Unacknowledged Harmony: Philo-Semitism and the Survival of European Jewry. (Contributions in Ethnic Studies). ISBN 0-313-22754-3
- David S. KatzDavid S. KatzDavid S. Katz FRHistS is professor of early modern European history at Tel Aviv University in Israel, where he has taught since 1978. He holds the Abraham Horodisch Chair for the History of Books and is director of the Lessing Institute for European History and Civilization. Katz received his...
. Philo-Semitism and the Readmission of the Jews to England, 1603-1655. ISBN 0-19-821885-0 - Hilary L. Rubinstein & William D. Rubinstein. Philosemitism: Admiration and Support in the English-Speaking World for Jews, 1840-1939. (Studies in Modern History). ISBN 0-312-22205-X
- Frank Stern. The Whitewashing of the Yellow Badge: Antisemitism and Philosemitism in Postwar Germany. (Studies in Antisemitism) ISBN 0-08-040653-X
- Marion MushkatMarion MushkatProf Marion Mushkat was a Polish lawyer, colonel, judge, specialist of international public law, military law and international affairs.-Biography:...
. Philo-Semitic and Anti-Jewish Attitudes in Post-Holocaust Poland. (Symposium Series, Vol 33). ISBN 0-7734-9176-7 - Frank Stern. Im Anfang war Auschwitz : Antisemitismus und Philosemitismus im deutschen Nachkrieg. ISBN 3-88350-459-9
External links
- Washington Post, January 8, 2006; Page A01.
- http://pjc.georgetown.edu/docs/philo_semitic.pdf, "On Philo-Semitism," by Jacques BerlinerblauJacques BerlinerblauJacques Berlinerblau is associate professor and Director of the Program for Jewish Civilization at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University...
, Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
's Program for Jewish Civilization.