My 100-year-old Jewish father, a World War II veteran, recently asked me a question with concern: “Where is all this antisemitism coming from?”

His question was spurred by the horrific increase in antisemitism since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The Anti-Defamation League has recorded more than 2,000 antisemitic acts in the United States − an increase of 337% − in the two months since Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 men, women and children.

"The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate," Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, has said.

Yet, the deeper answer to my father's question is that the history of antisemitism in the United States is long and sordid.

After World War I, universities imposed quotas on how many Jewish students they would admit. Certain neighborhoods, hotels and clubs excluded Jews. Auto magnate Henry Ford promoted antisemitic propaganda, stating that Jews sought to control the world’s economy, beliefs that Adolf Hitler praised in his infamous "Mein Kampf."

In the late 1930s, antisemitism and pro-Nazi sentiment were rampant and growing. In........

© lohud.com