The Menace Among Us: American Jews Against Antisemitic Extremism

The Menace Among Us: American Jews Against Antisemitic Extremism follows American Jewish strategies against right-wing, antisemitic radicalism between the 1920s and 1960s. Jews across the nation developed competing ideas about how to best combat extremist movements including the Ku Klux Klan, domestic Nazism, and neo-Nazism. These forces of hatred, and Jewish encounters with them, altered Jewish beliefs about a number of topics. The appearance of radicalism, and especially its violent expressions, forced American Jews to question the wisdom behind the notion that their country was a safe haven. Antisemitism extremism further alerted Jews to their social instability and complex racial identities. Disturbed by extremism’s persistence, Jews imagined multiple defense strategies but often clashed with one another in the process. Through five decades, Jews contended with violent enemies and uncooperative or complicit authorities. Local police units often tolerated or participated in antisemitic assaults, while some elected officials aided extremists in achieving their goals. Meanwhile, several Jewish leaders and much of the larger population minimized the danger that these threats posed. Antisemitic extremism has been labelled inconsequential, with its actors discounted as “fringe” or “crackpot” individuals. Yet as this dissertation shows, antisemitic extremism has remained a cultural mainstay in American society. Its evolving proponents have shaped public opinion, influenced politics, and performed stunning acts of violence despite their seemingly small numbers. Jews countering this problem did so in a variety of ways. Some pushed for militant, aggressive retaliation, while others fretted over their group’s visibility in the fight against white nationalism. Many suggested ideas to stem the growth of extremist groups, but ultimately found that the crisis would continue. Through examining these developments, this dissertation locates the roots of the antisemitic radicalism exhibited today.