Teaching the History of European Antisemitism

Grade Level: 6-12

Our free lesson plan on the history of antisemitism helps bridge teachers’ and students’ understanding of antisemitism’s historical roots and its manifestations today. Students will explore the evolution of antisemitism, starting with pre-Christian times, and identify the four interacting forms of antisemitism in the context of European history.

This lesson can be used in its entirety or in segments, depending on the course you teach, the focus of the overall topic, or the time frame (one or more class periods). For example, in a course on Ancient and Medieval History, you may wish to select those slides in our slide deck that match your curriculum.

• What is antisemitism? Why is it sometimes referred to as the “longest hatred?”
• How has antisemitism changed throughout history?

Students will be able to:

• Recognize the four forms that interconnect in the development of antisemitism
• Follow the development of antisemitism from pre-Christian times to the present
• Learn how Nazi antisemitism (which brought about the Holocaust) developed from past anti-Jewish prejudice