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| (1819 Hep-Hep Riot in Frankfurt, Germany) |
According to the Associated Press (AP), his affirmative reply resulted in a vicious physical attack by those who fired this fully-loaded question. During their
assault, Tennen was punched in the face.
His jaw was broken and his mouth felt as though it were stapled shut.
He told the AP that "no one should ever be subjected to the horror" that this entailed.
Tragically, the horrors of anti-Semitism have been ongoing for centuries.
Wikipedia defines "anti-Semitism" as "suspicion of, hatred
toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage." Extreme examples such as the Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms, and Nazi Germany come to mind – but they were preceded by numerous smaller incidents such as the above-mentioned one in East Lansing, Michigan.
For example, the Hep-Hep riots of 1819 were preceded by centuries of non-citizen/restricted-rights status for Jews of Central Europe. When Jewish representatives "formally demanded emancipation" at the 1815 Congress of Vienna, "vicious opposition" ensued. Anti-Semitic publications became more and more common, and Jews were portrayed as "upstarts" who would "take control of the economy" if not put down. Tension
built and anti-Semitism increased until "riots began on 2 August 1819 in Wurzburg, Germany." These riots quickly spread to other towns and cities throughout the land. Police
sometimes "appeared too
late or stood by idly…"
Not every act of anti-Semitism results in widespread riots against the Jews. However, each one comes closer and closer to being a tipping point in that heinous direction.
Resources
http://news.yahoo.com/jewish-student-religious-hatred-fueled-assault-174425213.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hep-Hep_riots
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