The Daily Gamecock

Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: Metro

During the turn of the 20th century, Jews faced tremendous anti-Semitism in Europe, according to a Yale University professor Thursday night.

Paula Hyman, a professor of Modern Jewish History at Yale University and the president of the American Academy of Jewish Research, lectured in "Anti-Semitism, Gender and Jewish Identity in Europe" at Drayton Hall.

The lecture, part of the Solomon Tenenbaum Lectureship in Jewish Studies, focused on the pervasiveness of European stereotypes of the Jewish male and female in the 1890's and 1900's.

"I raise the question of how to evaluate the social and political consequences of the stereotypical images of the Jewish people during this time period," Hyman said. "How can minorities possibly maintain a sense of self when approaching such negative stereotypes?"

In the 19th century, Jews dealt with stereotypes that had been attributed to them for centuries, along with new ones that were sprouting up and becoming widespread, Hyman said.

Hyman said there were different types of anti-Semitism men and women faced in 19th century Europe.

"Images were proliferated throughout European culture with the idea that Jewish men were, for the most part, feminine," Hyman said.

"The general outline of characteristics of Jewish men included traits such as physical and moral weak, ugly, and ill-formed," Hyman said.

Hyman said that European propaganda never portrayed men as masculine.

Hyman said these feminized ideas stemmed from the fact that "Jews had rejected attributes that were common to Gentile men in general, like brute strength."

"Jews accepted a more cerebral masculinity, and saw their identity as educated, not as strong, assertive men," Hyman said.

"Such stereotypes resulted in the exclusion of Jewish men from youth groups, especially in Germany," said Hyman. "And as a result, Jews established new groups with similar agendas."

In contrast, Jewish men faced anti-Semitism based on psychological and mental traits, rather than on physical ones, Hyman said.

Jewish women were supposed to be manipulative, materialistic and deceiving.

Women were viewed and accepted as relying on wit to make up for their lack of physical strength, according to European scientists.

Hyman said they could console themselves with God's covenant with them as God's chosen people.

"Jews thought that they suffered at the hands of Gentiles [in Europe] due to their sins, and their faithfulness would be rewarded at the end of days."

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