With the support of the Zionist Federation of Ukraine, the course “Antisemitism in the Context of Intellectual History” by Viacheslav Likhachov has successfully concluded. More than 200 people registered for the course, with 60 participants completing all eight lectures, successfully passing the final assessment, and receiving certificates.

“According to a well-known aphorism, antisemitism is the shadow of the Jewish people. The hatred that has accompanied Jews throughout history adapts flexibly to region, culture, and era, constantly reshaping its internal logic and arguments. Scholars continue to debate the underlying causes of this remarkably persistent and intense form of xenophobia, and we will examine several hypotheses on the matter.

The accusations historically made against Jews are so absurd that antisemitism is often described as irrational. Yet even in this apparent madness, there is a certain system and internal logic. It has been rightly observed that antisemitism can be understood through proper contextualization. This works in reverse as well: studying antisemitism helps us better understand the cultural context of a given era.

Antisemitism is one of the most widely studied aspects of Jewish history. However, the perspective offered by this course is broader. We approach antisemitism from the standpoint of intellectual history. What exactly Jews were accused of in a given society can reveal much about that society itself. In a sense, the history of antisemitism is the history of how perceptions of the self and the ‘Other’ have evolved in the regions where Jews lived,” the course description states.

Watch the lecture recordings:

• Introduction: Antisemitism in the Context of Xenophobia — General and Specific
  https://youtube.com/watch?v=pLIPhsnvtSs&feature=youtu.be
• Among Pagans: Antisemitism in the Ancient World
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAD2TxfUMn8
• The Paradoxes of Christianity: Church Teachings on Jews and Judaism
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz9QGSi35HQ
• The Dispute of Isaac and Ishmael: Attitudes Toward Jews in Islam
  https://youtu.be/DQD3TGR9vzM
• The Age of Reason: Enlightenment, Secularization, and the Jews
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPh3NgCsx3U
• Nazism: Racial Obsession and the Preconditions of the Holocaust
  https://youtu.be/6QHAMwqa-Bg
• After the War: How Antisemitism Emerged “from the Shadow of Auschwitz”
  https://youtu.be/-zcGhxh_Q2w
• Old Myths in New Forms: Key Trends in Contemporary Antisemitism
  https://youtu.be/ESQq4DcJaBM

About the lecturer and organizers

Viacheslav Likhachov is a historian and political scientist, a member of the Expert Council of the Center for Civil Liberties, and head of a monitoring group on antisemitism and xenophobia in Ukraine.

The course was organized by the International Interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Jewish Studies under the auspices of the A. Yu. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It was hosted on the platform of the “Diye-Slovo” Studio with the support of the Zionist Federation of Ukraine.

Participant feedback

Vira Chuprova
“I am very grateful to Mr. Likhachov for this lecture course, it helped me understand many important issues.”

Liudmyla Hararuk
“An extremely engaging course and excellent lecturers. I found the course on antisemitism particularly useful and insightful, as it helped me find answers to my questions. My sincere thanks and respect.”