Self-Hatred among Jews
That self-hatred is present among Jews is a fact that the non-Jew would hardly believe, but which is well known among the Jews themselves. It is a phenomenon which has been observed ever since the emancipation of the Jews. Professor Lessing treated this topic in Germany (1930) in a book, Der Jüdische Selbsthass (“Jewish Self-Hate”). Novels like…
“Self-Hatred among Jews” was first published in 1941 in the American journal Contemporary Jewish Record, a precursor to Commentary magazine, published by the American Jewish Committee. Writing during the height of World War II, Lewin explored the popular sociological theory that members of marginalized groups may internalize the hostile stereotypes directed against them by the dominant majority. His writings also drew on his own experience as a Jewish refugee who fled Germany for the United States in 1933.
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