“Behold, the nation of the Children of Israel is more numerous and mighty than us. Come, let us be shrewd with it.” (Exodus 1:9-10)

“Is the bigot evil or merely misguided? Throughout history, Jews have wrestled with this fundamental question. Are antisemites driven by irrational ignorance, or cunning hatred?

This question carries urgent contemporary weight. Vast resources pour into combating antisemitism, yet every effort hinges on one of two assumptions: either hatred is calculated evil that must be exposed-its hidden networks unmasked and repressed- or it stems from ignorance that education might cure.

In our search for answers, we scour the Jewish past for the archetypal antisemitic moment. Some point to the New Testament’s demonization, others to Haman’s murderous plot, or to the Seleucid persecutions that sparked the Maccabean revolt. The first century Jewish historian Josephus devoted an entire book, Against Apion, to refuting anti-Jewish slanders, tracing them back to the Egyptian priest Manetho who claimed the Hebrews were not freed slaves but expelled lepers. Yet arguably the primordial case appears in this week’s Torah portion, in Exodus’s opening verses…”