Yad Vashem launches free online course on antisemitism

For Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, the course exemplifies the relevancy of the Shoah for generations to come.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated: MARCH 8, 2018 14:55
a holocaust survivor wears a yellow Star of David on his jacket during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem (photo credit: REUTERS)
a holocaust survivor wears a yellow Star of David on his jacket during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem
(photo credit: REUTERS)
With an onslaught of antisemitic themes prevalent on today's social media, antisemitism is currently entering the private sphere of millions, and acts and rhetoric targeting Jews are still prevalent. Yet for a phenomenon so widespread, its boundaries and expressions often come into debate. As such, Yad Vashem has partnered with FutureLearn to provide a free online course which analyzes the history of antisemitism as well as its current nature and expressions.  
Titled "Antisemitism: From its Origins to the Present," the six-week course investigates over 2,000 years of history, explaining how antisemitism has manifested itself through various eras of the past – including, of course, its ultimate articulation during the Shoah – and its new forms to be grappled with in modern society. The course is centered on video clips by 50 prominent intellectuals and historians, such as Prof. Irwin Colter, EMET prizewinner Prof. Yehuda Bauer and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.
For Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, the course exemplifies the relevancy of the Shoah for generations to come.
"Yad Vashem is charged with disseminating historically accurate information on the Holocaust," stated Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. 
"As part of our commitment to strengthening Jewish continuity, we are also resolved to addressing issues related to antisemitism, xenophobia and racism. This course is one of Yad Vashem's many efforts to educate humanity towards a more responsible and tolerant existence."
The course, now open to for registration, will be available to the public from March 19. To register, click here.