Ten Myths about the Jews

Ten Myths about the Jews analyzes the complex facets of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism in an accessible and easy-to-read format. Based on wide research, Brazilian historian Maria Luiza Tucci Carneiro examines different manifestations against Jews and their faith through history and political culture along the centuries. Ten omnipresent accusations were configured by anti-Semites in axioms that became myths: Myth 1: The Jews killed Christ. Myth 2: The Jews are a secret entity. Myth 3: The Jews control the world economy. Myth 4: There are no poor Jews. Myth 5: The Jews are greedy. Myth 6: The Jews have no homeland. Myth 7: The Jews are racists. Myth 8: The Jews are parasites. Myth 9: The Jews control the media. Myth 10: The Jews manipulate the United States. Tucci Carneiro unmasks the roots of anti-Semitism and exposes contemporary prejudices. Her book is an invitation to reflect upon current realities marked by racism and shows how the main myths about the Jews have been vested of a verisimilitude that has persisted for the last 2000 years, all over the world, by means of hatred of the other, political/religious opportunism and economic deceit. The myths are kept alive by means of constant repetition and re-elaboration of a particular narrative, invariably seductive. The author proves each of the ten myths in terms of their historical record, their origins and purposes. Even though Jews are fully integrated into western society in multiple ways (entrepreneurship, medicine, literature, philosophy, the arts), racist myths against the community have been particularly resilient; they attempt to override common sense and their continuous circulation and rehashing through scapegoating and caricature has had profound negative repercussions for society as a whole. Ten Myths, now published in five languages, is an essential tool in the struggle against the discourse of racist hatred.

Maria Luiza Tucci Carneiro is Historian and Senior Professor, Department of History, FFLCH, University of São Paulo. She is the Coordinator of LEER (a Studies Laboratory on Ethnicity, Racism and Discrimination) where she has developed the Arqshoah project, a Virtual Archive on the Holocaust and Anti-Semitism. She is the author of several books on intolerance, the Holocaust, immigration, Jews, art history, and human rights. She was the recipient of the Jabuti Award in 1994, 2004, and 2011.