Continuity and Rupture: Understanding Antisemitism Among Jews in Germany before and after October 7th

The question of how antisemitism should be characterised and understood was a concern for Jews in Germany long before the massacre of October 7^th and the wave of antisemitic protests that followed. At the same time, October 7^th as a collective experience of violence also marked a major rupture for the Jewish communities in Germany affecting the relation towards the non-Jewish German society.

From a sociology of knowledge perspective, we address how the understanding of antisemitism among Jews living in Germany has changed since October 7^th. To analyse the interweaving of continuity and rupture we rely on problem-centred interviews with Jews conducted before and after the massacre. Although we can clearly identify pre-existing patterns of interpretation after October 7^th, major shifts are apparent. Four aspects are especially relevant.

Firstly, the criticism that non-Jewish German society recognises and understands antisemitism far too rarely is still valid but has drastically intensified in its urgency with the recent antisemitic protests and attacks. Secondly, the understanding of antisemitism as a long existing problem for society as a whole, which can affect Jews from all sides, has also changed after October 7^th. Jews are increasingly highlighting the violence posed by left-wing and Islamist actors over antisemitism from the right. Thirdly, Jews emphasise the significance of October 7^th by interpreting the day as a historical and sometimes even retraumatizing caesura. In this regard some interviewees link their current experiences to the nationalist socialist past of Germany. Lastly, the interviewees demand solidarity, which does not remain empty words, but is often lacking even in the face of current atrocities.