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Esau's Tears: Modern Anti-Semitism and the Rise of the Jews

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This is a scholarly work on the origin and nature of anti-semitism and its history from the 1870's to the eve of the holocaust. It very efficiently refutes the failed interpretations of the Jewish apologists, whose claim that it is a causeless, inexplicable pathology of the non-Jews--independent of anything the Jews do, or even of their very presence, and is rooted in the Christian theology of deicide. It is, according to these morons, the province of a primitive impulse of the ignorant, something like the primitive's unreasoned abhorrence for ghosts and goblins.

Lindemann painstakingly shows the real complexity of the phenomenon, varying in time and place. He effectively proves that it is just another manifestation of the interaction of distinct peoples, with its quite understandable jealousies and hatreds brought on by competition for the goods of capitalism and modernity. There is nothing transcendental or ineffable about it, and can be understood by anyone able to think dispassionately and are susceptible to the arguments of the historical science. Most of what is written about it today, colored as it is by the propaganda of the holocaust, he persuasively claims, is the hooey of hysterics and the balderdash of the self-deceived. Moving decisively away from the by now traditional, emotional recitation of the injustice found in their over-worked narrative, toward a reasoned view enlightened by facts and data, he rises above such unreasoned nonsense and so will surely be accused of anti-semitism himself.

I especially appreciated his analysis of the phenomenon in Russia, and the background for the pogrom in Kishenev, is described in some detail. I was amazed to read how the Jews greatly exaggerated their claims, hoping for greater compensation from the West, which Lindemann is unafraid to relate.

His tools and method of analysis unfortunately ignores the important insights afforded by evolutionary psychology, a la Kevin MacDonald in his three volume series. Read together, they usefully complement one another.

His writing style, while rather that of an academic, is quite lucid and the material is well organized. This is a big book, perhaps a bit longer than it needs to be, but it is a serious antidote to all the baloney written on this topic, and the interested reader will be well rewarded by the exposure to an honest treatment of it.

This is the second book by Albert Lindemann i read - again with pleasure. Being a professional historian, he's also a gifted, even talanted writer and philosopher. He has his own, very recognizable style, sometimes witty and aphoristic, sometimes deep and thoughtful.

The book touches upon many "uncomfortable" issues, especially for a Jew, because any Jew, who attempts to come up with some more balanced approach to those issues, is immediately labeled "self-hating".

Fortunately, Lindemann's credentials as a historian let his voice be heard, even if there are attempts to discredit his work. What is especially attractive, Lindemann never degrades himself (neither in his books nor in the exchanges on the Internet) by indulging in acrimony and accusations, so pervasive in writings of his opponents.

To appreciate Lindemann's depth as a philosopher, one only needs to read the last chapter of this book, "Epilogue and Conclusions". It deserves, to my taste, to be published separately, as a very profound essay of Jewish history and their position in the modern world.

I found chapters about Jews in Italy, about history of fascism in that country, especially interesting, but the chapters on Russian Revolution and Nazi Germany also contain many interesting facts about such supposedly well-known figures like Trotsky and Hitler.

Here's a quote from the last chapter of Lindemann's book: "My inspiration ... is captured in the deceptively simple words of a famous Jew, Baruch Spinoza: "With regard to human affairs, not to laugh, not to cry, not to become indignant, but to understand."

Lindemann demonstrates quite convincingly why antisemitism hasso often occurred where Jews have taken up residence. The process isinteractive, and the result is variegated, sometimes transitory and sometimes violent. The cliches (i.e., "envious Gentiles") are fully dispelled and replace with compelling and nuanced insights.

At nearly 600 pages Esau's Tears is more than historical analysis--it is packed with perceptive views on culture, people, ideas, writings and events of the modern period. Early into this engrossing work I realized that one cannot possibly understand our world and society without the prism of Jewish-Gentile relations as the definitive perspective. Esau's Tears is surely the best book to provide that.

It also serves as a counter-weight to recent polemical excesses, such as "Hitler's Willing Executioners," and steers us back from the emotive, ahistorical ruminations of others. At this critical point in the dialogue, Lindemann offers a dose of sense, logic and evidence. Esau's Tears is so temperate and balanced, in fact, that I honestly could not decide whether its author was Jewish or Gentile until well into it.

Lindemann's style is clear, engaging and far above the expected academic norm as a pleasurable experience. At times he writes provocatively, yet always with sensitivity and fairness.

I was disappointed only in Lindemann's omission of a few topics of my own interest, such as his take the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and why it found an audience. I would have liked to learn more on modern Christian antisemitism. Yet, even with these few gaps, Esau's Tears is a masterpiece, and rarely have I been sorrier to reach the conclusion of any book. In sum it is probably the best historical study I've ever read.

Teaching, as a Jew, the History of the Jews, I have often come across discomfort in my largely Jewish audience when I explain that hostility to Jews has understandable causes - which of course is not to say that tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner. Some of these causes - religious intolerance, envy, scapegoating - are wholly unworthy. Others relate to variety of dislikeable or threatening characteristics displayed by enough Jews to give rise to indefensible stereotyping.

So a frank discussion of the variety of causes of antisemitism is commendable, and the Preface of this book made me expect a fair-minded and dispassionate treatment of the subject. And yet within a very few pages I found assertions that struck me as distinctly skewed. Jews are said (p.14) to have found Marxism alluring because it emphasized the `tainted and sick qualities of modern Gentile existence' - ignoring Marx's hatred for Jews as particular exemplars of capitalism. On page 17 we are told that Jews were poor in Eastern Europe `primarily because the overwhelming majority of the population in that region was poor'. While this is true, there is no mention of the surely significant `secondary' reason - that obstacles, specifically directed at them, were placed in their way to raising themselves out of poverty. On page 20 we have the odd statement that Jewish religious rituals `threatened' other religions - how, is not explained. A substantial part of his long account of the Kishinev massacre of 1903, in which 45 Jews were killed, is devoted to showing how Jews exaggerated the scale of the disaster. And when Jews inside and outside Russia used what influence they had to fight back, it is `understandable' that Tsarist governments felt that the Jews set out to be subversive - a point Lindemann also makes about foreign attempts to relieve pressure on the Jews of Romania.

It is salutary to be reminded that doctrines of race and purity of blood - and of racial superiority - were held in the 19th century by Jews as well as by Gentiles, though again Lindemann seems to be to go over the top when he writes that Disraeli may (note the weasel word) have been the most influential propagator of the concept of race in the 19th century: simply because Disraeli was quoted by Houston Stewart Chamberlain, he is said to have `exercised a major influence' on him. And the way Lindemann downplays the Jewish aspect in his account of the Dreyfus case strikes me as excessive, even if it is true that the Dreyfus case was about much more than antisemitism.

Lindemann consistently emphasises that, whilst on the one hand the opponents of modernism had good reasons for seeing Jews disproportionately represented among its exponents and practitioners, on the other hand violently antisemitic organizations in 19th century Germany, Austria and France had a very small following, that most conservatives distanced themselves from vulgar extremism, that antisemitism had no impact in terms of legislation, that Jewish prosperity continued to grow apace, and that Jews had objective reason for not taking antisemitism too seriously. On the other hand, when they came across antisemitism, many Jews at the time tended to display a sensitivity that they did not always practice when commenting about matters that other people were sensitive about; and of course post-Holocaust Jews tend to read history backwards and see every cloud in the past, even if it was perhaps no bigger than a man's hand, as a hugely sinister portent of things to come.

Lindemann frequently stresses the `moderation' of even the most famous antisemites of the 19th century when compared with the Nazis. True: none of them suggested a `Final Solution' - but does that really need to be repeatedly stressed and qualified by the word `moderate'? His facts are usually undeniable, but his unfortunate choice of word here is symptomatic of the questionable tone that from time to time mars this work.

He devotes his last chapter to the Third Reich. A relatively small part of it explains, quite rightly, that antisemitism was not the reason why the Nazi vote leapt from 2.6% in May 1928 to 38% in July 1932: most of those who voted for the Nazis supported them for quite different reasons; and Lindemann rightly takes issue with the Goldhagen thesis that most Germans were Hitler's willing executioners. But most of that chapter is provocatively (and quite unnecessarily) devoted to showing how uncertain Hitler was in the early years of the Third Reich about what to do about the Jews. `Almost certainly' impressed by how Henry Ford in America had had to climb down when the Jews fought back, Hitler was afraid of their power. The three days' boycott (Lindemann says `it lasted a day or two') of Jewish shops at the beginning of April was merely a gesture, which fizzled out. The wholesale dismissal of Jews from state employment later that month is not mentioned. He implies that the abandonment of the boycott aggravated Hitler's problems with the Brownshirts and was one of the reasons for the Night of the Long Knives in 1934. The Nuremberg Laws in 1935 are described as drafted in a hurry and as a last minute idea: some Jewish leaders were relieved that they were not worse, and that the loss of the right to vote `no longer meant much to anyone in Germany in 1935'. In one sentence he says that Goebbels planned the Kristallnach, but, lower down on the same page, that `to describe the pogrom as planned may (that weasel word again) overstate things.'

The flaws in this book are a great pity, because there is much interesting information in it, much which is insightful - the 14 page conclusion is wise and magisterial - and much which is a corrective to the view that criticism of the Jewish role in history is never anything except pathological and that it does not have understandable historical roots.

Author Albert Lindemann has written a history of anti-Semitism that attempts to explain some of the animosity towards Jews, without blaming Jews for that animosity. He argues that books like Hitler's Willing Executioners are polemical in nature trying to convince people what an awful thing "hate" is without giving an objective view of what the tensions between Jews and Gentiles are all about. Lindemann looks at the ambivalence of attitudes towards Jews of many of the people labelled wholly anti-Semitic by later historians. Lindemann certainly does not believe that there was a rise of anti-Semitism from the late 1800s on that culminated with the Holocaust that many other historians attest to. He says the World War 2 itself opened up opportunities for the Nazis to implement the Holocaust. Lindemann believes in the Holocaust and the death count of six million Jews, but he also gives some examples of Jews sometimes exaggerating atrocities against them in other cases.

Lindemann is willing to admit that the unethical behavior of some Jews causes anti-Semitism and anti-Semites are not suffering from delusional fantasies, as is often claimed. He says that anti-Semites get their views from reality and then also exaggerate with a mix of fantasy also. He thinks that Jews since the Enlightenment has helped modernize the economy of different nations, working in the professions. He says the rise of Jews brought with it corruption, but also progress, and you cannot have one without the other. He says that many a complaint of anti-Semites are plausible, but not justifiable. He could have elaborated some more on what he meant by that statement.

Lindemann also gives examples of Jews in the press mocking the culture of the "commoners", such as in turn of the century Vienna and examples of some Jews stating that they wish to make the culture around them more Jewish since some consider themselves "a light unto the nations". Lindemann also goes over the issue of Jews being over-represented in positions of cultural influence, financial crimes, radical and subversive movements, draft-dodging, and other things that irritate anti-Semites; he gives plausible reasons as to why that is, such as high verbal intelligence and being disloyal to host countries that did not treat them well. Some of the anti-Semites' complaints can be attributed to envy and rivalry, knowing that these former Jewish losers are winning against the Gentiles.

This is a superbly-written, well-documented book on a subject that has the potential of evoking deep and sometimes vicious emotions. Especially thought-provoking and on-target are the preface and first chapter. In the subsequent text, Mr. Lindemann seems to bend over backwards (sometimes at excessive length) to present more than the traditional one-sided view of such "anti-Semitic" ideologues as Treitschke, Lueger, and Drumont (and notes that neither Churchill nor Roosevelt, nor any number of others, generally considered pro-Semitic, were above making what might be considered anti-Jewish comments). (The author offers the surprising revelation that German radical socialist Karl Liebknecht was not Jewish, contrary to what has been stated in at least one work on the Weimar Republic.)

To conclude, as some have done, that the author finds European Jews being somehow complicit in or responsible for the tragedy that befell them is a deliberate distortion of Mr. Lindemann's argument. But equally false is the "politically correct" notion, that the causes of Jewish-Gentile friction in recent European history have been entirely one-sided. In sum, this work will surely stand as the definitive historical of this subject. There are only one or two typographical and other errors, none serious. A final remark: One would have to read through the entire book to the Epilogue and Conclusions to find that Robert Wistrich (who has critiqued Esau's Tears on this Web page) is criticized in the book as being one sided--a fact which, in better days, used to cause a potential reviewer with some sense of decency to decline the urge to strike back. Times have changed.

I read this book before reading any of the reviews here. That turned out to be wise. The subject matter is obviously very important and very complex. Unfortunately, it is also highly emotionally charged to many. Understandably? Definitely yes! Understandably to the degree that all objectivity is thus lost? No. I have absolutely no axe whatsoever to grind here and am submitting this brief "review" simply to encourage other readers not to be put off by some of the negative comments of others here. I found the book to be very thorough, thoughtful and well-balanced --- a rarity indeed when addressing any subject matter so sensitive. The assertion that the author or this work is somehow "anti-Semitic" is wholly unfounded and unfair.

_Esau's Tears: Modern Anti-Semitism and the Rise of the Jews_ (1997, Cambridge) by Albert S. Lindemann takes a unique perspective on the rise of anti-Semitism and its relation to the rise of the Jews. The author argues that anti-Semitism is directly related to Jewish activity and sees both anti-Semites and Jews as mutually repellant towards one another. The author examines the context of anti-Semitism showing how it is not historically unique and relating it directly to Jewish influence. The author shows that the history of anti-Semitism is far more ambiguous than is commonly believed. Further, the author notes the role of prominent Jews in relation to anti-Semitism as well as showing that many early "anti-Semites" were not evil men but had legitimate concerns about the role of Jews and sought a justifiable liberal solution. The book relies upon the biblical relationship between Jacob and Esau to explain the role of anti-Semitism in its relationship to the Jews.

The book includes the following parts and chapters-

Preface - explains the role of anti-Semitism in light of the Holocaust and Goldhagen's thesis, but also notes the role of Jewish involvement in these events and the role of the conflict with the Palestinians.

Part One: The Long-Range Background

Anti-Semitism Before the Modern Period: Overview and Definition - explains the notion of Esau's tears and relates this to classical anti-Semitism. Notes the distrust of the early church for the Jews but explains how in light of history such distrust made sense.

Modern Times (1700 - 1870s) - explains the role of anti-Semitism in modern times, notes the influence of the Enlightenment, the French revolution, the relationship with Russia and tsarism, and the notion of race including racism amongst the Jews (including the role of Zionism and Disraeli). Contrasts "scientific racism" and other forms of racism in this time period.

Part Two: The Appearance of Modern Anti-Semitism (1870 - 1890)

Germans and Jews (1870 - 1890) - notes the problematic relationship between Germans and Jews mentioning the role of the Junkers, the notion of Sonderweg, and the Kulturkampf.

Anti-Semitic Ideology and Movement (1879 - 1890s) - explains the role and formation of an anti-Semitic ideology, notes the importance of such thinkers as Marr, Treischke, Graetz, Stoecker, as well as Otto Bockel and the peasants' rebellion. But maintains that such individuals are problematic in that they cannot be dismissed as simply evil anti-Semites and had legitimate concerns about the Jews.

Socialists, Jews, and Anti-Semites - explains the role of Jews for socialists, mentions the theories of Marx and Engels (noting the racism and anti-Semitism of the Jew Marx), mentions French socialism and Proudhon's anti-Semitism, maintains that the socialists had legitimate concerns about Jewish involvement in capitalist exploitation.

Austria-Hungary: Radical Radicalism and Schlamperei - notes the role of anti-Semitism in Austria-Hungary, notes the importance of Roman Catholic anti-modernism, notes the role of Schonerer.

France: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity - notes the role of the French Revolution and anti-Semitism, explains such figures as Drumont and the Dreyfus affair.

A Sweet Exile? - notes the role of Jews in Britain and the lesser degree of British anti-Semitism, also relates this to America and the idea of British and American exceptionalism, notes the role of populism in America.

Part Three: The Belle Epoch (1890 - 1914)

The Failures: Russia and Romania - notes the problematic relationship between the Jews and Gentiles in Russia and Romania, notes the role of the tsar Nicholas II and the Jews, explains how such relationships failed in Romania but notes that many had legitimate concerns about the Jews.

The Ambiguities of Failure in the Belle Epoch: Germany and Austria - explains the role of the Jews in Germany and Austria but notes how such relationships were ambiguous in nature.

The Ambiguous Successes: Great Britain and the United States - notes the lesser role of anti-Semitism in Edwardian England and the United States, explains the role of such figures as Chesterton and Belloc and Churchill as well as populism in America.

Part Four: A Decade of War and Revolution (1914 - 1924)

World War I - explains the origins of this war, notes the role of the Jews in this war, explains the Balfour agreement and the Palestinian mandate as well as the role of Zionism (including noting how Zionism can be an anti-Semitic ideology).

Jews and Revolution (1917 - 1934) - notes the prominent roles of the Jews in the Red Revolution, maintains that such revolution can be understood in terms of terror, notes the role of such figures as Trotsky (a Jew), Lenin, and Stalin (maintaining that they had Jewish blood but noting Stalin's anti-Semitism).

Part Five: The Fascist Era: Europe Between the Wars - notes the role of Fascist and Nazi anti-Semitism, explains the problematic role of Mussolini in relationship to the Jews, and notes Hitler's virulent anti-Semitism and the Holocaust (which Hitler may or may not have directly played a role in). But, maintains that much of the Fascist movement may have resulted from legitimate concerns over the Jews.

Epilogue and Conclusions - sums up the relationships between the Jews and Gentiles and notes the never-ending battle between the two. Also, notes the role of racist Jews such as Dershowitz and others.

This book offers a good understanding of the role of anti-Semitism in the modern era. It explains how both Gentiles and Jews developed a problematic relationship and that Jews were not entirely innocent in developing this relationship. As such, this book remains a good source for understanding anti-Semitism in light of the modern era.

As the previous reviews show antisemitism is such an emotionally laden topic that even a balanced view as represented in Esau's Tears is subjected to vehement criticism. Personally I found it to be an excellent review and the references especially in regard to Russia have been exceedingly helpful in my work. The book should be read and discussed in a dispassionate rather than polemic fashion.

I really enjoyed this book and feel it has greatly deepened my understanding of anti-semitism in Europe before WWII. Still, there were a few disappointing things.

First, it did not cover the psychology of anti-semitism in any detail. I am firmly convinced that the separation demanded by Jewish religion is the primary cause of anti-semitism, simply because of the implied insult to the majority culture. At the same time, that separation is essential to Jewish continuity, pride, and the resulting success. The he pride and success in turn contribute to anti-semitism, but would not be a problem without the continuing choice to remain separate. If Jews would stop being separate, they would gradually stop being hated, but they would no longer be Jews, either. It's an uncomfortable situation for Jews, dealt with mostly by denying that there is any inherent insult in the traditional refusal to socialize, eat together, and intermarry. I sympathize, because Judaism is a beautiful tradition and has a coherent message if you accept the principle of separation. Lindemann covers this indirectly in pointing out that Jews were generally less hated where they accepted the majority culture more, such as in Hungary, Italy, and the US.

Second, I found the book a bit long-winded and repetitive, but I guess that was part of his point: that there needs to be a truly detailed, analytical, and comparative examination of anti-semitism in the various countries of Europe and how those changed in the years leading up to the Holocaust.

Third, I was disappointed that very little mention was made of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in exactly the years he studies. He even mentions the Turks several times, but not the Genocide. Talk about wonderful comparative material! It just doesn't get any better: ancient minority of different religion, language, and "race", rises dramatically both socially and economically, then is massacred by insecure majority during a time of social and political turbulence. Exactly the same dynamics.

Let me see if I can summarize Lindemann's points (which would probably horrify him because he's fighting over-simplification):

1. Most study of anti-semitism ignores possible Jewish causes. 2. Some anti-semitism was a response to real Jewish actions. 3. Dispassionate analysis of anti-semitism is itself seen as anti-semitic.

I think that's all basically true....