A recently published book is an unfortunate encyclopedia of anti-Semitism in 2020

JERUSALEM—It is relatively heavy, in small print, and reaches nearly 800 pages.

Sadly, this is a recently released book called “The List 2020: Antisemitic Incidents Worldwide”.

From acts of graffiti to violent assaults, the book documents incidents of anti-Semitism from around the world, including the United States, Australia, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, in addition to those issued by the United Nations and on the Internet.

The book essentially serves as an encyclopedia of antisemitic incidents around the world alone in 2020, month by month.

“The List” – launched at a recent event celebrating Jewish-Christian relations – was a a joint effort of several organizations and published by Root Source Press, an organization that promotes Jewish-Christian engagement.

Raheli Baratz-Rix, head of the Department for Combating Anti-Semitism and Building Resilience at the World Zionist Organization (WZO), said at last week’s event that the book was “an important step in awareness of anti-Semitism around the world”.

Gidon Ariel, executive director of Root Source, with Raheli Baratz-Rix, head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism and Building Resilience at the World Zionist Organization, at the launch of “The List 2020” book in Jerusalem, on August 9, 2022. (Photo: All Israel News)

While the WZO compiles and uploads the list each year online, this book is the printed version, translated into English.

The 2020 book follows the release of “The LIST: Persecution of Jews by Christians Through History”, written by Christians – Ray Montgomery and Bob O’Dell – co-founder of Root Source – and also published by Root Source. This book documents 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents over 2,000 years since the advent of Christianity.

Gidon Ariel, executive director of Root Source, said he plans to market the book to libraries around the world.

“Today we are so inundated with information on the internet, but seeing it in a book has an impact,” Ariel told ALL ISRAEL NEWS.

Indeed, the size of the book underscores the high number of anti-Semitic incidents around the world.

“I don’t know who this is going to impact, but Jewish tradition has a saying – even if you saved one life, it’s like you saved the whole world,” Ariel said. “I don’t know whose life I’m saving by showing them this book or who then won’t become anti-Semitic, but certainly to focus on the content, on the subject, to be another worker, an activist in the idea of ​​’Never again.'”

Although it’s not Root Source’s primary work, Ariel said the organization is “proud” to have fallen into it. He recalls, during the introduction to “The 2020 List”, that while the original “List” documented nearly 1,000 anti-Semitic events over 2,000 years, he and the authors of this book realized that there were as many items reported in 2020 only, thus justifying his own book.

“Today, while institutionalized Christian anti-Semitism has diminished, it has not completely disappeared. Anti-Semitic acts perpetrated by Christians as individuals – even if denounced by churches and Christian leaders – still exist and, often, are explicitly explained by their authors with the same reasons provided throughout the companies of ‘accepted’ Christian anti-Semitism,” he wrote.

Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the WZO and acting chairman of the Jewish Agency, noted in the book’s foreword that classical anti-Semitism has been joined by “modern anti-Semitism.”

“He does not refrain from using any means to distort the facts and instill a narrative of growing hatred towards the Jewish people and towards the State of Israel,” he wrote.

Ariel plans to make it an annual publication. He has already completed the 2021 list and is working on 2023. He hopes to publish both of these books in January in conjunction with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

For more information and to purchase the book, contact Ariel at gidon@root-source.com