“Harassment after harassment”: Forms of Antisemitic Violence (1967–1968) in the Light of Oral Histories

This article analyzes various forms of antisemitic violence experienced by Jews in Poland during the so-called anti-Zionist campaign of 1967–1968. State-sanctioned antisemitism at the time involved violence not only from state authorities’ representatives, subordinate structures’ officers, and journalists but also from ordinary citizens. Violence inflicted by these citizens constitutes the reflection’s central focus. Oral histories and personal accounts offer insights into the repertoire of such acts. The article draws primarily on two collections of interviews. One consists of conversations available in the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive, with around one hundred interviews with Polish Jews who describe their experiences during the antisemitic campaign. The second collection includes several dozen interviews conducted as part of the National Science Center, Poland research project entitled “Jews in Poland in the Aftermath of the 1967–1968 Antisemitic Campaign: Biographical Experience, Identity Changes, and Community Dynamics.”