In the early 20th century, Jewish quotas at American universities were seen by some as a way to deter anti-Semitism. Were Jews to fill a disproportionate number of university spots, the idea went, they would inspire resentment. Plus, the Jews of Eastern Europe were seen by gentile elites as uncultured and unclean; surround your average student with enough of these Jews, it was suggested, and that student can’t help but get sick of them.
I don’t know if anybody who espoused such theories really believed them, but the crux of one of the most infamous periods of Western anti-Semitism was justified by its practitioners as being for the Jews’ own good.
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