Catholic Marauders and Jewish Self-Defense in American Cities, 1935–55

The paper focuses on violent attacks on Jews by predominantly Catholic street gangs in a number of American cities before, during, and after the “mini-pogroms” in the 1930s and World War II. It examines the antisemitic teachings propagated in parochial schools and Catholic publications, the role of the Church hierarchy, and divisions over self-defense tactics within Jewish communities.