When Modern European Countries Put Jews on Trial for Ritual Murder

Accusations that Jews use the blood of Christian children to make matzah, or slaughter them in perverse rites, have their origins in ancient times, but became commonplace in medieval Europe, where they led to the deaths of countless Jews. As Hillel Kieval documents in his book Blood Inscriptions, these libels made something of a comeback in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where they were carefully and seriously considered by modern courts with juries, judges, attorneys for the defense and prosecution, and the testimony of forensic scientists. Kieval discusses these cases in conversation with Nachi Weinstein. (Audio, 119 minutes.)