“God hates Jews,” “Burn the Torah” and “Jews rot in Hell” are just a few representative samples of anti-Semitic sentiments that have haunted college campuses.

A panel of University of Wisconsin professors shed light on various issues of Jewish discrimination Thursday night as they discussed topics ranging from its history to its current role in today’s society.

“Unfortunately, that’s the world we’re living in today,” professor of law Frank Tuerkheimer said in reference to the increasing amount of anti-Semitism in present times.

Ethan Katz, an organizer of the Hillel-sponsored event, feels that with exposure to this sort of education, the larger public will be exposed to issues that are not always thought about.

In the end, this sort of education can help to change the anti-Semitism-laden world, he said.

“[It is important for the public] to understand how frightening and dangerous and lethal it is,” he said.

Beginning with the history of Jewish discrimination, professor of history and Jewish studies David Sorkin explained its origins in the late 1880s, during which the mayor of Vienna was elected strictly on an anti-Semitic platform.

“This was the schoolhouse, if you will, of a young Adolf Hitler,” he said.

Sorkin contends that during the progression of anti-Semitism, Jews were blamed for many wrongdoings, even though they were not responsible for the majority of them.

As Tony Michels, professor of history, pointed out, “Anti-Semitism on college campuses is nothing new,” adding that it played a defining role in college affairs in the middle part of the 20th century.

College admissions made it a matter of policy to exclude Jews from their campuses on the basis they were “overly scholastic,” he said.

“That’s not the case today … [Anti-Semitism] doesn’t speak in the name of racial superiority as it did prior to the ’50s,” he noted.

Instead, Michels said he feels anti-Semitism has become an extremely political battle, one that comes from a certain discriminatory group, not necessarily a majority of the student body.

The shift to a political emphasis can be attributed to attempts by colleges to quell anti-Semitic notions, he added.

“Many college administrations have taken a strong stand on anti-Semitism.”

While teaching in Germany, Tuerkheimer said he noticed a rising feeling of anti-Semitism in the European region, especially in France. He suggested the underlying demographics of the large number of Arabs in the area have contributed to this negative sentiment.

Tuerkheimer said he feels the notion of Jewish “clans,” in which fellow Jews stick together and watch each other’s backs, has contributed to the rise in European feelings of anti-Semitism.

In order to validate his opinion, Tuerkheimer relayed personal experiences from his European days. As an example, he recalled several conversations in which numerous Europeans believed no Jews were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks because they put their “clan” skills to use.

Tuerkheimer explained how these Europeans felt that after supposedly learning of the attacks in advance, the Jews warned their fellow Jews to stray from the targeted areas.

“It is really difficult to disabuse people of this notion,” he said, and contended that this sort of ignorance and refusal to change is an example of classic anti-Semitism.

The idea of Jewish “clans” plus a lack of mental flexibility among several groups is the equation Tuerkheimer said he feels has created anti-Semitic sentiments in France and surrounding areas.

In wrapping up the forum, one audience member addressed the issue in a simple light by asking what a student body can do to deter anti-Semitism from becoming a dominant force on college campuses.

Among many suggestions, the panelists stressed students must define their goals and vocalize their concerns, noting while many are disgusted by the very notion of Jewish acceptance, others simply remain neutral. These people, they said, are perhaps the most damaging to the cause of tolerance.