The Jerusalem of the West. Jews and Goyim in Antwerp

About the long history of the Jews in Antwerp, a story of tolerance, but also of intolerance and persecution. The author believes that, despite popular belief, history never repeats itself; so the next wave of anti-Jewish intolerance will most probably not be comparable to past experiences. At present it looks as if any such occurrence can still be avoided; but the potential for it is definitely there, much more so than ten years ago. How the Antwerp community as a whole reacts to this very real threat will be crucial for its own survival as a centre of humanism and culture in a world which seems to be sliding into ever deeper ethical, political and social confusion.