In 1321, Charles IV of France used one of the oldest anti-Semitic tales to expel the Jews of France. While the Middle Ages had many cases of European anti-Semitism, recorded and not recorded, Charles IV exploited the false notion that the Jewish people of France poisoned wells, sparking the Black Plague. While this same narrative is unfortunately still told today by anti-Israel leaders and anti-Semites, in Charles’ Kingdom, this rumor was more than enough to gain support for the expulsion of the Jewish people as well as mass persecution for centuries to follow. The Friends of Zion Museum fights to end global anti-Semitism, we remember this important event in the history of persecution against the Jewish people, and we act to prevent further anti-Semitism and other forms of racism from prevailing in the future.
