Why Destroy a Synagogue? A Reflection on Hitler's Metaphysical Antisemitism.

This article examines the metaphysical dimensions of Hitler's antisemitism by exploring why the Nazis targeted Jewish religious sites, particularly synagogues, beyond racial hatred. It proposes that Hitler’s antisemitism reflects a deep-rooted Western historical hatred of life and death, linked to Christian anti-Judaism exemplified by Martin Luther, who condemned Jews for rejecting salvation from death through Christ and called for the burning of synagogues. Hitler, unlike Luther, rejected Christian salvation but shared a metaphysical disdain for Jewish attachment to life and death, viewing Jews as cowardly for clinging to life rather than embracing a heroic, self-sacrificial death. The article interprets the Nazi destruction of synagogues as an attack on Judaism’s moral and religious affirmation of life’s goodness, contrasting with Hitler’s violent, nihilistic worldview, and concludes by reflecting on the enduring difficulty of fully explaining such hatred and violence.