“From humble beginnings in the Frankfurt ghettos of the 1760s, Mayer Amschel Rothschild’s rise to patriarch of a global banking empire is often overshadowed by enduring yet baseless antisemitic accusations that paint the Rothschild family as puppeteers behind world affairs. The Rothschild name has been synonymous with both financial innovation and conspiracy theories ranging from controlling global events to creating financial crises.

Despite their continued contributions to banking and philanthropy, the Rothschild heirs remain symbols of harmful Jewish stereotypes about wealth. In the digital age, these theories have not only persisted but have grown and been embellished upon online, shrouding the family’s legacy in continued controversy.

Note: When I was a boy we had what was called the “Jewish section” in Lowell Massachusetts near the old Temple Emmanuel. And I can assure you the jobs they offered us middle-to-late teenagers (from clearing debris from a wooded area to cleaning up after banquets at restaurants) were the most coveted jobs. Why? Because we were paid so well, more than well, and they treated us young workers with respect. — SH