[RobbyS]

Well, it surprised the German Jews. They thought their acceptance of "Enlightenment" ideals instead of their own religion and the decline of Christianity among the European elite would mean full acceptance of Jews. They ddn't figure on the rise of racism, which is a secular phenomenon,and the rise of men like Hitler whose hatred of them was based on crackpot science and a resentment of Jews that had nothing to do with their religion. The irony is that Jews were strong German nationalists who supported the new German empire created by Bismarck.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Well, it surprised the German Jews. They thought their acceptance of "Enlightenment" ideals instead of their own religion and the decline of Christianity among the European elite would mean full acceptance of Jews. They ddn't figure on the rise of racism, which is a secular phenomenon,and the rise of men like Hitler whose hatred of them was based on crackpot science and a resentment of Jews that had nothing to do with their religion. The irony is that Jews were strong German nationalists who supported the new German empire created by Bismarck.

There was good reason that the Jews were strong supporters of the German Empire... the Kaiser's Germany was comparatively one of the more egalitarian regimes in Europe in their treatment of their indigenous Jewish minority. I'm not saying it was Meshuval Wine and Roses for the German Jews; just that the Kaiser's regime was *comparatively* friendly towards the Jews. (I'll defer to Goetz_von_Berlichingen for any specifics he'd care to offer).

By comparison, Hitler's anti-Semitic program was, as RobbyS points out, racialist -- not religionist -- in it's "operational theory"; and Racialism is (predominantly) a secular phenomenom. (As far as personal "Devotions" go, you'll find more Alcoholism and Pederasty amongst the Nazi elites than you will Rosaries).

A number of embittered German in the Post-Versailles period were looking for a scapegoat, and the Jews happened to be the target of choice for a certain demonically-charismatic demagogue. It could've equally well been any other Racial Minority, say the Gypsies for example (actually, it was them, also).

If "religion" were the motivating force, one would have expected the Nazi anti-semitic Laws to offer various exemptions for confessing "Christian" or "Messianic" Jews. I don't recall there being any.