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Homosexual equal rights
Homosexual equal rights
Homosexual equal rights
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“Certainly, the world without the Jews would have been a radically different place. Humanity might have eventually stumbled upon all the Jewish insights. But we cannot be sure. All the great conceptual discoveries of the human intellect seem obvious and inescapable once they had been revealed, but it requires a special genius to formulate them for the first time. The Jews had this gift. To them we owe the idea of equality before the law, both divine and human; of the sanctity of life and the dignity of human person; of the individual conscience and so a personal redemption; of collective conscience and so of social responsibility; of peace as an abstract ideal and love as the foundation of justice, and many other items which constitute the basic moral furniture of the human mind. Without Jews it might have been a much emptier place” (Paul Johnson).
The Jewish people have proved themselves to be able to make a tremendous difference in the world. Even though this divine difference has come from people of each movement of Judaism, the Modern Orthodox movement has taken it to the next level. Orthodox Judaism began back when G-d revealed the Torah on Mount Sinai (The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2011). Orthodox sages believe that both the Oral and Witten Torahs were given to the Jewish nation in 1312 B.C.E. This is when they consider that ‘Orthodox’ Judaism as we know started (Rabbi Lawrence Keleman, 2010). While there are many Modern Orthodox Jews around the world, the 10 main communities are in Israel, New York, Los Angeles, Florida, Paris, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and London (World Jewish Population, 2001). In a recent study, all sects of Orthodox Judaism were found to have between 33% - 45% of...
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Keleman , Rabbi Lawrence. "Sects of Judaism." Judaism Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2011.
Kumer. [Female Torah Scholar.] Interview. March 14, 2011.
Marty. "National Revelation." Second Exodus. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. .
The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "Orthodox Judaism." Jewish Virtual Library . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. .
Waxman, Chiam . "It's All Relative: The Contemporary Orthodox Jewish Family in America | Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals." The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. .
Oxtoby, Willard Gurdon. "Jewish Traditions." World religions: western traditions. 1996. Reprint. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2011. 127-157. Print.
The Hasidim, or "pious ones" in Hebrew, belong to a special movement within Orthodox Judaism, a movement that, at its height in the first half of the nineteenth century, claimed the allegiance of millions in Eastern and Central Europe--perhaps a majority of East European Jews. Hasidism gained popularity among the common people because of its charismatic leaders and the emotional appeal of its messages which stressed joy, faith and ecstatic prayer, accompanied by song and dance. Hasidism experienced a great decline during World War II and the Holocaust, but it was transplanted by immigrants to America, Israel, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe. Hasidism thrives today in areas such as New York and other American cities. Hasidic Jews thrive as a creative minority because they have conserved many of ...
I chose to write about Jewish-Americans after my mother, who was raised Christian, chose to identify herself as Jewish. In my reading I examined Jewish culture and how it is in American society. I looked at how Jewish-American culture has become a prominent component of American society. I looked at the historical forces that have shaped Jewish-American experience in the United States. I looked at demographics of where most Jewish-Americans live. I examined how Jewish-Americans have contributed to our culturally pluralistic society in the United States.
Reform Judaism started as a response to the Enlightenment that occurred in the late 17th and the early 18th century. The Jewish people needed to determine how to best combine new ideologies with their religious practices. The Jewish people suddenly had a new, non-Jewish world that they could be apart of. Some started to lose interest in religion. The Reform Judaism movement was created to adapt to these changes in society. The movement’s fundamental belief was that religious change is good (Kaplan 183). Platforms were created to define the boundaries for Reform Judaism and show how the Reform Movement is different than the traditional form of Judaism (Meyer & Plaut 195). The Reform movement has undergone many significant changes of their ideologies including Israel and the Halacha. These changes display their core idea of adapting Judaism to the social environments but simultaneously always keeping the Jewish community bound together. These changes are made from 1885 to 1999 with the Pittsburgh Platform, Columbus Principles, and Statement of Principles.
The Jewish Community. Publication Society, 1996. http://www. Wiesel, Elie. A.
JOLT, an outreach program, runs an annual overnight summer camp in the Ukraine with counselors from the United States and Israel. These counselors are carefully selected because of the rigorous programming and the many physical hardships of living in the Ukraine. Over one hundred local children come to Charkov to learn about their Jewish background. As one of the counselors, I had the privilege and extraordinary task of exposing them to the beauty of our religion and heritage.
Wisse, Ruth R. "Sutzkever, Avrom." YIVO. YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Hasidic Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism established in Eastern Europe during the 1800’s that put spirituality and a connection with God through mysticism at the forefront of its beliefs. In order to understand Hasidic Judaism, one must understand that Judaism is not only a religion; it is also a philosophy and a way of life for the Jewish people. One of the oldest monotheistic religions, Judaism has evolved over the years since the time of the founding fathers. Like any culture or religion, however, Jews have never been without conflict or disagreement amongst its people. Schisms amongst Jews over long periods of time have led to a branching out of sects and Jewish institutions. What led to the separation of denominations within was a fundamental disagreement on the interpretation and implementation of Halakah (Jewish religious law). Before the 18th century there was little differentiation between sects of Judaism; Jewry was based on Talmudic and Halakhic study and knowledge. Constructed as an overly legalistic religion before the 18th century, the Hasidic movement popularized by Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer sought to spread Judaism through the common man’s love of and devotion to God.
New York: William Morrow. Lipsett, S. M. & Co., P.A. and Ladd, E. C. (1971) The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secon "Jewish Academics in the United States: Their Achievements, Culture and Politics." American Jewish Yearbook -. Cited for Zuckerman, Harriet (1977).
Robinson, B. A. (2008, March 30). Books of the Hebrew Scripture . Retrieved May 7, 2011, from Religious Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_otb3.htm
10 Sep. 2011. . Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph. “Introduction to Judaism-Religion Facts.” Comparative Religion-Just the facts on the world's religions.
Mail, A.S. (1997). An Exploration of the Impact of the Israel Experience upon Bar/Bat Mitzvah Students: Rites of Passage for Progressive Jewish Teenagers. Journal of Progressive Judaism. Nov97, Issue 9, pg59-82.
It was a bit surprising to learn that Judaism is segmented into Orthodox, Conservative and Reform factions. I always thought the religion was strict toward tradition and all Jews were the same. Orthodox Jew, were the strictest practitioners of Judaism as they practice almost all rituals associated with the faith. Bar Mitzvah, Brit Mala and the Sabbath are some of the more popular rituals done by Orthodox Jews.
Dirks, Jerald. The Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam : similarities & contrasts. Beltsville, Md.: Amana Publications, 2004.
INTRODUCTION The Jewish word translated as “destiny” is “bashert” (), meaning fate, predestine, predetermine, preordain, and any fortuitous event. Jewish scholars believe God gives His boundless knowledge to all beings and assigns to each a certain mission or function. God’s knowledge includes all space and time. Yet, He is beyond time and space.