social and economic advancements achieved by the Ashkenazi communities in Europe, America, and later -- Palestine. Because of it's relatively small size and involvement in the affairs of "civilized" countries of Europe and America, the Sephardi branch of Judaism is rerely dealt with in the context of modern Jewish history. Their developement is however, though not as influential upon the flow of the "mainstream" history as that of the Ashkenazi jewry, is nevertheless an area of interest to anyone
It is not possible to undermine the significance of music in the life and traditions of Jews. This becomes increasingly apparent after looking at the bible to see the indications of the importance of the Levites as makers of music and large orchestras. After the 2nd Temple was destroyed during 70 CE, Rabbis banned making of music in the synagogue. The only music that survived was instrumental, and it survived only because of the fact that song and merry- making was required in weddings (Shepherd
In Judaism, as with most religions, there are many constraints surrounding marriage, many of which are described within ancient Hebrew texts, specifically the Talmud. These constraints has spanned generations of Jews and is still reflected upon today, particularly the idea of finding one’s “bashert,” a Jew’s God-given soul mate. The marital concept of bashert, which is ordained in the Talmud, seemingly suggests the importance of marrying within the faith in the Jewish community. Both the Talmud and
Homosexuals and Jews had to face during World War II. Hitler took power in January 30, 1933 becoming the prime minister of Germany (Judy L. Hasday p. 12). By 1945, Germans, or the Nazis, had killed nearly two out of every three European Jews as part of the "Final Solution," the Nazi policy to murder the Jews of Europe (U.S. Memorial Museum). More than six million Jewish men, women, and children had been annihilated (Judy L. Hasday p. 12). German authorities were exterminating Jews and many others
life, which are brought on by the discrepancies of religious beliefs. Rueven, who is an Orthodox Jew, goes to a parochial school where Hebrew is taught instead of Yiddish (which would be considered the first Jewish language). Rueven's school is also very integrated with many English-speaking classes. But on the other hand, Danny, who attends a yeshiva (also a Jewish school), considers himself a true Jew because he (unlike Rueven) wears the traditional side curls and is educated in Yiddish. At first
happens to be a Sephardic Jew. He pictures the Jew as essentially a wounded man, one racked by his Jewishness. The world for him is a desert, and God is enwrapped in silence. For him the keynote is exile, the stuff of his writing a kind of brave despair. The news of Hays's death broke into my thoughts on this, and it occurred to me that his philosophy of life could be expressed by reversing this writer's terms. The one saw the Jew as a wounded man; the other saw in the Jew, rejoicing in his Jewishness
of ethnic neighborhoods. After the opening of the first rail connection from New York to Chicago in the 1840s, immigration sky rocketed from that point on. Majority of the immigrants to Chicago were Europeans. The Irish, Italians, eastern European Jews, Germans, and Mexicans were among the most common ethnicities to reside in Chicago. These groups made up the greater part of Chicago. The sudden increase in immigration to Chicago in the 1920s soon led to an even further distinguished separation of
The Kohen Gene In a world where Jews have assimilated so much into other cultures, is it possible to trace the lineage of an elite group of Jewish men all the way back to a man who lived three-thousand and five-hundred years ago? According to Karl Skorecki, a scientist at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, and Michael Hammer, a geneticist from the University of Arizona at Tuscan, the possibility is alive (1). In Jewish tradition, as written in the Hebrew Bible, the Children of Israel
Throughout history parts of religions and cultures change. During the turn of the century, Jews has been deemed as a racial group in certain societies but "regardless of where Jews have lived most recently all Jews have roots in the Middle East" ( www.myjewishlearning.com). In this paper I will elaborate on Judahism and Jewish history, meaning and I will conclude with an analysis of today Jews. Meaning The word Jew derived from the word Judah which are a people of Hebrew decent. Judah was one of Jacob's
first place was due to Nazism and Stalinism. These two totalitarian empires wiped out the Yiddish culture since the Jews were not the majority population in places such as Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires. Since only one language of government and education was imposed on various ethnic groups, it is not a surprise that the Yiddish language became irrelevant. Stalinists argued that Jews can’t be a nation because they do not have a territory and a common language; the Zionists, however, tried to help
Argentina's Jews have faced period of peaceful coexistence and periods of intense anti-Semitism. Argentina's Jews have numerous Jewish community organizations. The DIAI (Delegacion de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas) was founded in 1939 as the political arm of the Jewish community. The DIAI protects Jewish rights and represents the community in the government. Another organization, the AMIA, an Ashkenazic mutual-aid society, provides health and human services to Argentina's Ashkenazi population
The presence of Jews in England has been a source of controversy for many reasons. On page 35 of Pat Barker's historical novel Regeneration, Siegfried Sassoon reveals the nature of his relationship with his father, who left home when he was five, and gives an account of his Jewish history. Though he hadn't been raised Jewish and apparently had no association with his Jewish relatives, Sassoon was subjected to the discrimination that was often seen in England before and during WWI. Through Sassoon's
describe how new Jews, and old Jews Interacted with each other. In addition, many Zionist writings were written at the time, and people were writing abut the Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews. Each of these topics has a tremendous effect on our generation, because they fueled movements that tried to change the views of the Jewish people. In the Story Dr. Schmidt, by Moshe Shamir we find many instances when the author talks about old and new Jews, Zionism, and how he fills the gap between Ashkenazi and Mizeachi
Gaucher Disease: A Rarity in Three Types Ethnicity can provide individuals with wonderful traditions and celebrations of one's heritage. However, for some Ashkenazi Jews, ethnicity brings them much more than they bargained for: a rare condition causing a wide array of liver, lung, spleen, bone and bone problems. Ethnicity brings them Type I Gaucher Disease. Type II and Type III are the two other forms of this rare genetic condition, and can occur at equal frequencies in all ethnic groups. Gaucher
After coming to America All people seem to want the same basic things out of life regardless of race or religion. Universally, people want a good job, a healthy family, and a chance for their children to have a better life than the one they have. Families that already possess these things, whether through their own hard work or merely by way of inheritance, rely on the existing power structures within society to ensure that their future happiness continues . But what do people who do not belong
gift from Hitler. A place of hope and happiness for Jews and Jewesses alike. Theresienstadt was somewhere they could wait the war out without fear until the shadow of Nazism passed. It was a place filled with the most prosperous artists and musicians, daily shows and operas, lectures and seminars, gardens and coffee shops. A place with grace and character. An entire town that was given to the Jews as a gift from the Fuehrer. A paradise for Jews. That is at least, what the Nazis wanted people to believe
Baseball is a rugged sport, uniquely American. Two Jewish boys meet during one of the most hotly contested baseball games of the high school season, in New York City during World War II. The teams’ rivalry—one team are Hassidim, the other orthodox—fuels intense acrimony between them until a freak accident during the game sends one to the hospital with an injury that nearly costs him an eye. The near loss of the boy’s eye creates a bond between the boys which develops into a deep and lasting friendship
Sacrifice by fire. The pleading children, the debilitating elderly, and the cynical women all have the same look of fear when they hear the word “Holocaust.” Approximately six million brave Jews were brutally murdered during the dreadful era of the Holocaust. These Jews were ordinary humans who hadn’t committed a crime, hadn’t encouraged any riots and hadn’t leveled any threats. They were citizens of their home countries who had the capability of contributing several intellectual achievements to
are, only that you enjoy your trip. There is an advantage to being Jewish and traveling to Israel for the first time, however. Oftentimes, it's a big celebration, a bar mitzvah in Israel. But the fun and excitement is just as big, even if you're no Jew, and whether it's your first, second
All of my life I have labeled myself as Jewish, although I have not once ever questioned what it means to be Jewish. I have spent many years of my life in an orthodox Hebrew school and excessive hours in Synagogue simply because my parents told me I had to go. I did not understand why I spent so much time in a place that I felt had no importance to me. This was until my perspective was changed my Junior year when I took an interest in the land of Israel. It all started when I began learning about