Jewish Identity Research Paper

Altshuler’s purpose of writing this book is to display the Religion and change of identity the of Jewish people in USSR. The author wants to describe the social, political, and economic condition of Jews from 1941 to 1964. Mordechai Altshuler (2012) mentioned that one of the governments’ goal was to isolate the component members of Jews by atomizing the Jewish public (p 81). Decent Jews were persecuted and compelled to live under the threat of losing their identity. They were threatened and forced to leave their original identity and adopt new identity which altered their identity along with lives. According to the author, “In Babi Yar, on the outskirts of town, more than 30,000 Jews were murdered around Yom Kippur 1941 (September 29 – 30),

The Jewry that was still alive dispersed and scattered to mostly USA and Israel. The remaining Jews in Bobruisk left in search of greener and more effective living opportunities. The Soviets banned the baking of matzos for Passover within the city of Bobruisk in 1959. By the 1970s, Jewry in USSR owned Bobruisk was almost nonexistent due to pogroms, intolerance and a total disregard of humane religious tolerance that Jews were ill afforded under the communist USSR regime. By 1990s, with the fall of the USSR and the increased freedom to emigrate from Bobruisk, most of the remaining Jews in Bobruisk immigrated to America in search of equality, religious tolerance, and freedom to study the Torah

What was once a relationship based on paternalism and condescension between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews has gradually transformed into a more leveled socioeconomic platform between the two ethnic groups. The Jews of Ashkenazi descent, mainly from Eastern European countries and Britain, arrived in the decades before the creation of the State of Israel and were able to rapidly create a new society. Shortly after Israel’s independence, massive waves of Jewish immigrants flooded the country, of which a large part were Mizrahim Jews from North Africa and the Middle East fleeing discrimination in Arab lands. The dominant Ashkenazim viewed the incoming Mizrahi Jews as backwards and burdensome to the newly-founded country’s cultural and economic image and took measures to make them conform to their customs. This process of conditioning ultimately led to a wide socioeconomic gap between the two groups that prompted political clashes and riots. Recent trends and changes in the country’s political structure have narrowed the gap and point toward equal opportunities between Mizrahi Jews and Ashkenazi Jews.

It is critical to point out that despite the completion of legislation and actions of the government to fully emancipate the Jew, the social and cultural divides were still running rampant in society. Assimilation or acceptance into society was not a task that the government could complete simply by passing laws forbidding exclusion it was much more reliant on the attitudes and actions of individuals in what was previously considered the

The investigation assesses demographic shifts to Palestine in the context of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. It more specifically inquires about the impact of Jewish immigration on Palestine in terms of the effects it had on Jewish-Arab relationships in Palestine. It seeks to determine the extent the third, fourth, and fifth aliyahs of 1919-1939 had on the economic development of the Israeli State and its social implications. Monographs and general texts will be used to provide background on the conflict, including the rise of Zionism, the British Mandate, the White Paper, and the Peel Commission. This context will also be used to critically analyze the role of Jewish immigration to Palestine and the role it played in land reforms, rioting, and the implementation of restrictions set by the British government on Palestine. Two secondary sources, William L. Cleveland’s A History of the Modern Middle East and Howard M. Sachar’s A History of

In such a modern time, it makes sense that the teachings of religion will be reformed and relate to the current times. However young Jews believe that it seems as if certain parts of Judaism are stuck in the past. Many have tried to explore the Jewish community to find out why it the teachings of Judaism do not relate to the modern world. As mentioned before, Judaism is believed to originate from the beginning of time. The Torah, the law that G-d presented to the Hebrews in biblical times, is written in with such a traditional manner. It is believed that since G-d blessed the Jewish community with such traditional teachings and laws, then the people should behave with those same old aged values, regardless of the era.

Jews are the oldest diaspora who had no “homeland” for two millennia (Safran 2005). Despite attempts made by Christian evangelists to end the Jewish diaspora, they survived and developed a new relationship with the homeland. Historically, there has been historical meaning of diaspora for Jews- they were exiled because they were powerless, insecure and minority groups. The Jews diaspora who carried on its culture, maintained its ethnic or religious institution in America (hostland) are unwilling to surrender their identities and uphold a transpolitical relationship to the homeland or countries of origin (Safran 2005).

Jews are some of the most kindest, caring people I know. I wouldn't ever call myself a Jew or take in their beliefs, but I have nothing against them. People need to stop bullying teenage Jews and learn to accept them more. They could help our future society immensely with their healthy mindsets and positive

The Jewish diaspora, which refers to the dispersion of Jews outside of Israel, has spread Jews across the globe. Persian Jews, more commonly referred to as Iranian Jews[1], present a peculiar case, as their migration to America differs from the narrative of the common migrant. Representing a minority in Iran, Iranian Jews entered the United States from an upper stratum of society during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Having already been exposed to elements of modernization and Western values, the Iranian Jewry were able to easily assimilate and adjust to the United States culture than other migratory groups. This paper seeks to illuminate/elucidate on the plight and transformation of Iranian Jews during the unpredictable years of the Revolution

The Religious Dimension covers the fact that, for the Jews, religion is the most important element of the diaspora. Furthermore, “many Jews envision Israel as the only country where a full Jewish life can be lived.” What makes the theological aspect of the Jewish diaspora unique is the hostility of Christians, grounded in church teachings. Another feature that is considered peculiar, is that it was “externally imposed”, and the only way to escape it is to exit the Jewish community. Zionists and Christian evangelists thought the Jewish diaspora must be ended to allow the second coming of Christ. Israel is no longer seen as an “appropriate homeland” due to it losing its “romantic allure”, the growing income inequality, pollution, and the poor behaviour towards Arabs. This clashes with the traditions of the diaspora. The pride that was once present in Israel has now been replaced with “embarrassment”.

By the late nineteenth century, the Jews, who had been in exile for almost two thousand years, found their ancestral homeland in Palestine, which was largely occupied by Arabs and governed by the Turks; this dilemma sparked many problems within the Middle East. Since the rise of the Zionist movement and the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, political leaders of predominately Muslim nations in the Middle East have made discriminatory prejudice anti-Semitic statements or actions. Allowing for apportioning or deflection of blame, contradicting the stated social and theological morality of the Islamic faith, this technique has been used as a tool for political control by regimes in this region for the past century. The relationship between anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist views in the Middle East are shown through the nature of the governments involved in the anti-Zionist movement, the relationship these nations had with the state of Israel, the effect it had on the Arabic people living within these countries and the assumptions made on Judaism and Zionism.

As a classic example of diaspora, the Hebrew Diaspora is studied and questioned by many. Both the causes of and the consequences of the Hebrew Diaspora are two aspects of the event that, for most, have yet to be sufficiently answered. Having occurred many centuries ago in the past, the causes and consequences of the diaspora may seem to be of no importance, yet at second glance, one realizes that addressing these topics may be the key to accurately determining the modern effects of diaspora in general. However, before these two areas of concern can be addressed, we must first define the term “diaspora” as well as identify a working definition of a Jew. In Greek, “diaspora” means scattering or dispersion. (Jewishvirtuallibrary, pg1) Despite the fact that one can become a Jew through conversion to Judaism, for the sake of this essay, we shall identify a Jew as a descendent of the ancient Hebrews. Therefore, by combining these two definitions, we can define the Hebrew Diaspora as the dispersion of the Jewish peoples from their homeland. Now that we have defined the Hebrew diaspora, we can efficiently pinpoint its causes and consequences, both direct and underlying, and hopefully identify the modern consequences of diaspora through analysis of this classic example.

?The Jewish community in Greece has a very colorful and intriguing past, but it is also a history filled with undeserved discriminatory acts and hatred.? The earliest Jews came to Greece either in chains or because of persecution, and soon experienced more hardships and troubles.? And just when Greece had overcome its discrimination and its Jews began to breathe easily, the worst persecution of all befell the community.? The Jewish community in Greece was once large and prominent.? In fact, ?the country once boasted some of the most distinguished and ancient Jewish communities in the world.1 But only a shadow of its once glorious past remains, and Jews are currently facing

The people in mid-19th century, up until the beginning of 20th century, before the British .helped to declare Israel a state; around Eastern Europe, the idea of “nationality” began to appear. Up until now, Jewish people hadn’t established a foundation that provided them with security; there was no real place they could call “home.” Because they didn’t have a place that was their own, other nations around the world didn’t view them as a nation, they were seen as individuals. Around this time, anti-Semitism began to emerge, it was time for the Jewish people to come together as one and let go of their past and that desire drove them to a pivotal point in Jewish history. By analyzing different pieces of Hebrew literature and songs that were written during this time in history, the evidence shows that the definition of “Jew” changed and Jewish people started to look at themselves differently and gained confidence to be a nation and not an individual.

The status of the Arab minority (Palestinian Arab) in Israel has been a persistent question since the 1948 war, or as the Arab minority identifies it, “Al-Nakba” or “Catastrophe.” While Israel self-identifies as the nation state of the Jewish people, approximately twenty percent of people within its borders identify as Arab — yet, it often unclear what their rights and roles are in a state that has historically discriminated against them and treated them as second class citizens.The fight for collective rights has been a decades long struggle, hindered in part due to the divisions within the Arab community, which is made up of Druze, Christians, Bedouins, and Muslims, groups with different political interests and priorities. The lack of unification has kept them from gaining collective rights or significant political clout within Israel. Thus, to this day, Arab citizens are disproportionately impoverished, unemployed, and uneducated compared to their Israeli peers. However, the path to a solution is complicated by both external and internal Israeli security concerns and a desire to maintain the character of a Jewish State. Thus, while the alienated Palestinian minority poses a legitimate challenge to the future of Israel, the status quo is unlikely to change. Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Arab minority has been subject to policies and attitudes, in the name of Israel’s security, that have engendered inequality, discrimination, and divisions