Jewish history is a long, complex and detailed one. Something that I think that sets it apart from all other ethnic histories is the spread of Jewish people across the globe that maintain Jewish customs, religious teachings, lunar calendar, and self-identification as being Jewish. This despite the most recent threat to their existence, the Holocaust, as well as the multiple attacks on the culture throughout history, from the Egyptians to the Romans. The Jewish people have maintained a very distinct and deep-rooted identity across time and place, and in spite of multiple efforts by the rest of the world to either erase them or control them.
There are disputes regarding what qualifies a person as being Jewish, both within and without the Jewish community. Many people claim being Jewish while at the same time being atheist. Many people claim being Jewish without being born to Jewish parents. 300 years ago, the question of identity was nonexistent, because Jews were those people who practiced traditional Judaism. While some orthodox Jews will not accept conversions to non-orthodox branches of Judaism,] the most important commonality between traditionally religious Jews and “modern” Jews is the belief that far more important than having a correct religious belief is having correct, moral behavior. Family and community are also central to the Jewish tradition. The moral codes set forth in the religious teachings are a foundation and guide to living that promotes reproduction, cleanliness, health, ethical familial and social behavior, cultural preservation, and justice.
The Hebrew Bible is the first sacred text of it’s kind. Aside from serving as a sacred text, it also serves as a recorded ancient history of an unusual people. At the core of that written history is a central belief in, and chronicling of the relationship between a people and their God. Inadvertently a story is told that traces to its roots the journey of a people from a central location with common ancestry. Hebrew Biblical history ends with the building of the Second Temple, in 515 b.c.e. The Hebrew canon was completed around 200 b.c.e. This is also the period when scribes began recording the oral tradition, including lyrics to sacred hymns which came to be known as the Hebrew Bible.
Long before the Holocaust, when the Romans took over the Jews in Israel in 70 b.c.e., Jews emigrated toward Spain. When the Christians expelled Muslims and Jews in 1492 c.e., what are known as the Sephardic Jews migrated throughout the Mediterranean as far as Central Europe. Another group known as Ashkenazic Jews are most commonly assumed to have arose when Jews migrated from France and other parts of Western Europe to Central Europe after 1000 c.e. Before the Holocaust 3 million Jews lived in Poland alone. The Ashkenazic culture was virtually wiped out in Europe with the Holocaust, but Yiddish (the common language of European language, a medieval form of German mixed with Hebrew words and written in Hebrew letters) language and culture lived on in the United States, Canada and Israel.
Today there are about 5-6 million self-identified Jews in Israel, and another 5-6 million in the United States. It is estimated that there are 13-14 million Jews across the world. This, after widespread attempt to annihilate the culture. Most self identified Jews do recognize the significance of the history of the Jewish people, whether or not they adhere to the religious laws and traditions. The suffering, oppression, and ability to adapt to changing circumstances and environments have all contributed to the resilience of the Jewish people, as well as Judaism itself.
It is an identity associated with the triumph of a people. It is the identification that says that family and community are the highest priorities. Family holds such a high value today because of the identification with the families of the past. These are a people who understand that the choices we make today will affect our children, their children, and children of generations to come. It is a culture that values individuality and creativity at the same time as the quality of life for family today and family yet to be born.
References:
Malloy, Michael (2008).“Experiencing the World’s Religions” tradition, challenge and change. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Excellent analysis. Being Jewish is about being part of a culture. Yes, the line has faded a lot in recent years, as more Jews turn away from the faith and Gentiles come into it. But it really is about a culture. When converting, you're supposed to feel more at home with the people than you are with the faith. Even Hitler didn't consider those who no longer practiced Judaism non-Jews.
Couple small inaccuracies, though....
The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, not 70 BCE. The Jews still had their own rulers in 70 BCE.
The Ashkenazic culture includes Yiddish; Yiddish is not a separate culture. Just like Ladino (I think) is the language of the Sephardi Jews, Yiddish is the language of the Ashkenazi Jews. The Sephardi Jews were from Europe as well, they just stuck to Spain and the Mediterranean more than Central and Eastern Europe. Many of the Jews in the US are Ashkenazi Jews. My ex-boyfriend was among them. Sephardi is beginning to gain membership as well, though, especially since the culture in Israel is Sephardi rather than Ashkenazi.
~C
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"The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, not 70 BCE. The Jews still had their own rulers in 70 BCE. "
Thanks, that was a typo. There was also another attempted revolt against Rome by the remaining Jews, and the Romans ruthlessly terrorized and scattered them. They built a Roman city over the site of Israel's destroyed temple in 135 c.e.
You quoted turtlesuds:
"The Ashkenazic culture was virtually wiped out in Europe with the Holocaust, but Yiddish (the common language of European language, a medieval form of German mixed with Hebrew words and written in Hebrew letters) language and culture lived on in the United States, Canada and Israel."
Let me edit here: I intended to write:
"The Ashkenazic culture was virtually wiped out in Europe with the Holocaust, but Yiddish (the common language of European Judaism, a medieval form of German mixed with Hebrew words and written in Hebrew letters) language and culture lived on in the United States, Canada and Israel."
I did skip some important details, which at the time seemed minor. Leave it to you to find the slightest discrepancy!
Rewind:
After the Romans defeated the Jews they emigrated toward far away lands. Southern Spain became a warm and welcome home under Muslim rule.
In 1492 the Christians expelled both the Muslims and the Jews. The term Sephardic Jews refers to those who left the Spanish region to inhabit Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and throughout the entire Mediterranean region as well as to Holland and England. The Sephardic language was termed "Ladino" in reference to its Spanish influence. Some Sephardic Jews lived in Morocco until recent times, when they emigrated to Israel.
The Ashkenazic Jews are thought to have descended from a nomad descendant of Noah who settled in central europe well before the Sephardic Jews inhabited the area.
Ashkenazic Jews refers to Jews who lived in or came from central europe. The Yiddish language developed out of a hybrid of medieval German mixed with Hebrew. (In contrast to the Sephardic culture, language and dialect.)
The effect that the Holocaust had on central european Jewish history was that it virtually wiped out Ashkenazic culture, but Yiddish culture language and culture lived and move on to northern America.
Yiddish culture and language was the result of a separating shift from Ashkenazic culture, which was distinctly marked by the geographical shift of the population. However, there is a growing interest in facilitating a revival of Ashkenazic culture in North America.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
Yes, well, I take an active interest in Judaism, so the little things get on me.
Are you sure you meant Noah? I mean, all people are thought to be descended from Noah, so it wouldn't be inaccurate, but they wouldn't be Jews unless they had common descendants later on as well. I mean, all the Jews we know today (JBB, at least, JBC is a whole other story) come from the tribes of Judah (hence the name 'Jew') and Benjamin, since the 10 other tribes were lost in the Babylonian exile. So all Jews, whether Sephardic or Ashkenazic, came from these two tribes. I guess I'm just a little confused :)
~C
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"The name Ashkenazic comes from Ashkenaz, a descendant of Noah who settled in a distant northern land. (see Gen 10:3)."
"The origin of Ashkenazic Judaism is unclear, but the most common opinion is that it arose when Jews migrated from France and other countries of western Europe to central Europe after 1000 c.e."
-"Experiencing the World's Religions tradition, challenge and change" Michael Malloy 2008
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude