The Judaic Tradition: Hebrews and History
Any person with a passing familiarity with the history of the world must be aware that a large part of that history has included Jewish persecution and anti-Semitism. The casual observer may wonder how, in the face of centuries of persecution, the Jewish people have managed to survive, and even thrive. In fact, the tremendous adversities that Jews have overcome have made it possible to describe the Judaic tradition as a history of survival. After all, there is little similarity in the lives of a Jewish enslaved in Egypt and those Jews held in concentration camps in Nazi Germany. "All that linked them across space and time was a faith, a Torah way of life." (Greenberg). It is because of the way of life that Jews have managed to survive adversity and thrive where other cultural traditions may have crumbled due to outside pressure. Therefore, in order to understand Jewish history, one must understand that the mere fact that Jews have managed to survive demonstrates that there is something unique about the Jewish approach to life. Jewish history begins in the Fertile Crescent, that area of land lying between the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. The places that formed the backdrop of much of early Jewish history, su
The widespread emancipation of Jews in Europe did not end European anti-Semitism. On the contrary, while earlier persecution of Jews was largely rooted in religious differences, the new anti-Semitism was rooted in class and race. By the late 1800s, many European countries began to persecute Jews. The result is that many Jews believed that they would only be free from persecution if they were able to form an independent Jewish nation. "At the same time, Jewish migration to the United States created a new community in large part freed of the restrictions of Europe. Over 2 million Jews arrived in the United States between 1890 and 1924, most from Russia and Eastern Europe." (Wikipedia). In the 18th century, Jews in Europe began to seek integration into European society, as Europe underwent the Enlightenment. The Jewish Englightenment is referred to as the Haskalah: However, it would be an error to state that the Holocaust was wholly responsible for the creation of Israel. On April 11, 1909, Tel Aviv, the first modern Jewish city "was founded on the sand dunes north of Jaffa with the building of 60 houses." (Birnbaum). In December 1909, "the first kibbutz or collective colony was founded in Eretz Israel." (Birnbaum). The kibbutz were very similar to the kibbutz arrangement of modern Israel. Therefore, it is clear that Israel had its beginnings before the Holocaust, in fact even before the Nazi party began spreading anti-Semitism. Initially, Rome permitted Judea to function as an independent Jewish Kingdom, but it eventually became a province of Rome. The Roman administration was "often callous and brutal in its treatment of its Judean subjects," which led to a Jewish revolt in 66 CE. The revolt was unsuccessful, but did not result in increased restrictions on Jews. However, when the Jews revolted again in the 2nd century, Romans ravaged Judea and barred Jews from entering Jerusalem. In addition, most European countries began to do away with anti-Semitic laws, based upon an ideal of Jewish assimilation, with Jews in every European country besides Russia being emancipated by 1871. (Wikipedia). ch as Egypt, Canaan, Babylonia, and Israel, were located in the Fertile Crescent. (Wikipedia). Jewish history begins with the Hebrews, who were descendants of Abraham's son Jacob. Jacob had 12 children, and
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Approximate Word count = 1586
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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