jewish american

7/18/2019 Jewish American

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Jewish americans



OVERVIEW

Jews represent a group of people rather thana distinct race or ethnicity. Although Jewsoriginally came from the Middle East, many

races and peoples have mixed together in Jewish communities over the centuries,especially after the Jews were forced out ofPalestine in the second century C.E. hat

!inds the group together is a common Jewishheritage as passed down from generation togeneration.



Most Jews consider the "tate of #srael the Jewish homeland.$ocated in the Middle East with a land mass of %,&&' s(uaremiles, #srael is only slighter larger than )ew Jersey. #t is!ounded !y $e!anon in the north, !y "yria and Jordan in the

east, !y Egypt in the southwest, and !y the Mediterranean "eain the west. ith a population of approximately *.' million Jews, #srael is home to a!out one+third of the world Jewry,estimated at '.& million at the end of &&'. -owever, not all Jews consider #srael home. "ome feel the nited "tates, with/.0 million Jews, is the de facto home of Jews, evidenced inpart !y the fact that #srael is sometimes called 1$ittle America1!ecause of its similarities to the nited "tates. Accounting formore than three+fourths of the world Jewry, #srael and thenited "tates represent the two ma2or Jewish populationregions.



EUROPEAN LIFE

European Jews are divided mainly !etween the Jews of "pain and Portugal,the "ephardim, and the Jews from 3erman+spea4ing countries in central andeastern Europe, the Ash4ena5im. 6he distinction !etween the "ephardim andAsh4ena5im7-e!rew terms for "panish and 3erman Jews7continues to !ethe ma2or classi8cation of Jews, with %/ percent of today9s world Jewry !eing

Ash4ena5ic. #n medieval Europe, "ephardic Jews en2oyed the most freedomand cultural acceptance. :etween the ninth and 8fteenth centuries "ephardic

Jews made signi8cant cultural and literary contri!utions to "pain while it wasunder #slamic rule. :y contrast, Ash4ena5ic Jews in the north lived uneasilyamong Christians, who saw Jews as 1Christ 4illers1 and who resented Jews forthin4ing of themselves as a chosen people. Christians su!2ected Jews toviolence and destroyed Jewish communities !eginning with the ;irst Crusade

in <&=. Jewish populations were driven from England and ;rance in thethirteenth and fourteenth centuries. :y the !eginning of the "panish#n(uisition in *&', Jews from "pain faced similar oppression, violence, andexpulsion from "panish Christians. As a result, "ephardic Jews spread out toMediterranean countries, while the ma2ority of Ash4ena5ic Jews moved east toPoland, which !ecame the center of European Jewry.



#n Poland, Jews were permitted to create a series of councils andcourts that together represented a minority self+governmentwithin the country. #n individual Jewish communities,the kehillah was the governing structure comprised of elected

leaders who oversaw volunteer organi5ations involved in allaspects of social and religious life in the community. 6hedisintegration of the Polish state in the eighteenth century,however, disrupted community life and caused many to emigrate.:y the nineteenth century, Jews in eastern Europe were primarilysplit !etween Prussia, Austria, and >ussia. 6he governments in

these countries, however, oppressed Jews through militaryconscription, taxation, and expulsion. 6hough relativelyimpoverished, the four million Jews in the Pale of "ettlement ?aregion encompassing eastern Poland and western >ussia@maintained their Jewish traditions through close community life.



:y contrast, Jews in estern Europe fared much !etter economicallyand socially as they gained acceptance in England, ;rance, andAustria+-ungary after the Protestant >eformation. )orthern Europeancities with large Protestant populations such as $ondon, -am!urg,and Amsterdam increasingly opened their doors to Jews. #n order tofully assimilate and !ecome citi5ens, these Jews sometimes had torenounce Jewish laws, self+government, and the (uest fornationhood. "till, many Jews were eager to comply, some even!ecoming Christians. As a result, many western European Jewsattained signi8cant wealth and status, generally through !an4ing and

trade. #n addition to material prosperity, 3erman Jews also en2oyed aperiod of heightened cultural activity during the JewishEnlightenment of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, aperiod mar4ed !y free in(uiry and increased political activism.Political turmoil !y the mid+nineteenth century, however, !roughtupheaval to Jewish communities, prompting many to emigrate.



IMMIGRATION WAVES

6he largest wave of Jewish immigrants were easternEuropean Jews who came to America !etween 00and &'*. uring these years one third of the Jewishpopulation in eastern Europe emigrated !ecause ofchanging political and economic conditions.

Jewish population in relation to the general .".population pea4ed in &B% at B.% percent. $imits onimmigration and a Jewish !irthrate of less than two

children per family7lower than the national average7have lowered the Jewish proportion of the Americanpopulation to under three percent. 6his proportion hasremained relatively sta!le, even as the American

Jewish population approached six million in the &&<s.



TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, ANDELIEFS

Jewish traditions and customs primarily derive from the practiceof Judaism. 6he most important Jewish traditions stem fromthe mitzvot, which are the =B holy o!ligations found in the

6orah and 6almud. Consisting of '*0 positive commandments

?6hou shall9s@ and B=/ negative commandments ?6hou shallnot9s@, these commandments fall into three categories Edot, or1testimonies,1 are rules that help Jews !ear witness to their faith?e.g., rules on what garments to wear@D Mishpatim ?2udgments@are rules of !ehavior found in most religions ?e.g., the ruleagainst stealing@D and Hukim ?statutes@ are divine rules that

humans cannot fully understand ?e.g., dietary rules@. )o oneperson can possi!ly ful8ll all =B mitzvot since they include lawsfor dierent people in dierent situations. Even the mostFrthodox Jew in modern times is expected to o!serve less thanhalf of the o!ligations.



6he !asic !eliefs common to all Jews, except atheists andagnostics, were articulated !y Moses Maimonides ?B/+'<*@. Gnown as the 6hirteen Principles of the ;aith, theyare ?@ 3od alone is the creatorD ?'@ 3od is FneD ?B@ 3od is

without physical formD ?*@ 3od is eternalD ?/@ humans prayonly to 3odD ?=@ the words of the prophets are trueD ?%@ thegreatest prophet was MosesD ?0@ today9s 6orah is the one3od gave to MosesD ?&@ the 6orah will not !e replacedD ?<@3od 4nows people9s thoughtsD ?@ the good are rewarded

and the evil are punishedD ?'@ the Messiah will comeD and,?B@ the dead will !e revived. Although most of the Jewishfaithful share these !road !eliefs, there is no speci8cre(uirement to commit all B to memory.



CUISINE

6here is no speci8c Jewish cuisine, only lists ofpermissi!le and impermissi!le foods for Frthodox Jews and others who o!serve kashrut . elineated inthe :oo4 of $eviticus and dating !ac4 to

'<< :.C.E. , kashrut is a system of food laws foreating kosher foods andavoiding trefa foods. Kosher foods are simply onesthat are, !y law, 8t for JewsD they include ++ fruits, vegeta!les, grains, meat from cud+chewingmammals with split hooves ?e.g., sheep, cows,goats@, 8sh with scales and 8ns ?e.g., salmon,herring, perch@, domesticated !irds ?e.g., chic4en,tur4ey, duc4@, and mil4 and eggs from 4osher

mammals and !irds.



Trefa foods are for!idden !y Jewishlaw, simply !ecause of !i!lical decree,

not !ecause such foods are un8t forhuman consumptionD they include ++ meat from un4osher mammals

?e.g., por4, ra!!it, horse@, !irds of

prey ?e.g., owls, eagles@, and wateranimals that do not have !oth scalesand 8ns ?e.g., lo!ster, cra!, s(uid@.



Kashrut also prescri!es that the slaughter ofanimals shall !e painless. 6hus, a Jewish !utcher? shohet @ studies the anatomy of animals to learn

the precise spot where 4illing may occurinstantaneously. After the animal is 4illed, the!lood must !e completely drained and anydiseased portions removed. ;inally, 4ashrutinvolves 4eeping meat and mil4 separate. :ecauseof the !i!lical commandment not to 1stew a 4id inits mother9s mil4,1 Jewish law has interpreted thisto mean that meat and dairy products cannot !eprepared or consumed together.



"EALT" ISSUES

:efore coming to America, Jews living in smallcommunities in Europe occasionally suered fromamaurotic idiocy, an inherited pathology attri!uted toin!reeding. uring the early twentieth century, whenthe largest waves of Jewish immigrants arrived inAmerica, >ussian Jewish immigrants were aHicted withnervous disorders, suicides, and tu!erculosis moreoften than other immigrants. espite these aHictions,

Jews had a lower death rate than other immigrants atthe time. >ecently, the )ational ;oundation for Jewish3enetic iseases pu!lished a list of the seven mostcommon genetic diseases suered !y Jews



:loom "yndrome a disease causing shortness in height?usually less than 8ve feet@, redness of s4in, andsuscepti!ility to respiratory tract and ear infections.Aected men often experience infertility and !oth sexes

have an increased ris4 of cancer. Just over << cases have!een reported since the disease was discovered in &/*,!ut one in '< Jews are carriers and children from twocarriers have a '/ percent chance of contracting thedisease.

;amilial ysautonomia a congenital disease of thenervous system resulting in stunted growth, increasedtolerance of pain, and lac4 of tears. Fne in /< Ash4ena5i

Jews in America carries the gene, and the ris4 ofrecurrence in aected families is '/ percent.



3aucher isease a disease that in its mildest form7theform common to Jews7is characteri5ed !y easy !ruising,orthopedic pro!lems, anemia, and a variety of othersymptoms. 6he more advanced forms of the disease are

fatal !ut rare and not concentrated in any one ethnicgroup. Fne out of '/ Ash4ena5i Jews carries the recessivegene, and one in ',/<< Jewish !a!ies is aHicted.

Mucolipidosis #I a recently discovered disease ?&%*@involving the deterioration of the central nervous system in

!a!ies who later develop mild or more severe retardation. 6hus far only handful of cases have !een reported, all !yAsh4ena5i Jews. 6he disease only occurs when !oth parentsare carriers, with '/ percent of !a!ies from such parents!eing aected.



)iemann+Pic4 isease a usually fatal disease characteri5ed !y a!uildup of fatty materials causing enlargement of the spleen,emaciation, and degradation of the central nervous system.AHicted !a!ies typically die !efore the age of three, !ut survivalinto young adulthood is possi!le in milder cases. 6he diseaseaects a!out '/ Ash4ena5i Jews each year in the nited "tates.

6ay+"achs isease a !iochemical disorder causing retardation in!a!ies as early as the fourth month and leading to a deterioration

of the central nervous system that ends in death, usually!etween the ages of 8ve and eight. Approximately one in '/ Jewsis a carrier, with the ris4 that '/ percent of !a!ies from twocarriers will have 6ay+"achs. "creening techni(ues have ena!ledcarriers to !ring only normal !a!ies to term.

6orsion ystonia a disease involving an increasing loss of motor

control coupled with normal to superior intelligence aectingchildren !etween the ages of four and =. Fne in %< Ash4ena5i Jews in America is a carrier, with one out of every '<,<<< Jewish!a!ies developing the disease.



Lan#$a#e

Fne of the strongest unifying lin4s !etween Jews throughoutthe world is the -e!rew language. ;rom the time of A!rahamin '<<< :.C.E. until the :a!ylonians captured Judah in/0= :.C.E. , -e!rew was the everyday language of Jews. "ince

then, Jews have generally adopted the vernacular of thesocieties in which they have resided, including Ara!ic, 3erman,>ussian, and English. -e!rew continued to !e spo4en andread, !ut primarily in sacred contexts. Most of the 6orah iswritten in -e!rew, and religious services are mostly in -e!rew,though Progressive synagogues will ma4e greater use of thelanguage of the community. 6he use of -e!rew in religiousworship ena!les Jews from all parts of the world to en2oy acommon !ond. #n the twentieth century, -e!rew regained itsstatus as an everyday language in #srael, where it is the ociallanguage.



GREETINGS AND OT"ERPOPULAR E%PRESSIONS

Commonly heard expressions are Shalom 7Peace ?a generalgreeting@D Shalom lekha 7-elloK3ood!ye ?an everydaygreeting@D Barukh ha-ha 7:lessed !e the one who comes ?ageneral welcome to guests often used at weddings or

circumcisions@D Mazel tov 7 3ood luc4 ?a wish for luc4commonly used at !irths, bar mitzvahs, and weddings@D Le-hayyim 76o lifeKCheers ?a traditional toast wishing someonegood health@D d me!ah ve-esrim sha"a 7May you live until '<?an expression meaning good wishes for a long life@D #izkeh le-sha"im 7$ong life to you ?an expression wishing someonehappy !irthday or happy anniversary@D Ha$ same!ah 7A happyholiday ?a general holiday greeting used for all Jewishfestivals@D L!sha"a tova 73ood year ?a shortened version of1may you !e inscri!ed in the :oo4 of $ife for a good year,1which is wished during >osh -ashanah@.



IRT"S, WEDDINGS, ANDFUNERALS

Jewish !a!ies usually receive two names, an everyday name and a -e!rewname used in the synagogue and on religious documents. 6he naming ofthe !a!y occurs after !irth at a !a!y+naming service or, for many male!a!ies, when they are circumcised. "ince the emergence of Judaism some*,<<< years ago, Jews have o!served the tradition of brit milah ?covenant of

circumcision@. Although the practice of cutting the fores4in of male !a!iespro!a!ly served a hygienic purpose originally, circumcision has come torepresent the !eginning of life in the Jewish community. 6o !e sure, manynon+Jews are circumcised, and !eing !orn of a Jewish mother is sucient toma4e a !a!y Jewish. )onetheless, circumcision is traditionally associatedwith the 4eeping of the covenant !etween A!raham and 3od as well as withphysical and ethical purity. 6he brit milah must occur eight days after !irth,unless the !a!y is sic4. 6he ceremony ta4es place in the home and isusually performed !y a mohel, an o!servant Jew who may !e a ra!!i,doctor, or simply one s4illed in the techni(ue. After the circumcision, whichoccurs very (uic4ly and without much pain, a cele!ration of food, prayers,and !lessings follows.



Jewish weddings are mar4ed !y several distinct traditions. 6he ceremonyoccurs under a huppah, a canopy open on all four sides, sym!oli5ing theopenness of the !ride and groom9s new home. 6he huppah can !e placed in ahome or outdoors !ut is most often used in a synagogue. nderthe huppah, the !ride circles the groom a set num!er of times, the couple is

!lessed, and they !oth drin4 from the same cup of wine, a sharing whichdemonstrates that from this point forward they will share a life together. 6heheart of the ceremony, the only part re(uired to ma4e the marriage legally!inding, occurs next. 6he groom places a ring on the right+hand index 8ngerof the !ride, proclaiming, 1:ehold you are consecrated to me !y this ringaccording to the law of Moses and #srael.1 #f at least two witnesses o!serveher accept the ring, the marriage is complete. 6he ceremony is rounded out

!y the signing of the marriage contract ?the ketubah @, the singing of seven!lessings ?the Sheva brahot @, and the traditional smashing of the glass !y thehus!and. :rea4ing a glass sym!oli5es the destruction of the 6emple in

Jerusalem and the fact that the couple will have to face hard times together.hen the glass is !ro4en, guests exclaim, 1 Mazel tov 1 ?good luc4@, and awedding feast ensues.

http://www.everyculture.com/knowledge/Chuppah.html

http://www.everyculture.com/knowledge/Chuppah.html



Jewish funerals and mourning are characteri5ed !y a sense offran4ness toward the reality of death. ;unerals occur soonafter a person dies, usually within a day or two unless familytravel plans or the o!servance of "a!!ath delays the service

for an extra day. Arrangements for the deceased are handled!y the hevra kadisha ?holy society@, which is a volunteerorgani5ation within the synagogue responsi!le for preparingthe !ody. "uch preparation does not involve ma4e+up orem!alming !ut instead consists of dressing the person inwhite, perhaps wrapping the deceased with his or her prayercloth, or tallit. #n modern times, the hevra kadisha aresometimes assisted !y professionals, !ut not for pro8t. 6heceremony is usually short and is followed !y !urial at thecemetery, where family mem!ers will recite the Kaddish, atraditional prayer cele!rating 3od and life.



;or Frthodox survivors, four stages of mourning have evolvedover the years which encourage expression of grief so that thehealing process may occur without delay. ;rom the time a persondies until the funeral, mourners cease wor4ing, gather together,and do not generally receive visitors, primarily !ecause any

comfort at this point is premature and only causes unnecessarystrain. 6he second stage occurs during the 8rst wee4 after thefuneral, when the family o!serves shiva. At this time, mournersdo not generally wor4 !ut open their homes to visitors who oertheir sympathy. 6he next stage is shaloshim, which lasts for threewee4s after shiva and is mar4ed !y a resumption of wor4 and

other o!ligations, !ut entertainment is avoided. ;inally, there is alast phase of light mourning for spouses or immediate familymem!ers that ends months after the funeral. :y theanniversary of a person9s death, mourning is complete.



ISRAEL;or centuries Jews have sustained a commitment to esta!lishing a

homeland for Jews at some point. 6he longing to return to Lion, the hillon which Jerusalem was !uilt, remained a vague dream until 0&=,when 6heodor -er5l wrote #he %e&ish State, which called for modernPalestine to !e the home for -e!rew culture. 6he following year the 8rstLionist Congress convened in :asle, which along with -er5l9s !oo4mar4ed the !eginning of Lionism as an ocial movement. :y &*,some ',<<< American Jews had !ecome Lionists. 6he movement was

!olstered !y the &B* pu!lication of Conservative Mordecai M. Gaplan9sinuential %udaism as a 'ivilizatio", which argued that Judaism as areligion reected the totality of the Jewish people9s consciousness. Assuch, Gaplan asserted that Jewish culture deserved its own centrallocation, Palestine. After orld ar ##, the eort to esta!lish a Jewishstate was helped considera!ly when the :ritish gave the nited )ations

control of Palestine. #n )ovem!er of &*% the nited )ations approveda resolution to partition Palestine into Ara! and Jewish regions. hen#srael declared itself a nation on May *, &*0, President -arry 6rumandecided to ocially recogni5e #srael, despite a longstanding warningfrom the .". "tate epartment that such recognition could anger oil+producing Ara! countries.



"ince the late &B<s American Jews havecontri!uted !illions of dollars in aid tohelp #srael deal with its immigration!urdens and tenuous relations with Ara!neigh!ors. hile the periods of militarystrife in &*0, &=%, and &%B !rought

forth the greatest contri!utions from theAmerican Jewish community, 8nancialsupport for various philanthropic pro2ectshas !een steady over the years.



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