Estefania Jimenez
Module 8
• What is the criteria for being Jewish? What does it mean to be Jewish?
While doing research on the Internet, I discovered that according to Halakha, a Jew by birth must be born to a Jewish mother. The acceptance of the principles of Judaism does not make a person a Jew. However, those who are born Jewish do not lose that status because they cease to be observant Jews, even if they adopt practices of any other religion. In some cases, a person may convert to Judaism where you must adopt some or all beliefs of Judaism. As well as joining a synagogue, learning the Hebrew language, buying Jewish books and a Torah, and in some cases if you are becoming a Chasidic or orthodox like my stepfather, you must follow the
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For the most part you cannot be disqualified from being Jewish. However, you are required to be religiously observant, or at the very least be traditional. Technically, there is no exit strategy to stop being Jewish.
• Are there Jews who do not believe in God and do not practice Jewish customs?
There can be Jews who are good people without the belied in God, but ultimately Judaism cannot continue to exist without the belief in God because the Jewish historical narrative depends on it. Some people would argue that Judaism is a culture and tradition that one can embrace without religious faith, despite Jewish culture revolving around god, like being an Atheist. Jews who survived the holocaust and became atheist are still technically Jewish. Even though they do not practice the religion they would still be considered Jewish because they are born from a Jewish mother or conversion.
• If a Jew is born Jewish, follows Jewish rituals and customs, but they believe in anyone as a Messiah (for example, Lubavitch - Brooklyn Messiah), is that person
The life of a child in the 1930-1940 was not an easy life not if you were a Nazi, not if you were Jewish. These Children lost their childhood because of a war. Their shattered childhood creates stories that seem horrific to us today. Life as a child growing up in a Nazi family is probably easier than dealing with the problems that the Jewish children have. However, every Nazi child had to sign up for the Hitler Youth. The Hitler Youth was an organization to discipline young minds and preach to them about anti semitism. Hitler Youth was one of the largest youth groups in Europe at the time if parents did not have their children in it they would face fines or have charges of imprisonment. The Nazi regime brainwashed the kids, they made them aggressive and intolerable. In the group there was even a small ‘Gestapo’ that would make sure all the children were doing the correct task if not the ‘Gestapo’ would report this. This shows how much power the children were given. During the 1940s more boys were recruited to join the army or guard concentration camps and ghettos. When the allied forces surrounded Germany the Nazi’s decided everyone of he age of fifteen and above would have to fight the war. They would be given rigorous training,
Orthodox Judaism considers itself the authentic bearer of the religious Jewish tradition and believes highly in the preservation of tradition. It is also the oldest form of Judaism. In the United States it is estimated that today approximately 21% of Jews identify themselves as Orthodox (United Jewish Communities, 2003). The essential principle of Orthodox Judaism is Torah min Hashamayim, which mens that the Torah and all its commentaries and interpretations are divinely revealed (Einstein& Kukoff, 1989, p. 151). According to Orthodox Judaism because all the laws and traditions of Judaism are of direct and divine origin, they must be followed by all Jews.
Prejudice and the Holocaust Prejudice was the main factor that led to the holocaust. For some, resisting these forms of oppression was survival. Considering the dehumanizing the Nazis had forced upon the Jews, people took whatever courage and strength they had to get through this period of time. I believe luck also had a part to play in survival.
Living in a world where African Americans are judged because of their skin color, while whites are passed by with no other thought is confusing. What do people think when they see me? I am biracial, and because of this, I’ve faced the struggle of having to explain my races to those who can’t tell, or just make an incorrect assumption. It’s not a bad thing, having two races and two cultures, because I’ve been open to multiple traditions my entire life, but sometimes it’s hard not being considered a whole person because I’m not considered one race or the other. Being biracial has shaped my life experience and the way I see the world in countless ways.
Holocaust Hero: A One of a Kind Man. What is a hero? A hero can be classified as a number of things. A hero can be a person who, in the opinions of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.
Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism, in fact, is the oldest of the three major religions that believe in a single God. The other two, Christianity and Islam, have been strongly influenced by Judaism, which is a big part of western civilization today. In the beginning, Jews were a tribe, a band of nomads, more than likely shepherds that may have died out if they would have remained merely shepherds. Jews were one of many “nations” to be found in the ancient Near East.
“Orthodox sects have arisen over the centuries. One distinction within the Orthodox is in regard to social engagement. Some sects of Orthodox Judaism claim the Jews, as the people of God, should live completely segregated from gentiles whereas other Orthodox sects believe Jews can keep the Torah and live in the secular world simultaneously” (Orthodox Judaism). There are over 60 Jewish Synagogues in Miami-Dade County alone. Among the synagogues, there are also Jewish communi...
In the Jewish faith, death is seen as a natural process. Jewish rituals surrounding death focus on showing respect for the deceased and consolation for the living. After death, the body is never left alone. The body is laid on the floor, covered, and candles are lit with the “shomerim” meaning “guards” watching over the body. Many Jewish communities have a burial society, called the chevra kaddisha (holy society), that clean the body and wrap the body in a plain linen shroud. The body can not be cremated or embalmed and autopsies are discouraged. Coffins are not required according to Jewish customs, but if one is used, there must be holes drilled into them, so they come in contact with the ground. The dead are placed in a plain casket and buried within 24 hours, before sunset, on the day of death. Jewish mourning traditions begin grief with the tearing of one’s clothing (Rich, 1996). Mourners “cut their clothing with a razor- on the left for a parent; on the right for a spouse, child, or sibling- to symbolize the tear in life that death has produced (cite textbook, pg 358).” After burial of the deceased, a healing meal is made for the family, which is followed by the next phase of mourning, known as shiva. Shiva is a seven day ritual in where mourners sit on low stools or on the floor, do not wear shoes, do not shave, do not work, do not bathe, have sex, or eat meat, and remain in the same clothes they tore at the time of death. Following shiva, mourners do not attend social gathering for 30 days, this is known as shloshim. If someone is mourning a parents death, the “shloshim” is expanded to one year (Rich, 1996).
If one was born a Jew, then they are always Jewish, despite how dedicated one is to the confidence and practice of Judaism. This is on account of at one's center having a Jewish soul passed on to you by your Jewish ancestors. It is, to place it in different terms, your profound DNA whether one believes in God or
We believe in one true God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible (Genesis ch. 1 and 2). We also believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, became incarnate of the Holy Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit (St. Matthew 1:16). He was crucified for us, resurrected, ascended into Heaven, and promised to come again to judge the living and the departed (Acts 1:11). This is the basic ideology of the Orthodox Christian faith.
The religion origin of Judaism was developed in the Middle East, dates back thousands of years, and can be seen within the bible. God gave the Jews the 10 commandments and other rules to live and are contained within the Torah, which is known to be the Jewish Bible. Many Hebrew consider themselves as a disintegrating nation. A major defining event for this community was the Holocaust, in which over six million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Also, Israel is the only Jewish state in the world.
There are a number of reasons why someone who is not of Jewish descent might want to learn Hebrew. For Christians, learning Hebrew offers them the ability to read sections of the Bible in its original language. For Historians, it opens up a world of firsthand access to early Jewish literature. For those of Jewish descent, learning Hebrew is considered their connection to Israel and their key to learning from the primary sources. Anyone who has learned a language can tell you that things can often be lost in translation, and having the opportunity to read through the original text yourself can give you answers you missed when reading the translated text. If you're interested in learning Hebrew, here are some basics to keep in mind as you learn. Get started right now with a Hebrew for Beginners class.
Being able to identify with a certain group has been an issue that individuals hesitate with daily. Am I Black, are you a girl, what religion do you practice? These are all common questions that society has forced individuals to concentrate on. Should an individual have to pick a side or is it relevant to the human race to identify with any group? One may believe not, but for others having and knowing one’s own identity is important, because it is something that they have been developing their entire life. Along with how their identity influenced their life chances and their self-esteem. This can also affect how society interact with whatever identity an individual chooses to live. Which is why it was important to recognize how identifying
In general, one is Jewish if born of a Jewish mother or if he or she converts to Judaism. Jewish history dates back
“Dylan, wake up!” My mom yelled to my room from the hallway. It was January 28, 2017, my Bar Mitzvah date. This date means a lot to me, I had been going to Hebrew school and studying for about 5 years to prepare me for this specific day. Today is a very important day for me and my family, we have been looking forward to this day ever since I started Hebrew School.