Judaism

1. Judaism Brief Overview

2. Pogroms: brief timeline Pogroms = large-scale, targeted, repeated anti-Semitic rioting Pre-19th century: • 38 - anti-Semitic riots under Roman rule • 2nd c. - communal violence against Jews & Christians who refused to accept Roman rule over Israel • 1095–1291 - massive violent attacks against Jews date during Crusades

3. Pre-19th century pogroms cont. • 11thc. - Muslim pogroms against Jews in Spain. • 1348 - Because of hysteria surrounding the black plague, Jews were massacred throughout Europe. Many surviving Jews fled to Poland. • 1543 - On the Jews and Their Lies (Martin Luther), treatise advocating harsh persecution of Jewish people. • 1648-1654 - Jews & Roman Catholics massacred by Ukrainian Cossacks.

4. 19th Century Pogroms in Russia • 1881-84 - large-scale wave of anti-Jewish riots swept through Russia. Jews were blamed for the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. • Thousands of Jewish homes destroyed, many families were reduced to poverty, large numbers of men, women, & children were injured in 166 towns in today’s Ukraine. • Many Russian Jews reassessed their status in Russian Empire & emigrated to the US. • Boosted the early Zionist movement.

5. 20th Century Pogroms in Russia • 1903-06 – Bloody wave of pogroms, leaving an estimated 2,000 Jews dead & many more wounded. • 1917 Russian revolution & Civil War • 887 mass pogroms • 70,000 to 250,000 Jews killed • Over 300,000 Jewish orphans • about 40% of pogroms perpetuated by Ukrainian forces

6. 20th Century Pogroms outside Russia • 1918 – pogroms in Poland • 1919 – a pogrom in Argentina • 1927 – pogroms in Romania • 1945 - pogroms in Libya & Iraq: led to massive emigration from Arab countries to Israel

7. Holocaust-era pogroms • Nazis encouraged pogroms before larger mass killings began. • Deadly pogroms occurred at the hands of non-Germans (Ukraine & Lithuania). • Romania = 13,266 Jews were killed by Romanian citizens, police & military. • After WWII = isolated pogroms, i.e. Polish pogrom of 1946.

8. Influence of Pogroms • worldwide outcry • massJewish emigration • 2,000,000 Jews fled the Russian Empire between 1880 & 1914, many going to the UK & the US. • Jews became politically active • The General Jewish Labor Union. • Participation in Bolshevik movements. • Jewish self-defense leagues. • Zionism.

9. 4 Movements of Judaism Reform Judaism • 1800s in Germany • Largest Jewish movement in North America, more than 900 congregations & 1.5 million people • Western Europe began to tolerate Jews: granted citizenship & civil rights • Process of social & political liberalization extended to Judaism • Emphasized aspects consistent with rationality & modern thought • Rejected ancient rules & beliefs: dietary laws (kosher); use of spoken languages in place of Hebrew; seating segregation by gender

10. Conservative Judaism • Distinctly US American branch • Some adaptation of Jewish law to contemporary life • Not as far as Reform Jews in updating ancient tradition • Ex. Ordination of Conservative women rabbis is still controversial

11. Orthodox Judaism • Torah was literally bestowed by God on Moses & the Jewish people • Torah is sacred and beyond challenge Ultra-orthodox Hasidic Judaism • 1700’s in Poland • mystical Judaism that finds divine presence in all places • rabbis are charismatic leaders with special powers to perform miracles • Jews lived in segregated ghettos, shtetls

12. Origins • God established covenant with Abraham • Divine promise to Abraham that his descendants would enjoy God’s blessing • In turn, they were obligated to obey the divine word • Hebrews embraced Judaism • Monotheism • Ethical behavior

13. Torah = 1st 5 books of the Hebrew Bible received by Moses • Core sacred text of Judaism from about 3,500 years ago • Essence of a way of life: devotion to God, life-long learning, reason, wisdom, ethical conduct • Talmud – 60 books of rabbis’ thinking & decisions between 300 and 500 • Rome conquered Middle East • Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed • Ancient Jewish state of Israel became a province of the Roman Empire • Jewish Diaspora = dispersion of Jewish communities throughout W. & E. Europe, N. Africa, & E. Mediterranean

14. Some Core Beliefs • Flexibility in belief = no hierarchical religious authority codifies & enforces religious precepts • Rabbi interpretations of sacred texts • Ethical practice & moral action = more important than conformity to abstract theological or ritual rules • People are created in God’s image & are uniquely capable of performing good deeds: mitzvah (righteous acts)

15. God’s creation is an unending process, always unfolding in the virtuous actions of people • Land of Israel = God commanded Abraham to settle in Israel • Returning to the Promised Land = coming of the messiah, ending 2000 yrs. of exile • 1948 = modern state of Israel • Longing for the homeland expressed in prayers

16. “chosen people” = covenant placed responsibilities on Jewish people to demonstrate by their own actions the universal truth of God’s commandments • Jews were to guide others in living morally & ethically • NOT an ethnocentric sense of superiority or entitlement • Human nature = people are self-determining: can choose to act righteously or sinfully

17. Judaism Focuses on this world • Heaven & hell vaguely mentioned in Jewish writings: not distinct places where divinity dispenses rewards & punishments for behavior on earth • Heaven & hell are experienced in this life as rewards & punishments for human actions