Judaism Notes

Unit 2: The Roots of Fundamentalism in Judaism Research Questions A Period (17) Student___Heidi 1. Who are the Sephardic Jews and how were they impacted by (Battle for God text PDF p.12-17) (Sephardic & Ashkenazi Jews Schoology folder): * Conquering of Granada (Reconquista) * in 1492 were all in granada * Edict of Expulsion * most of Seph Jews have left spain * Spanish Inquisition

Student___Leah 2. What is Isaac Luria’s Kabbalah and why was it so popular among 16th Century Sephardic Jews? (BfG text PDF p.18-21) (Sephardic & Ashkenazi Jews Schoology folder): * Issac Luria (Sephardic Jew, believed to be a Messiah) * articulated the myth, the Kabbalah, creation myth that deals with exile. * New creation myth: Ein Sof (the god that had to exile itself to create the rest of the world) * Tikkun: god is broken and soft (literally means Gather together) * Shekhinah: god is scattered all over the world. * resonated with the sephardic jews because they were under exile from the edict of expulsion * exile was inscribed in the very being of the jews. * many jews started to understand the Kabbalah, and follow the "Luranic Kabbalah" (Rise at midnight, remove shoes, weep, rub dust on face) * Went for long walks, etc. * Did this prayer in isolation to get closer to their god.

Student___Mia 3. What is today’s Kabbalah about (what are Madonna, Demi Moore, and Aston Kutcher doing with their red strings)? (The Kabbalah Schoology folder) * interpret the torah in a mystical way * mechubal, would use stones, crystals, to that they can be the receivers of the knowledge being dispensed. * These things dont seem too jewish, oddly "new-agey" a way of meditation rooted in jewish tradition of Kabbalah. * Red strings, are these bracelets that are literally a string and sometimes have a little thing on them like the evil eye to ward off evil spirits. * Many people wear them on red carpets, award shows, etc. Red strings are part of the religion, and are used as more of a good luck charm. Tied on the left wrist to be closer to the heart/ soul.

Student___Edison 4. Who are Ashkenazi Jews and how are they distinct from Sephardic Jews? (Sephardic & Ashkenazi Jews Schoology folder) * Ashkenazi Jews * Jewish population from the roman empire, speak yiddish (hebrew+german), about 11million people. * einstein was ashkenazi, so was freud. * How are they different? * Location wise, so mostly america, canada, russia are ashkenazi * africa south america etc are sephardic * ashkenazi jews are very isolated, need to keep the bloodline pure, won 204/900 nobel prizes. * 15% of ashkenazi wont make it over 25, because of inbreeding, both positive and negative affect because of really high natural IQ.

Student___Grace 5. Who were Bal Shem Tov and Rabbi Nachman? How were their Hasidic practices (worship, dietary laws, gender roles, and outward appearance) different from the traditional Judaism of the 18th & 19th Century? (BfG text PDF p.122-124) (18 th & 19th Century Hasidic & Haredi movements Schoology folder)(Rabbi Nachman videos) * Bal Shem Tov * Founder of Hasidism, (master of the good name) (Besht) * Being a very charismatic leaders * he differed from some of the other rabbis for their scholarship * worked as a teacher rather than some high scholar. * Known for meditation or wandering in nature * argued that it was more about a deep personal connection w god rather than studying the scripture himself. * Rabbi Nachman * Great grandson of bal shem tov * born in 1772, visited israel to go, but never reached jerusalem. * surrounded by devout hasidic jews, be connected with the understanding of the world. * your world is a very narrow bridge to the true world and your connection with god. * Lost his wife to tuberculosis. * moved to Uman, kinda a pilgrimage site now. * Recogized for his storytelling. * Also reflected in yiddish as well. * teachings focused on personal experiences and connection to the divine vs the rote memorization * Hasidic Jews * Orthodox spiritual jewish revival movement. * Both hasidic and traditional jewish ppl both follow kosher law. Can be more strict in certain places. * There are specific black outerwear, but several groups have different subtleties, that you can identify as a specific sects, can be color of clothing or hats or something else. * in terms of practice, hasidic jews tie much practice into storytelling, mostly derived from ashkenazi jewish traditions. * Gender roles, much more conservative for women. Men expected to dedicate themselves to prayer. * Functioning not only as spirital leaders but as lighthouses to their followers.

Student__Devin 6. What are the practices and demographics of modern Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews? (Modern American Judaism… Schoology folder) * Haredi Judaism: * Adheres strictly to jewish law, places emphasis on study and separation from the secular world * 2.1 million Haredi Jews. * Not employed traditionally * education system focuses on Torah. * Yeshivas, etc. * Fastest growing religious population * contribute by teaching religion. * appearances * wear different hats, Shtrimel, Spodik, Borsalino, Fedora, to identify the different types of haredim. * media and tech restricition * control their consumption through "Kosher" phones, and newspapers and magazines. * Balance between lifestyle and modern technology. * kinda like a christian fundamentalist saying "no dancing" * religious practices take precedence over secular employment. * Kapparot: ritual to transfer sins, chicken to wave over someones head, to transfer the sins to the chicken and then kill the chicken. *

Student___Clay 6. What were the Chmielnicki Pogroms (1648-1659) and how did they scare European Jews into a Messianic frenzy? (BfG text PDF p.35) (Chmielnicki Pogroms & Famous Jewish Messiahs Schoology folder) * Chmielnicki Pogroms: * this was a massacare of a lot of jews lead by bo han chmielnicki * the pogroms were part of a broader cossack leader, the group was a part of a broader Ukranian uprisiing against polish rule. Thousands of Jews, among polish nobles were massacared. up to 100,000 jews. Entire communities were wiped out, meaning that. * Jewish people were forced to kill each other, were buried alive, murdered in synagoges. * fear and response * jews among the rest of the world saw the massacares as divine pushinshment * shock led increased belief in mystical redemption * brought back the luranic kabbalah * Shabbetai Tzvi, was a self proclaimed messiah. He was a falsely claimed messiah and converted to islam. * Why it matters. * demonstrates how trauma can lead to religious and societal shifts. * shows the deep rooted history of jewish persecution in Europe.

Student___Parsa 8. Give us a profile of this famous Messiah figure in Jewish History (Chmielnicki Pogroms & Famous Jewish Messiahs Schoology folder) * Simon Bar Kokhba * Military leader and political ruler best known for commanding a jewish revolt against roman rule. * believed by many jews to be the Messiah. * Established short-lived independent jeish state in judea * Died during roman siege of betar. * Background: * roman rule and oppression in Judea (2nd century CE) * destruction of the second temple (70 ce) * jewish desire for a messiah and independence. * Bar kokhba revolt. * triggered by roman bans on jewish practices. (i.e. circumcision) * Period was seen as a temporary period of the fulfilment of messianic hopes. * a lot of people saw simon was not the messiah. * Both were seen as messianic figures. * They desired a leader who could practically restore jewish independence. * As soon as simon died, the people saw simon as a false messiah, and did not fulfill his prophecized promises. *

Student__Charlie 9. Give us a profile of this famous Messiah figure in Jewish History (BfG text PDF p.35-39) (Chmielnicki Pogroms & Famous Jewish Messiahs Schoology folder) * Shabbetai Zevi * Of all the messiahs, this this guy is the most famous * influential jewish figure * born in smyrna in the ottoman empire in 1626 * early teachings * rebelled against traditional jewish teachings * unorthodoxy was possibly related to mental illmness * due to his radical teachins and actions, he was ousted by and he wandered by 15 years * rabbi nathan met zebi and encouranged him to continue his teachings as the messiah \ * with his support, the moveemtn grew super rapidly * height of his influance * attempted to convert the sultan to his cause. * the sultan forced him to convert to islam. * some of his followers stayed with him as "donmeh" mostly in modern day greece * donmeh still exist today.

Student___Aidan 10. Give us a profile of this famous Messiah figures in Jewish History (Chmielnicki Pogroms & Famous Jewish Messiahs Schoology folder) * Jacob and Eve Frank * grew up to a merchant before claiming that he was the messiah * called for jewish to be less traditional, saw antinomian faith. * Shocked rabbis and traditional jewish communities. * Public book burnings of the talmud. * He was going against, etc. * imprisoned by catholic church * Eve frank * messianic queen * worshiped her as the "Holy lady." Ulike her father, but didnt claim to be a messiah or prophet. * people became very skeptical of them during more public ceremonies. * Frankism. * breaking the laws of the talmud, to strengthen their connection with God. * drinking, partying. * Mass conversion to christianity, while retaining jewish faith. *

Student___Hugo 11. What is the Lubbavitcher sect of Hasidic Judaism and how are they distinct from all other Hasidic Jews? (Modern American Judaism… Schoology folder) * Habbad center of

Student__Cam 12. Give us a profile of Matisyahu’s life journey as the world’s most famous Hasidic Jew. (Modern American Judaism… Schoology folder) * Early life * Matthew paul miller * father was a synagouge leaders * fostered rich spiritual environment. * childhood * as a child he was introduced to a lot of music * ultimately influenced his artistry, and met many hasidic jews by being in new york * influences in early life * hip hop/reggae, * developed a perspective on spirituality and music * made "one day" * his music is deeply rooted his spiritual faith * 90,000 members of this new jewish faith. * embraced its teachings, his songs are filled with biblical references * "jerusalem" and "king w/o a crown" * his music continues to explore themes of faith, spirituality. * Reggae rap and jewish themes "Live at stubbs" (2005) * became hits for having * Musical styles and influences * lyrical themes explore spirituality and love, and self discovery, drawing * achieved many significant milestones in his career. * groundbreaking artist. * his journey reflects

Student___CeCe 13. The majority of American Jews are non-practicing or identify with Modern Reform Judaism. What are some of Reform Judaism’s common beliefs and practices (worship, dietary laws, gender roles, and outward appearance) of Reform Judaism? (Modern American Judaism… Schoology folder) * Reform Judaism * largest jewish denomination in the US * emphasizes adaptation w modern life * unlike traditional jewish groups, focuses on ethical teachings over rituals * Promotes inclusivity and social justice. * Beliefs * focus on justice and mmroality, * personal autonomy * progressive revelation. * Services in both hebrew and engish * music and choirs commonly used. * gender equality in religious leadership * ritual items (kippah, etc.) * Main Ideas * Keeping kosher is not mandatory * dont follow dietary laws * no required dress code * mosety in dress is a personal choice * do not accept that god gave the torah to moses * the source of the torach was several different authors * compilation of several texts * About blending tradition with modern values. * encourages personal choice in religious practices. * strong focus on ethics, equality, and inclusion.

Student___Arhaan 14. Summarize the Sykes-Picot agreement (1916) and the Balfour Declaration (1917). (focus on how these early 20th Century events are still affecting current events in the Middle East today - maps are extremely helpful). (Zionism & The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict Schoology folder) * Sykes Picot Agreement * Secred 1916 agreement, splitting the ottoman empire into spheres of influence * drawn to accomodate what the europeans wanted, not what the ethnic groups in the area * between britain and france. * colonies like iraq, lebanon, palestine, etc, were all separated along ethnic lines. * Curds were divided along syr * Balfour Declaration * Issued by britain to a zionist leaders, * expressed for a national home for jewish people in palestine * did not consult the arab majority already living there * aimed to gain jewish support turing world war 1 * ignored that the arabs were living in israel * conflic as both jews and arabs claimed the land as theirs. * jewish people got alll of the * sparked arab resistance/riots, * paved the way for the creation of israel. * lead to multiple wars, (1948, 1967, etc.) * connection * both declarations did not go over what the local population required,

Student__Roshan 15. Give a brief history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine (focus on the creation of Israel in 1949, the 1967 war, the 1993 Oslo Accords, and an update on where thing stand today in the current conflict sparked on Oct. 7, 2023 - maps are extremely helpful). (Zionism & The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict Schoology folder)

Students___Sam & Sophie 16. What is the “Two State Solution” that commonly is thought to be a way to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict? What are its Pros & Cons? What is the “Trilemma” for Israel? How do the settlements by the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews make a solution more difficult? What is the connection with Zionism? (Zionism & The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict Schoology folder) * Israeli and Palestinian people leiving side by side in their own sovereign countries * mutually agreed borders/agreements * Obama was important in the discussion * pros * would end this pattern of violence * reduce refugees * allow for self determination * international legitimacy, support and recognition from the UN, etc * economic development * impacts on settlements * doesnt address continutn against israel * mutual * Haredi Jews make settlement solution difficult. * difficult to draw coherent borders * right now, we have a trilemma, * israel wants respect, security, and jewish-majority state * outbreaks of violence * Connection to zionism * we have the liberal zionists, support 2-state solution * have right wing religious zionists (argue for full israeli control over the land) * it becomes harder as we have more israeli settlements