Transcript homepage/kcollins/File/Jewish_History_slide_show - Parkway C-2

THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS
• ANCIENT WORLD
• MIDDLE AGES
• AGE OF
ENLIGHTENMENT
THE ANCIENT WORLD
• Abraham=father of Judaism
• 1st monotheistic faith—early persecution b/c everyone else
polytheistic
– God told him to move to Canaan (Israel)
– Covenant w/ God “I will make you a great nation”…if
Hebrews remain faithful to God
– Grandson, Jacob (aka Israel) raised 12 sons (12 Tribes of
Israel)
– Famine in Canaan-fled to Egypt where enslaved by
pharaoh
– 1200 bc-Moses led exodus into Sinai Desert
– God renewed Covenant w/ Moses and given 10
Commandments-promised Holy Land
The Struggle for Canaan
• 200 years of warfare
• Israelites united under David-established Jerusalem as capital
• Under David’s son, Solomon, 10 Tribes broke away-formed
Israel, 2 Tribes to South-formed Judah (where we get term Jew)
• Now weaker, since divided
• Israel and Judah conquered-Jews scatter (diaspora)
• Begins Babylonian exile—best/brightest taken by Babylonians
• Many prophets arise-Jews worship in synagogues
• POSSIBILITY THAT ROOTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM GO BACK
THIS FAR-JEWS SEEN AS OUTCASTS, REJECTED
POLYTHEISM
ROMAN RULE AND
CHRISTAIN OPPOSITION
• Jews were conquered off and on until 63 BC, came under rule of
Rome (Jewish political independence not regained again until
1948)
• Perpetual revolts vs Roman rule—repressed and punished
• 70AD-under Titus-Jerusalem sacked and Temple destroyed
• 132 AD-Jews revolted again against Emperor Hadrianforbade Jewish practices
• Jews of Judea were either killed, enslaved, or forced to
flee
• Christianity became official religion of Rome-furthered
persecution
• Christian Laws
– Death penalty if Jew converts Christian
wife/slave
– Marriage between
Jews/Christians=adultery
– Jews barred from Civil Service
– No new synagogues
– Couldn’t be members of guilds
– 7th Century-mandatory baptism of all
Jews in Byzantium, France, Spain
THE MIDDLE AGES
• Holy Crusades-many Jews killed by Christians both in
Jerusalem and throughout West/East Europe
• Jews banned from carrying weapons-relied on neighbors/rulers
to aid them
• EXPULSIONS
– ENGLAND-1290
– FRANCE-1394
– SPAIN-1492
– GERMANY-1400 (AFTER POGROMS AGAINST THEM)
– MANY FLED WESTERN EUROPE AND MOVED EASTPOLAND, HUNGARY
SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT
JEWS:
• Blood Libel-Jews killed Christian
children for blood to be used in Passover
ceremonies
• Jews poisoned wells
• Jews started the plague-God’s punishment
• Jews were forced to wear badges, live in
ghettos, Christians burned Jewish books
• Local clergy, monks, friars led attacks
• Inquisitions-forced to convert or be killed
AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
• New political thought-all men created equal,
etc.-led to American, French, English
Revolutions
• Jews played a part in all
• Allowed for greater acceptance of Jews
• Allowed in military, schools, etc.
• Began to assimilate into society-especially in
Western Europe
EASTERN VS WESTERN JEWS
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HIGH PROPORTION OF NATIONAL
MINORITIES THAT DESIRED
REUNIFICATION W/ MOTHER LAND
JEWISH COMMUNITIES DECLINED
IN PROPORTION TO SURROUNDING
NON-JEWISH POPULATION
MANY ORTHODOX JEWS
MAJ. SPOKE “JEWISH LANGUAGES”
JEWISH NATIONAL IDENTITY HIGH
LITTLE INTERMARRIAGE
MORE RURAL (HIGH PROFILES IN
CITIES)
MANY LIVED IN POVERTY
POLITICALLY ACTIVE FOR JEWS
SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS
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FEW OF THESE PROBLEMS
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JEWS DECLINED IN PROPORTION TO
NON-JEWS AND IN ABSOLUTE
TERMS
FEW ORTHODOX JEWS
MOST SPOKE VERNACULAR
JUDAISM=RELIGION. NATIONAL
IDENTITY W/ THE STATE
INTERMARRIAGE RISING
MORE URBAN
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MIDDLE CLASS
AFFILIATED W/ LOCAL POL. PARTY
FULL NATIONAL/CITIZENSHIP
RIGHTS
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RECENT HISTORY OF POGROMS
AND OVERT ACTS OF ANTISEMITISM
JEWISH CHILDREN ATTENDED
JEWISH SCHOOLS
CONDITIONSWERE FAVORABLE
FOR “JUDAISM” BUT
UNFAVORABLE FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL JEW
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FEW ACTS OF ANTI-SEMITISMDISCRIMINATION ON MORE
SOCIAL LEVEL
FEW JEWISH CHILDREN ATTEND
JEWISH SCHOOLS
CONDITIONS WERE GOOD FOR
THE INDIVIDUAL JEW BUT BAD
FOR “JUDAISM”
The Jews into the 20th Century
Two Defining Moments: Holocaust/Formation of Israel
• Late 1800s
– Increasing Pogroms in
Russia/E. Europe
– Increased AntiSemitism in Germany
– Jews seen more as a
virus-drain on
resources of host
nation
• “Protocols of the Elders of
Zion”
– Document believed to be
written by a Jew (actually, a
forgery)
– Plot of Jews to overtake
world
– Still seen in anti-Semitic
literature
• Zionism
– Desire to build
autonomous Jewish
society
– Most wanted to be in
Palestine-had been
promised to Abraham
– 1917-Balfour
Declaration-G.B.
promised Jews that if
they supported G.B. in
WWI, Jews could have
Palestine (upset Arabs)
• WWI
– 140,000 European Jews
died fighting for homeland
– Increased pogroms
– Immigration restricted
– High death rate, low birth
rate
– Increased anti-Semitism in
Germany-political parties
gaining power-general
population ignores their
anti-Jewish rhetoric
Science/Darwinism/Malthus, and the Nazis
• Rudolph Hoess said
“National Socialism is
nothing by applied
biology”
• Hitler “The mission of the
German people is to
assemble and preserve the
most valuable stocks of
basic racial elements and
slowly and severely raising
them to a dominant
position”
• Darwin:
– Sexual reproduction
instinct is so great
that no country will
be able to support
the ‘product’-it
leads to a struggle
for existence
• Malthus
– Life increases beyond
the nourishment
prepared for it
– Give man more food,
he’ll breed more
– Population increases
geometrically-means of
subsistence increases
mathematically
– Future is dismalstarving masses
• 19th Century Means of
dealing w/ population
problems:
– Encouraged habits contrary to
cleanliness
– Streets narrower, crowd people
into close quarters, build
villages close to stagnant
ponds,marshes
– Acquire foreign territory for
national survival
– Wanted large tracts of land to
spread out
– War is regulator of populationbiologically necessary
Turning Malthus into Naziism
• Adolf Jost (Mentor of Hitler)-argued that for sake of social
organism-state must take responsibility for death of individualsonly healthy people should have children
• Living space “lebensraum” was taken from Germany after WWI,
needed to focus on population in remaining land
• State has natural right to kill individuals in order to keep the
nation alive and healthy
• Destruction of life unworthy of life was a healing treatment for
the state
• Sterilization necessary b/c the “unworthy” will continue to
reproduce, possibly at higher rate than those worthy or
reproduction-natural selection will not work…must be
implemented by state.