Modern development of Judaism and the shaping of Jewish identity

Question 1

What is secularisation?

Answer 1

refers to the historical process in which religion losses social and cultural significance.

Question 2

what are 3 ways does secularization challenge Judaism?

Answer 2

1) The intergrity of the law is less important
2) Food laws challenged
3) Conflict between reform and orthodox Jews

Question 3

Do secular jews obide by a Torah or Mitzvoth?

Answer 3

No they do not , they are governed by a humanist value system

Question 4

According to Jewish tradition how many temples were destroyed?

Answer 4

3

Question 5

What is a Babylon?

Answer 5

it is used for any governmental system which is either oppresive or unjust.

Question 6

What was the first temple and describe it?

Answer 6

The soloman temple. It was destroyed by the babylonians in 586BCE.

Question 7

What does exile mean?

Answer 7

the state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons

Question 8

What was the 2nd temple?

Answer 8

was the Jewish holy temple which stood on the temple Mount in Jersalem during the second temple period, between 516 BCE and 70CE.

Question 9

What is the third temple?

Answer 9

Jewish theology includes a belief that the second temple will be replaced by a future temple.

Question 10

What are 3 modern scholars thought on the destruction of the temple have on the disapora?

Answer 10

Gafni
Kook
Kaplan

Question 11

What does Gafni say about the impact of the disapora due to the destruction of the temple?

Answer 11

Jewish dispersion raised questions that went to the heart of Jewish idenitiy. The destruction of the Jesuralem and the temple in 70CE forced Jews to leave Judea and re-evaluate the nature of the bonds that linked Jews throughout the world to the ‘The land’.

Question 12

What else did the destruction of the temple have on Jewish disapora? ( Gafni)

Answer 12

It also affected a re-examination of the authority structure for the communal leaders still functioning in Jewish Palestine.

Question 13

What does Kook think about how the destruction of the temple had on the disapora?

Answer 13

Kook argued that there is no separation between religious and secular life. He reffered to the Kabbalah and said they have a task of changing earthly aspects of existence. There needs to be a renewal of Jewish life in the land of Israel.

Question 14

What did Kaplan think about the destruction of the temple had on the disapora?

Answer 14

The view that Jews had a supernatural God, who revealed him self to Moses is disintegrated due to the disapora. The Jewish faith is about civilization.

Question 15

What are 3 different effects Jewish disapora had on Jewish idenitiy?

Answer 15

1) Created two different main types of Jews ( reform and Orthodox)
2) Emphasises the importance of Jewish traditions in terms of preserving faith
3) Different communities can be formed around the world, helping to support rabbinic Judaism. ( preserving abrahamic teachings

Question 16

What are 2 additional effects the disapora had on Jewish identity?

Answer 16

Brings Jews closer together

Increased the population of Jews.

Question 17

What does Liberation mean?

Answer 17

the action of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release

Question 18

What 2 scholars have a view of Jewish Liberationism

Answer 18

Marc. H. Ellis

Mendelssohn

Question 19

What does Marc. H.Ellis see the holocaust as?

Answer 19

He sees it as the formative event of contemporary Judaism and regards it as Jewish survivial.

Question 20

What does Ellis believe about the covenant between Jews and Israel?

Answer 20

He beleives that Jewish people have neglected the covenant between God and Israel ( he means here that Israel seek Justice for the oppressed in their struggle for liberation. The oppressed are the Third world american blacks and Palenstinian Arabs.

Question 21

Accoriding to Eliis what has stopped many oppressed Jews of solidarity ?

Answer 21

Belives that Jews should focus more on Jewish values, such as fighting for the oppressed, rather than capitalism or nationalism.

Question 22

What are Mendelssohn’s view Liberationism and secularization?

Answer 22

Encouraged Jews to intergrate in secular socieities, and form positive relationships with other religions. Jews should abide by Jewish mitzvots and laws to go to heaven. They should abide to them out of faith and being the chosen ones, not out of fear.

Question 23

What is Mendelsohn’s view on Modernization of Judaism?

Answer 23

Advocater of modernising Jewish life - Mendelossohn translated Jewish bible into German

Question 24

What does Tikkum Olam mean?

Answer 24

World repair

Question 25

What does Tikkum Olam mean for religious people?

Answer 25

It is their goal to do this, secular jews use this term as well for modern issues.

Question 26

What is the significance of Jews being the chosen ones?

Answer 26

It is significant because it impacts their relationship with God, they have high expectations to fill.

Question 27

What was Green’s view of the creation story?

Answer 27

He didn’t believe in the literal interpretation of genesis but maintained the idea that God was involved in the origin of the universe and of species

Question 28

What did Reform Jews believe evolution should be viewed and how did this support how God is viewed?

Answer 28

The order of the universe doesn’t prove God’s existence although, the evolution enlightened for progrssive change and design, and this provided a strong case for God as a creator.

Question 29

What did Rabbis believe about the rise of secularisation in 1920 and 30?

Answer 29

God will be undermined and that there will be less intergrity to the law

Question 30

Cohen (1931) says that human nature is aggressive and destructive, what does he use to support this?

Answer 30

WW1,evolution helped to explain this of human mankind.

Question 31

Do you believe that the theory of evolution can have an impact on Jews fufiling their covenant with God?

Answer 31

Yes as Jews undermine the intergrity of his law.

Question 32

What was Kaplan’s view on God?

Answer 32

He called for a reconstitution of Judaism and wanted Judaism to evolve to modern civilization, that emphasized belonging over believing.

Question 33

How did Evolution theory justify the Holocaust?

Answer 33

The Nazi’s argued the superiority of the aryan race- being the most highly evolved and the inferior races were black gypises. Evolution helped Justify anti-seminitism.

Question 34

How might the role of Darwinism in the Holocaust enhance Jewish identity?

Answer 34

It led to rabbis such as Rashi to come up with theories to enhance Jewish identity.

Question 35

Why might Jews want to engage in science in the first place?

Answer 35

1) The Haskalah movement ( Mendelossohn advocated secular studies)
2) Emanicptation of Jews ( Jews were forced to surrender part of their religion to become memeber of society)
3) Evolution became a secular idea that Jewish thinkers needed to address.

Question 36

What does Emancipation mean?

Answer 36

The fact of being set free from legal restrictions ( liberation)