The Jewish History and Culture
History of the Jewish Population
The Jewish people, who are also referred to as The people of Israel originated form Abraham, a central figure in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Abraham is the one behind the notion that only one God exists, the God that formed the whole universe. Abraham, Yitshak, (his son), who is also referred to as Isaac, and Israel (his grandson), biblically known as Jacob are the patriarchs of the Jewish people. All of them inhabited the land of Canaan, which was later referred to as Israel. After they died, they were all buried in a tomb referred to as the Tomb of the Patriarchs in a place called Hebron. The name Israel is gotten from Jacobs other name and he had of twelve sons. These are the pillars of the twelve tribes that resulted to the Jewish nation. The word Jew is derived from Judah (Yehuda), which is the name of one of Jacobs sons (Science Co, 2010).
All Abrahams descendants became one nation in 1300 BCE. This was after they left Egypt, being led by Moses. Afterwards, Moses gave the Ten Commandments and the Torah to the people. He later led them to Israel, which was the land that God promised all the descendants of Israel. Today, the Jewish people have the same culture and language that was used in the Abrahamic days. They have also continued to inhabit the Israel land since time immemorial (Science Co, 2010).
In 587 BCE, there was a change in the Jewish nation. Superpower empires were created, which traced from the Babylonian empire to the British one. In 1948, a person named David Ben Gurion led into the establishment of the Israel sovereignty. All the British forces left the nation. As a result, Israel was declared an independent state, as it is today (Science Co, 2010).
The strengths of the Jews
The Jewish people have a very strong quality as far as their religion is concerned. The Jews practice the Judaism religion. All the followers of the Judaism religion believe that religion sets them apart as a chosen tribe by God. Their strict observance of their religion traces to the earlier days, when they were in exile. They were referred to as the Jews of Diaspora, and were considered as a minority among all the other tribes. It was not easy for them to practice their religion during the periods when they were in exile. However, they tried all they could for they knew their religions importance. It served the purpose of continuing the communitys survival. This was to ensure that the community was not absorbed by the other communities, which were the majority (Katz, 1996). Up to date, they follow all the laws given to them, and their very unique rituals, like the Kaparot (Truth for Saints, 2010).
The Jewish people believe more in deeds than doctrines. They are guided by Leviticus 1918 in the Old Testament. It states that Do not take revenge nor bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbor as you love yourself (Morison, 2006). All the Jews are encouraged to love all people, and help all those who are in need. It is the responsibility of all the communities on earth to love all the people, despite of their religion or race. In order for the Jews to love one another, wisdom is an important requirement. The wisdom here should be both multifaceted and insightful. This is what is stated by the Law of Torah. When all the Jews understand their positive traits, they will learn to love one another (Morrison, 2006).
Based on their character, the Jews are very industrious. In America, there is a large population of Jews, especially in New York. They have often been discriminated in all sectors of their operations. Recently, there have been wrangles between the Muslim Students Union and the Jewish students in the University of California, Irvine. Though the Universitys administration has not acted to solve the situation, the Jews do not give up. This kind of discrimination traces from the days they were in exile. In a life story given by the author, he was discriminated in Harvard since he was Jew. Even when he was looking for a house to live in, the neighboring communities were at first friendly, but changed immediately they realized he was from the Jewish culture though he never gave up. He continued with his life as any other human being. He states that this characteristic reveals much about the wider community (Handlin, 1997).
Characteristics of the Jewish People
According to Pryde (1892), the Jews are some of the wonderful people on earth. In their entire life, they have lived as aliens in an unknown land. They have gone through torment, persecution and afflictions. All the same, they have always outshined all those who persecute them through some inherent force. This has been enough prove to show that they have great favor in the eyes of their God. They were captured by the Egyptians, who were then the world rulers. However, the leadership credibility of the Egyptian no longer exists. It is the Jews who have continued to rule and live. They were also held in bondage by the Babylonians. Today, Babylon is desolate, and it is a lamenting wilderness (Pryde, 1892).
Additionally, they were fought and conquered by the Romans. As a result, they were scattered in all parts of the world, and were referred to as the Jews of Diaspora. The aim of the Romans was to blot the Jewish nation from the earth. All the same, the Jewish race was strong and invulnerable. There is a legend which states that when the Jerusalem temple was on fire, the sacred scriptures were saved. This was through the bold act of one Jew who rushed into the burning temple and seized the scriptures before they could be destroyed. Since then, the Jews got a new name, The people of the Book. This is because all they had was lost, including their country and temple. However, the book still belonged to them. Truly, their God has been with them, just like He promised in the Old Testament, when He spoke to the patriarchs of the Jewish nation (Pryde, 1892).
The Jews are recognized from their unique rituals. They are strict observers of the Sabbath day. They also have unique ceremonies which are only practiced in their culture and religion. They have a practice known as kapparot, which is both religious and cultural. The purpose of the Kaparot festival is to cleanse them from their sins. In this festival, all the Jews are required to have a white rooster. Some prayers are made by the priests conducting the ceremony. Afterwards, all the people swing the white roosters over their heads. They believe that all the sins they have committed are transferred to the chickens. Prior to the festival, the chickens are usually starved. There have been great rivalries between the Jewish community and the organizations that deal with the rights of the animals. This has been as a result of the way the chickens have been treated prior to the festival. After the festival is over, the chickens are all given to the poor, who feast on them on the Yom Kippur festival (Rozovsky, 2010).
Another characteristic which defines the Jewish people is their circumcision rite. Though circumcision is a rite which is practiced by almost all communities in the world, the Jewish one is one of its own. This is because it is both religious and at the same time cultural. It is performed on the baby boy eighth day after birth. They practice it as a commandment from God. It traces back to the days of Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. The process of the Jewish circumcision is quite complicated. The doctors who perform the cut are often trained so as to acquaint themselves with the sensitive procedure. They have to follow the baby boy until the cut has completely healed, as well as being present once there are complications. This doctor must be from the Jewish race, and is commonly referred to as a Mohel. Additionally, he has to be a strict follower of the Orthodox Jewish religion (Sifman, 2010).
Circumcision is a very important process for all the Jewish male children, as one cannot be named without being circumcised. Several friends and relatives of the baby boy are invited so as to act as witnesses. This is because circumcision is a covenant between God and man. The baby is usually placed in the laps of an important person known as the Sandek. A Sandek has to be an elderly member of the Jewish community. He also must have experience in this ritual. Anyone who becomes a Sandek is held with great honor in the community. After the circumcision process has ended, the relatives and friends of the family are treated to a feast, so as to celebrate the covenant that has been established between God and man (Sifman, 2010).
Conclusion
Clearly, the Jewish history and culture is one of the most unique in the world. They have always esteemed the rituals and ceremonies which define them, as there are direct commands from God. Additionally, their unity has helped them to overcome all the challenges they have been subjected to as a nation.
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