-
Enlightenment
In Europe, the Enlightenment occured which was the rethinking of traditional philosophy and replacing it with logic and scientific support. The world was influenced by secularizing and drifting from the traditional ways of life encouraged by Christianity and Catholicicsm. Jews then secularized, had jobs unrelated to Jewish practice, and counter rabbinic authority with scientific logic. In the 1700s, Maskilim were Jews following the Enlightenment ideology countering the Hasidim and Misnagdim. -
Period: to
Early Modern Period
This period is shaped by its newfound characteristics which include:
A. Mobility
B. Communal Cohesiveness
C. Knowledge Explosion
D. Decrease in Rabbinic Autority
E. Blurring of Religious Identities -
Spinoza Excommunication
A young Jewish philosopher begins to question the crux of Judaism and its entirity. The Rabbis decide to use their power to give him "cherem" - excommunication. Spinoza, when confronted with repent or convert he did neither and became the first Secular Jew. He led the way for not only the Jewish Enlightenment thinkers, but all philosophers of the time. -
Conversion of Shabtai Zvi
The man who was thought to be the Messiah and the ultimate savior failed to be what he was made out to be. Shabbatai Zevi converted to Islam when the Turkish sultan, a Muslim, provided him with a 'convert-or-die' predicament. This event is significant in the decline of rabbinic authority as he had many followers that believed in him as the Messiah and in his 'authority.' This conversion shocked Jewry and after Spinoza's philosophy spread, people started to rethink the legitimacy of the rabbis. -
Hassidim
The Baal Shem Tov led a movement desinged to include the uneducated Jewish field workers into a spiritual form of Judaism with the belief that the proper intention is equal to daily, intense Yeshivish Torah learning. It developed a unique following with a rebbe as a central figure and communal role model. This new sect of Judaism, viewed by some as a break-off branch, was an outlet from traditional 'misnagdish' life, and often connected to the Divine through song. -
Misnagdim
Led by the Vilna Gaon, the Misnagdim, a term meaning the opposers, rose up in N. Poland and Lithuania in order to preserve rabbinic authority once the Hasidim made their ideology and beliefs public. Places such as R. Chaim Veluzhin's yeshiva included classical and immensely intense Talmud learning. The Vilna Gaon passionately opposed the Hasidim and their ideology, promoting yeshiva learning. He also placed Hasidism in cherem. -
French Revolution
France endures a revolution to promote equality for all. The absolute monarchy was upheaved and resulted in radical change politically and socially. -
Period: to
Political Emancipation and Effects
Following an Age of Enlightenment, there was widespread reactionary conservatism by rethinking society. In such, many nations granted the Jews political emancipation. A large defect of this blending of the Jewish culture with normative European culture is vast assimilation. This assimilation gives birth to the Reform Movement and much change to follow. Further effects are seen as this creation of Reform Judaism spurs a reaction and leads to rise of Neo-Orthodoxy and later Conservative Judaism. -
Emancipation of Jews in France
After much debate over emancipation of the Jewish people, the French National Assembly grants the Jewish people as full fledged citizens of France. This event is a result of the French Revolution which faught for equality. -
Berr Isaac Berr addresses the Jewish people of France
Berr Isaac Berr writes a letter that discusses the recent emancipation of Jews in France. He has the foresight of a jovial and ingrateful Jewish people and attempts to eradicate it at the source. His bold letter addresses the way the Jews must live within the confines of their culture. -
Napoleon's Sanhedrin
Following emancipation of Jews, Napoleon calls for an assembly of Jewish notables to test their faith and loyalty to the mainstream culture. -
Reform Movement/Hamburg Temple
Following a short period of acculturation to the Jews' emancipation, some would like to take this adaptation further and create the Reform Movement. The first instance of this is the creation of the Hamburg Temple. This movement altered the practice and rituals in order to withstand normative culture and assimilation. -
Neo-Orthodoxy
As a response to the rise of Reform Judaism, there is a completely counter-reaction. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch spearheads the movement of Neo-Orthodoxy to counteract the change he saw detrimental to the Jewish people. -
BILU/Labor Zionism
BILU was a young group of the first pioneers, whome instead of college went to physically build the State of Israel. A.D. Gordon, a leader of Labor Zionism, had the ideology that you must not sit back, but be active and rely on yourself, and not just God and the rabbis, in order to succeed. He compared it to the days when the Jews built the Holy Temples. -
Trefa Banquet
The Hebrew Union College (Reformed institution) throws a banquet celebrating its first graduating class. They invite all prominent Jews from all sects. As a shock to many, the menu is filled with all non-kosher food. This "chutzpah" was seen as taken too far and line crossing. Conservative reactions are taken and the Conservative Movement begins to spread. -
Period: to
The American Experience
To the Jewish people, the American experience has meshed so well as a result of parallel values between Judaism and America. The American trinity of "E Pluribus Unim," liberty, and "In G-d we trust," is nearly a mirror reflection of the ideals which Judaism emits. -
Dreyfus Trial/Political Zionism
Alfred Dreyfus was falsely convicted as a German spy when in reality he was a loyal Frenchman working his way up. Theodore Herzl was a journalist and reported on the trial. He realized that there was still anti-Semitism even after emancipation and assimilation. Herzl is known as the founder of Political Zionism, the belief that the state of Israel is necessary for self-determination to counter anti-Semitism. -
Period: to
Zionism
-
Cultural/Religious Zionism
Cultural Zionism, tied to Achad Ha'am, focused on restoring a complete, unbroken, Jewish heart, to feel united and not to assimilate. This ideology pushed for developing original culture and not relying to worldly culture. Religious Zionism, linked with Rav Kook, encompassed being a light to the gentiles and fulfilling religious obligations. Jews will get the chance to do what our forefathers were promised to and live in the holiest place on Earth while welcoming non-Jews into a peaceful state. -
Czarist Russia: Kishinev Pogrom
From the 1890s, Jews living in the Pale of Settlement in Russia had no rights nor did anyone respect them. Although other countries in Western Europe had emancipated Jews, under the Czar, the Jews had no protection. The Kishinev Pogrom featured violent, hazardous, malicious riots towards the Jews without repercussions or punishment. Chaim Nachman Bialik, the Zionistic poet, said that because of tragedies like this, the Jews need a homeland to avoid persecution and develop their own country. -
1st Wave of Jewish Immigrants
The first wave o Jewish immigrants to America is comprised of many poor yet traditional group of Jews from Eastern Europe. Among this wave are 3.4 million immigrants who view America as the "Goldene Medina." These are dirt poor Jews and end up settling primarily in the Lower East Side of New York and live in tenaments. -
Holocaust/World War II
In 1939, World War II began and had a large impact socially, economically, politically, and emotionally on the world. The Holocaust was the mass extermination of 6 million European Jews in concentration camps and death camps. Adolf Hitler led this destruction of European Jewry. This unimaginable tragedy is largely viewed by many as the final straw of anti-Semitism leading to a demand for a Jewish home. The most devastating act of anti-Semitism likely convinced the UN to grant the Jews a state. -
3 "C's"
From the 1940s-1990s, there is the idea known as the 3 "C's" - concentration camps, Conservative Judaism, and comic books. These three points can characterize a large chunk of the Jewish experience in America.There is an influx of Jews as a result of the Holocaust and concentration camps. During this time, Conservative Judaism sees a large rise. Adaptation also becomes heavily prevalent in this era. -
srael Attains Independence
The United Nations granted independence to the State of Israel. -
2nd Generation of Jewish Immigrants
These Jews see their parents as the first immigrants and from therein feel many pressures in life. They must outdo their parents and make it in America. To prove this success, they use many symbols from mainstream American culture that represent a sense of accomplish. The epitome of this idea is Hank Greenberg. He was able to work his way up the meritocracy and be at the top of the sporting spectacle to all of America.
