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Dec 10, 1400
Prince Henry's Trade Routes
Prince Henry of Portugal set up voyages to explore and discover new trade routes in order to compete with the Italians. He hired from a range of nationalities, including the Jews. he Jewish navigators created new maps which changed the way people at the time viewed the world -
Dec 10, 1450
Guttenberg's Printing Press
The result of Johan Guttenberg's invention of the printing press was transformative; literacy spread far and wide. People had acess to far more literary works than they had at any time in history, so they became more intelectual and profound. Jewish learning also spread due to the printing press, as more works were distributed region-wide -
Dec 10, 1492
Expulsion of the Jews
The year 1492 brought change to the prosperous and comfortable lives of the Spanish Jews with the Edict of Expulsion, ordering the Jews to convert or leave SPain. The decree forced the Jews to quickly find welcoming religously tolerant host nations, which were a neccesity. THese abrupt turn of events forced the Jewish population to realize that to survive, they were need to become indispensable to their host country by taking up occupations such as mapmaker, accountant, and doctor. -
Dec 10, 1499
The Shulchan Aruch
Rabi Yosef Caro created the universal Code of Jewish Law,the Shulchan Aruch, which gae the Jews a unprecedented written source which was undisputed and shed light on every unique scenario. Jews could live spread aprt as they now had a source of Judaism to take with them. -
Cherem of Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza put on trial for blasphemy. He doesn't believe in angels and does not believe that anything spiritual occurs after death. After he fails to show up to the trial, he is given Cherem -
Moses Mendelssohn
Enlightenment thinker that said Judaism was compatible with the Enlightenment. Secular Scholar. Had 6 children and 4 converted to Christianity. -
American Revolution
American Colonies united and rebelled agaisnt Britain. Influenced by Enlightenment ideas and thinkers, especially John Locke. -
Edict of Toleration
Proclamtion giving Jews full citizenship and took them out of the Jewish quarter. Jews no longer had to pay poll tax and had access to public education. Able to fully assimilate into secular society. Led to apostasy. -
French Revolution
People of Franch revolted against King Louis XVI and were influenced by Enlightenment ideas. -
Behr Isaac Behr Writes Letter to Jews
Told Jews that they needed to modernize and reform in order to gain respect fro Non-Jews. His messages lead to Reform movement starting with Hamburg Temple -
Emancipation of the Jews
Qualified French Jews take civic oath giving them rights that all Frenchman have and it annuls all restrictions on Jews. Bad because Jews cannot have seperate institutions. -
Establishment of Hamburg Temple
First Reform synagogue. Cut off prayers that dealt with miracles, used instruments during prayers, and translated prayers into the vernacular.
