Jewish Culture
Jewish Culture questions and answers
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Q: Jewish culture ?
How do Jewish people,especially ones not that religious, live in daily life? Anything about the culture?
A: Could you possible describe Christian culture? Jewish culture is no different. We are all individuals and live as a minority among others.
Non-religious Jews do nothing different whatsoever from the majority culture. Many non-religious Jews observe Jewish traditions in order not to offend their family and friends.
Some liberal Jews (Reform) light candles on Friday night and have a special meal with the family, blessing each child. Some of us attend a service on Friday night and Saturday mornings and attend Torah study each week. Some of us don't eat non-kosher foods and don't do any work on the Sabbath.
Conservative and Orthodox Jews do all the above plus many other things. Observing the sabbath is a glimpse of the world-to-come.
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Q: I am a soon-to-be educator, needing to learn the "gits" about teaching various children of Jewish culture.?
I am a soon-to-be educator, and I am trying to educate myself about the Jewish culture and what I need to know to successfully teach children of Jewish culture. I know some of the basics, such as celebrating Hanukkah and not Christmas, and a few other facts, but I want to know as much as I can so that I do not offend any child or parent. Thank you for your help!
A: Try this site: http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm
Don't bother with The Chosen, although it is a fine novel. It is highly unlikely you will be teaching Hasidic children.
All the best.
Q: In Jewish culture is it more acceptable for a boy to be close to his mother than in white Anglo-Saxon culture?
the term momma's boy is used in anglo-saxon christian cultures if a boy is close to his mother. However in Jewish cultures you see lots of young men close to their mothers.
A: If those dudes are that close to their mothers then they are mamma's boys too. Go cry to your mommy.
Q: How did the Holocaust effect the Jewish culture?
How did the events of the holocaust effect the culture of Jews during during WWII and after?
A: Very good question...I'll make a few observations but I would like to hear what other say...
First of all, it greatly increased in the eyes of jews the appeal of Zionism, meaning the belief in a state for the Jews...Prior to world war 2 the jewish people were pretty opposed to the idea of a jewish state and in fact, there was a substantial sector of the zionist movement itself that was anti state.
So the first and biggest effect of the holocaust is that it increased the sense of NATIONALISM among jews.
A second cultural change which occurred, especially here in the US, is that jews more than ever, began to identify with the cause of civil liberties more and more...many jews were involved in the civil rights movement, for example 2 of the 3 young activists killed in Philadelphia, MIssissippi in the early 1960s (the basis of the movie mississippi burning) were jewish...Jews were always considered sympathetic to civil rights cause prior to the holocaust, but my guess ratcheting up that consciousness....
*edit* Oh and one final thing and this is more controversial...the memory of the holocaust or "shoah" as its called in hebrew has greatly colored the Jewish political culture in that many of the actions of arabs or other states are viewed through the prism of the Nazi actions. In other words, the phrase "never again" and the memory of the holocaust is now part of a cultural trend which says you must be strong and use force to fight off those that want to do harm to you. The controversial part of this is that people disagree that the those who oppose the actions of israel today are driven by a genocidal agenda like the Nazis of 60 years ago...
Q: Did Hitler really plan a museum of Jewish Culture, to be established in Prague ?
A museum for an extinct people and their culture?
I heard of it mentioned in an offhand way - had never heard this before.
A: Yes he did, but not in a good way. To remind people of how 'bad' the jews were. The museum would of been used for propoganda, to show how 'stupid' and 'unclean' and all the lies about the jewish community that Hitler beleived in.
Prague had a largue jewish community, so though it the center to show the 'unclenliness' of jewish lives.
Q: How have Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Pentecost, and Hanukkah developed the jewish culture?
i know what these festivals represent, and how they came about, i just need some help understanding how they developed the culture, national identity, in the lives of Jews and Christians. have these traditions had any socio-economical affects on jews and christians? i'm trying to get an understanding of this.
A: ah yes i just finished this stuff in religion class. well u know how we have xmas and all that family bonding time and self relecting time. wll thats basicly the same for them. its givin them a time to look back on them selves. Most of those festivals they look back into their past to better understand their culture. An example is on one o the holidays they read a story from the torah about queen esther saving the jews from an evil ruler and you know all that hero stuff. but they realy do look at their culture alot.
Q: What are the similarities between japanese and jewish culture?
for example,
are therre similar rituals?
languages?
values?
history?
foods?
symbols?
and are there any proven facts about the ten lost tribes going to japan?
A: I'm Jewish, and I've lived in Japan for a long time. The main similarity that jumps out is the importance in both cultures of education. Both make chirdren's education almost the greatest priority. Also, I'm not sure how to quite state this, but both tend to continue to parent their children for life. Like, with some people I know, the parents' attitude is that you're 18, you're on your own. But in Japan and with Judaism, the parents stay much more involved for the rest of the kids' lives. Obviously that's a generalization, though. And it's true of a lot of other cultures. But not all. Languages completely different. Rituals completely different, except that both have a very presentist, performative quality. History completely different. Foods completely different.
Q: What happened to the Avenger of Blood in Jewish culture?
I read the Triumphs of Galilah online recently and have already ordered the rest of the Books of the Avenger of Blood as well. The period of time covered in the books only goes up to around 1400 AD, and the Avenger is not mentioned in Jewish literature after 600 BC. Anyone know what happened to this figure? Or if he/she appears in other books or records besides the Books of the Go'el Ha-dam? Here is the website where I read the book.
http://galilah.tripod.com
A: The term "go'el hadam" in Jewish culture was used when one accidently killed another. The family member might become so infuriated, that they might set out to seek the killer. That family member is called "go'el hadam". Because that killer was careless in his actions, and yet didn't mean to murder someone, he/she may flee to a refuge-city. Three were located in Israel, and 6 on the east side of the Jordan (where the tribes Reuben, Gad and half of Menashe were). These cities were 9 of the 48 (if I'm not mistaken) Levite cities. The accused (technically it was an accident so he's not really a murderer) is under protection under the law in these cities. He/she must stay in the city until the Kohen Hagadol (high priest) passes away.
So I suppose when Israel was in Babylonian exile (something like 600 bce) these laws weren't kept, as the cities are only in Israel. The Israelites still living in Israel can't keep them either, because a sanhedrin (high court) is needed for those kinds of laws. In addition to that, the Babylonians destroyed the temple thereby killing the priests or exiling them.
I went to the Galilah website, but I'm totally clueless...For more on the time period- have you every thought about reading the bible? Go to the late prophets. Something like Ezekiel, or even later prophets. It's interesting and I think it'll help.
Q: How does the Secular Jewish culture deals with death?
how do they Bury ppl?
What are the steps?
what is that they do that will enterfair with crime investinvestigations
A: Upon death of a Jew, the eyes are closed, the body is laid on the floor and covered, and candles are lit next to the body.
As a sign of respect, the body is never left alone until after burial. Those watching the body are forbidden to eat, drink, or perform any Jewish commandment in the presence of the deceased. Doing so would be seen as mocking the dead, as they are unable to do those things.
Autopsies are discouraged as desecration of the body. As man is created in God's image, we have no right to mutilate it. Only where it would save a specific life may an autopsy be performed. This may interfere with crime investigations, because neither determining cause of death, nor solving a crime is considered sufficient reason enough to perform an autopsy according to Jewish law.
Prior to burial, the body is cleaned and wrapped in a simple linen shroud. The body is wrapped in a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl), with the tzitzit (strings on the corner) rendered invalid. The body may not be embalmed, nor may any organs or fluids be removed.
Cremation is forbidden. The body must be buried, preferably as soon as possible. Coffins are not required (except by law, as in the US), but f they are used, they must not be completely sealed, so that the body can come in contact with the earth. The Sages of years ago decreed that the dress of the body and the coffin should be simple, so that a poor person would receive no less honor in death than a rich person.
The body is not displayed at a funeral; closed casket only. It is considered disrespectful because it not only allows friends, but enemies too to view them in their helpless state.
Q: Is it true that Hitler's mom was a Jew and he tried to distance himself from her and the Jewish culture?
Does that sound like any of the current Presidential candidates?
A: "hello! i am a ninth grader and i have been reasearching the holocaust for three years now and i am very interested in it. i have a question. my english teacher told me that Hitlers grandmother was Jewish and i was wondering if he did to her what he did to her what he did to the other jewish people. thank you very much "
Harry W. Mazal OBE answers:
I am one of the persons who responds to questions about the Holocaust. It is possible that you will receive answers from my other colleagues too. Hitler's grandmother was not Jewish. There are some rumors hinting that Hitler's grandfather was Jewish. Few, if any, of the reputable historians on the Holocaust believe that this is so. It is more likely that Hitler tried to keep the murky history of his family quite secret because there was a high incidence of insanity and feeble-mindedness in his ancestors. Rumors die hard, though. One of Hitler's henchmen, Hans Frank, declared during the Nuremberg Trials in 1945-46, that Hitler's grandmother had worked in the town of Graz as a servant in the home of a Jewish family named Frankenberger. He further claimed that she was seduced by the head of the household and that Hitler's grandfather was the result of that liaison. A subsequent analysis of Frank's statement by Simon Wiesenthal disclosed that there was no evidence of any Jewish family named Frankenberger ever living in Graz. What is more, Jews had been driven out of Graz in the 15th century and had not been allowed to return until 1856, nearly twenty years after Hitler's grandfather had been born.
Hitler's grandmother's maiden name was Schickelgruber. There is considerable evidence that this family produced abnormal progeny. Examples are: one of Hitler's relatives through his mother's side committed suicide in 1920, another, Aloisha had been placed in an insane asylum, another was "feeble-minded," and yet another was retarded.
According to the article from which I am quoting this material:
"Hitler's real fear, then, was not that someone would discover that he has a Jewish grandfather, but that it would someday come to light that he carried a hereditary disposition toward mental illness and retardation."
No, this does not sound like any of the current Presidential candidates. What nonsense!
Q: Is absurd machocism generally irrrelevant to Jewish culture?
most American jewish men I've seen are not macho. Most are not fighters. Most have a strong feminine side. The view that all men should protect and fight, not cry, and be like john wayne seems restricted to other cultures and only in the working-classes. Thoughts?
A: 1. Where do you take this idea from?
2. Who are they supposed to fight? Maybe just gather on the street and use gang warfare?
3. Jewish men are very protective, and would fight for their family. But you rarely see them getting into fistfights over everyday things.
4. I think that it is because they are taught to respect others, so they just don't fight, if there is any way to avoid it.
5. And yes, there are also jewish men, who will fight like any other male would. (but not over trivial things.)
6. I have not seen a jewish male cry, except at a funeral, or 'sometimes' during prayer, or a solemn moment.
Q: i want to learn more about jewish culture and learn hebrew.?
I live in Alabama and as luck would have it there are not a wholelotta jewish people here. The synogogue in montgomery is not too keen on keeping the festivals so a very limited resource there. I am a christian but would love to learn about keeping torah as well.
A: http://www.urj.org
Q: What month is Chanukah celebrate in the Jewish culture?
A: Hanukkah is celebrated in the Jewish month of Kislev. Although it almost always falls in December on the Gregorian calendar, it can occasionally start in November, and there have been a few times that it has "leaked" over into January.
Q: im doing a paper on the Jewish culture and how they use the healthcare system.Any suggestions where I can find
Any suggestions as to where I can find information? Or does anyone have some information that could help?Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A: be specific. what do you mean heath care? do u want to know if they keep clean and healthy then yes!
Q: What is there to know about the Jewish culture & their faith?
I'd like to know more about the Jewish faith, as I've read up about Christianity and Islam and realised that many of their beliefs and practices stem from Jewish practices.
One of my Muslim friends told me, "If you want to find truth, look to the source."
I know he means Islam and the Qu'ran, but to be realistic and fair, the Torah is the original source and I realise before I can learn about Christianity and Islam further I must know about Judaism first.
What does their beliefs entail?
Why are they such elusive people?
How is their culture like?
Why is it that almost all Muslims and some Christians hate the jews so bitterly?
(To the point of jews being called "sons of monkeys and donkeys?" and "Jews as in the Qu'ran should never be trusted!" by my arab friends?)
Did Jews kill Jesus? (I myself don't really believe this.)
I'm fascinate by orthadox jews as well, their women cover like Muslims.
All opinions, strong and neutral, and very welcome! Thanks!
A: See:::
http://JewFaq.org
http://WhatJewsBelieve.org
for starters.