Glossary of terms http www jewfaq org glossary htm

Glossary of terms http: //www. jewfaq. org/glossary. htm • • • Ashkenazic Jews are the Jews of France, Germany, and Eastern Europe and their descendants. Sephardic Jews are the Jews of Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East and their descendants. Most Jews in America are Ashkenazic. Halakhah is Jewish law. The complete body of rules and practices that Jews are bound to follow, including biblical commandments, commandments instituted by the rabbis, and binding customs. It includes the Torah and Mitzvot or commandments Israel is: – The land that G-d promised to Abraham and his descendants [Abraham had 2 sons – Ishmael by Hagar, & Isaac by his aged wife Sarah. Ishmael is considered the ancestor to the Arab peoples while Isaac had a son Jacob who is considered father to the Jewish people – The northern kingdom that was home to the "ten lost tribes“ [a tribe for each of Jacobs’ 12 sons] – The alternate name for Jacob and his descendants – the people of Israel – A country in the Middle East located in the ancient homeland that has a predominantly Jewish population and government. • • Torah the usually the first five books of the Bible, sometimes called the Pentateuch, but in its broadest sense, it can be the entire body of Jewish teachings. Mitzvot are 613 commandments some of which cannot be observed today as they relate to Temple sacrifices & services. http: //www. jewfaq. org/613. htm

Bridgers (2006) • 1492 Columbus’ crew included Marranos – Spanish (Sephardim) Jews converted to Christianity in fear of inquisition & expulsion but practiced Judaism in secret • Dutch colony accepted fleeing Jews; Brazilian empire from 1630 -1654. 24 Jews fled to New Amsterdam where traded, bought property & defended against the British. • 1692 first Synagogue established • Colony fell in 1664 to British – New York • 1677 burial ground in Newport, Rhode Island

• 1820 Ashkenazim Jewish immigration from Northern Europe (came with Rabbis) • At time 5 K Jews in country of 13 M people • Over next 50 yrs 200 -400 K from central Europe bringing Jewish Enlightenment ideals (& Protestant congregational practises) • Isaac Leeser (1806 -1868) founded publication society, education expanded, translated prayer books • Isaac M Wise (1819 -1900) attempted unification unsuccessful Pittsburgh Platform defined classical Reform Judaism • 1870 -1914 immigration of 2 M Yiddish speakers • National Origins Act (1924) ended mass immigration http: //americanhistory. suite 101. com/article. cfm/limiting_the_huddled_masses • WWII – open anti-Semitism

• Judaism Today (http: //www. bbc. co. uk/religions/judaism/) – Conservative <45% - halakah binding, emphasis on obligations but law evolving so female Rabbis & cars used on Sabbath – Reform <45% - liberal practise of tradition – Orthodox <10% traditional Jews (Torah literal word of G-d) includes Hasidic/Chasidic (pious, ascetic & mystical) – Reconstructionist <5% large in influence, Jews not ‘Chosen People’, law binding but evolving • 2004 – 350 th anniversary of Judaism in America

Albanese (1992) • Connections between North American Indian’s & Israel with both seeing sacred power in story & ritual, close connection with the land & crops: Judaism shift toward history with Passover originally seasonal festival of release of earth from winter – Exodus from Egypt so nature demoted • Jews share Calvinist inclination toward Law & deed, Protestant style work ethic of industry, prudence, education & close knit families Albanese, C. 1992. America: Religions & Religion. Santa Barbara: University of California Press & Wordsworth

Soyer (2001) • Ambitious entrepreneurs – personal independence, higher social status, better living standard • With rapidity Eastern European Jews & descendants climbed social ladder • In 19 th. C ready-made clothing grew spectacularly with New York as premier centre. Nearly 50% of Jews made living in needle trades – often first time artisans Soyer, D. 2001. ‘Class Conscious Workers as Immigrant Entrepreneurs’ Local History Vol. 42(1): 45 -59.

Kaplan (2000) • 1994 Sociological study of Conservative Judaism • Religious identification - lower than Orthodox, higher than Reform • Education – higher than Orthodox, lower than Reform • Shrinking in numbers but increasing in quality; more observant, more active, more committed including younger generation • Acceptance of egalitarianism, rabbis & cantors http: //www. americanjewisharchives. org/aja/journal/PDF/Review. Essay 54 v 1=Kaplan. pdf

Holocaust/Shoah • Jews 3 -4% of US population; Survivors 3 -4% of Jews • Holocaust Museum in Washington DC one of most visited in country – importance of horrific events “singled out for respect & commemoration” (p 209) • Museum dedicated in 1993 by President Clinton “need to deepen our momory & our humanity & to transmit these lessons from generation to generation” • Only 37% of Americans familiar with Holocaust • Inter-marriage rate 50% Johnson, M. 1996. ‘Once upon a Sign’. Journal of Architecture Vol. 1: 207 -225

Sindi on Jews in Hollywood • 1988 study by Jewish author N Gabler, Jews established all of major American film studios • 1994 study by Prof N Cantor Hollywood film production & distribution “almost completely dominated in the first fifty years of its existence by immigrant Jews & is still dominated at its top levels by Jews…the last Gentile bastion…Disney…came under Jewish executive leadership in the early 1990 s” • 1996 – J. Goldberg “Jews are represented in the media business in numbers far of proportion to their share of the population”. Virtually all senior executives of major studios are Jews. • I Pearlberg – “no less than 40% of TV writers are Jewish” http: //www. ihr. org/jhr/v 17 n 5 p-2_sindi. html

Bronner 2003 • 2000 US presidential election Al Gore’s running mate was Joseph Lieberman; a modern Orthodox Jew • Reform Rabbi Angler – Jews “try to pass” not to be “too Jewish” • 1990 survey – high rate of intermarriage (big threat), dispersal of population, identification with secularisation 20. 3% secular median age 20. 9 yrs for religious Jews 39. 3 yrs • Secular Jews not likely to be synagogue members, go to Israel, fast on Yom Kippur – but identify culturally, ethnically, emotionally – Americanization Bronner, S. 2003. ‘The Lieberman Syndrome’. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies Vol 2(1): 35 -58

• Orthodox calling for revitalization of community & ritual practices without ‘Ghetto’ • More public profile for Jews • NBC News 2000 – 92% of public would accept Jewish candidate (although black & Hispanics 12 & 19%) – 15% of population felt Jewish organisations had too much power (31% Christian organisations had too much influence on government & politics) • Lieberman expressed respect for Louis Farrakhan (anti-Semitic ‘Nation of Islam’ leader), thanked nation for accepting “Jewish son” whose in-laws Holocaust survivor (Jewish perceptions of Anti. Semitism declined between 1999 & 2000)

• Concerns about Liebermen (2000) NBC/Wall Street Journal: – 14% He does not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord & Saviour – 10% He will be too close to Israel on foreign policy – 10% He brings too much religion into politics (64% knew Lieberman’s religion but few could identify Gore’s) – 6% Worried that Jewish establishment has too much influence on the Democratic Party – 5% As an Orthodox Jew, he will not do work on Saturdays (did not dress Orthodox, had no headcovering nor beard – this concerned more Orthodox Jews than Reform or Conservative) – But 51% more favourable opinion knowing he was observant Jew (16% less favourable, 34% no opinion) as perceived problem of moral decline & incivility

• Rabbi Freundel “[Lieberman] has never wanted to be the Jewish senator. He has wanted to be the senator who happens to be Jewish, & wearing the kippah would change the persepctive. If you met someone wearing a kippah, the Jewishness is immediately on the table. That is not how he wanted to be known” • American Jewish Council 2001 – 59% agreed, 40% disagreed – virtually all positions of influence in the US open to Jews • 84% of Jews pleased Lieberman nominated, only 55% happy he was religious • Lieberman going against “ 2 century old commitment to church-state seperation as he invoked God no fewer than 10 times, offered religious prayer & referred to Gore as “servant of God Almighty” & stated that founding of country based on intersection of religion & politics. Sided with Conservative Christians against Hollywood’s poor moral model

Mearsheimer & Walt 2006 • Article explores US ‘special relationship’ with Israel claiming that “the combination of unwavering U. S. support for Israel & the related effort to spread democracy throughout the region has inflamed Arab & Islamic opinion & jeopardized U. S security” • Centrepiece – 1967 Six Day war – 1965 Nassar (Egypt) refused to recognise State of Israel & claimed “The national aim [for Arabs would be] the eradication of Israel – Israel vs Arab States of Egypt, Jordon & Syria. Israel conquered ‘Occupied Territories’ (Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank & Golan Heights) http: //www. palestinefacts. org/pf_1948 to 1967_sixday_backgd. php

• October War (1973 – Yom Kippur/ Ramadan War) – Egypt & Syria surprise attack. US under Nixon provided military support as Israel’s ran low – contain Soviet expansion & help protect Jordan (US ally) http: //news. bbc. co. uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/6/newsid_2514000/2514317. stm • Israel now receives 1/5 th of all Americas foreign aid budget ($3 B) of which 25% can subsidize its defence industry • Since 1982 US veto’d 32 UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israel. And blocks the Arab states attempts to put Israel’s nuclear arsenal on IAEA agenda • Since 9/11 Arab or Muslim world of ‘rogue states’ so Israel crucial all in war on terror (authors claim al Qaeda leaders including bin Laden, motivated by plight of Palestinians & punish US for unconditional Israeli support) • US – Israel a democracy BUT US overthrown democracies (Chile ‘ 73 & Iran ‘ 53) & supported dictators (Guatemala). ALSO, Israel not a liberal democracy as Palestinians who marry Israeli’s not citizens ann unable to live in Israel

• Holocaust means Israel deserves special treatment – BUT creation caused moral crime against Palestinians – David Ben-Gurion (1 st PM of Israel) “If I were an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel… we have taken their country… we come from Israel but two thousand years ago, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only see one thing: we have come here and stolen their country” – PM Golda Meir “there was no such thing as a Palestinian”

RAPTURE • 2004 - National Security Council's top Middle East aide consults met with the Christian fundamentalist Apostolic Congress, who claiming to be “the Christians voice in the Nations Capital, …fear an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza might enable [the idea of a Palestinian state] and they object on the grounds that all of Old Testament Israel belongs to the Jews. Until Israel is intact and Solomon's temple rebuilt, they believe, Christ won't come back to earth” (defeat anti-Christ, destroy evil, establish kingdom on earth & deliverance of living & resurrected believers) http: //www. villagevoice. com/2004 -05 -11/news/the-jesus-landing-pad/1 • ‘Their beliefs are bonkers but they are at the heart of power’ – Monbiot, 2004 Republications & Israel http: //www. guardian. co. uk/world/2004/apr/20/usa. uselections 2004