In the United States of America, there are many different ethnicities and religions, brought together to form a blended society. One of these groups, Jewish Americans, are unique, as they are both a religious group, but also a cultural group. Jewish people in America make up a mass majority, being one of the leading faiths in the country. Knowing and understanding how their religion effects their everyday life can help one to understand their customs and be respectful. One can learn about these things be examining and exploring the most relevant aspects of the Jewish faith and culture, and this can lead to one being able to positively use this knowledge in their careers, especially if one is a teacher.
Historical Background
Economic
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Part of what creates that success is the idea of giving back” (Klein, 2016). Klein’s comment further supports why Jewish people tend to be very successful.
Currently, according to JPOST.com Staff (2008), “Jews are the highest-earning religious group in the United States, with 46 percent of the working population earning a six-digit figure every year, according to a study released this week” (JPOST.com Staff, 2008). This shows that they, as a group, have a great economic standpoint in America.
Political History:
In the United States of America, politics play a huge role in many different cultural groups. However, for Jewish Americans, their involvement has been more so than other groups. According to Schafer, (2015), Jewish people play a large role in American politics (p. 317). For example, there are many Jewish elected officials throughout America. The political history of Jewish people in America is unique because Jewish American are known as belonging to the Democratic political party in America. Schafer, (2015), said “Jews as a group are not typical in that they are more likely than the general population to label themselves Democrat” (pg. 313). He goes on to state that this has been a trend for the last 10 presidential elections (Schafer, 2015).
Jewish people were known for being very socially active in political issues in their home countries and they continued with this when they
Sitting in a comfortable leather chair on a cloudy January day, I sat in a house and interviewed Susan Gustavson, a life long Jew that is in her mid-fifties. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Columbia University, where she got an MBA in marketing. She told me about her opinions on the Judaism.
men in Maryland could not vote until the early 1800’s. The same could be said for the
The dynamic nature of Judaism offers a successful living religion as a result of its strongly withheld characteristics. Through essential characteristics such as central beliefs, sacred texts, writings, ethical teachings and rituals and ceremonies, Judaism offers a dynamic nature and liveable religion that connects an individual and society with its roots. The way this living religion advances and grows is because of its dynamic characteristics as a whole. Importantly, these characteristics combined form the true nature of the religion rather than separately.
A group that believes in its own superiority will do everything to live up to that image, outperforming other groups and in general staying ahead. The advantage of superiority is noted in a number of groups. The Jews have a long history of superiority, despite numerous hardships, founded in the very core of their religion; seeing themselves as a ‘chosen people.’ “Whether rooted in divine election, history, intellect, morality, or ‘a psychology without content,’ the Jewish sense of being somehow exceptional has lasted three thousand years and is unlikely to disappear anytime soon,” (64). Jews are one of America’s most successful groups, and one of the only groups with no clear sign of decay in that success.
States, the Jews had an easier time when it came to religious freedom and equality. Jews are commonly accepted throughout the United States and around the world today.
Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jewish religious movements, sometimes referred to as denominations, can be looked at in terms of paradigm shifts in the Jewish Culture. Jewish denominations include different groups of Jews that have developed since the ancient times. In the United States, these denominations took the form of three large groups known as Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. While each denomination keeps to certain core beliefs, there is diversity within the faith as a whole.
Labeled “Zionism,” this movement advocated for the return of Jews to Palestine, and that Jews constitute one nation and should have a state of their own. This was not met with wholehearted support, however. Both Jews and non-Jews disputed the need for, and right to exist, of the Jewish state. Jews that clung to more traditional values emphasized that the Zionists did not speak for all Jews, and that many do not wish for such a state to exist. Additionally, non-Jews disliked the particularity of the Zionist movement, viewing it as holding Jews as separate, and more significant, than other peoples.
To become an effective counselor to Jewish Americans or any race or diverse population is to be aware of one’s thoughts and opinions concerning racism and racial advantage, as well increase knowledge of culture’s different from oneself (Hays & Erford, 2014). Jewish Americans are referred to those Caucasian individuals who have immigrated to the United States from another country, such as Eastern Europe (Hays and Erford, 2014). In this paper, I will identify and provide a description of the Jewish population and how they differ from myself in a variety of ways. Additionally, I will provide a reflection of my immersion into the Jewish culture via my observations and highlight what I have learned
Judaism has great significance in our religions and history today. It’s interesting how each little thing can have such an important role in a whole religion. In conclusion, Jewish beliefs, customs, holidays, symbols, history, and the holocaust all play a crucial role in making Jews who they are
Jewish Americans individuals are American citizens of either Jewish faith or ethnicity. The Pew Research Center 2013 survey indicates that the Jewish population, referring only to people whose religion is Jewish, totals at about 1.8% of the entire U.S. adult population, which is 4.2 million people ("Chapter 1", 2013). When looking at the Jewish population of the U.S. (through association of religion or culture) the populace is estimated at between 5.5 and 6 million, making the U.S. the second largest home to the Jewish population, the first being Israel (Sherwin, n.d.). When comparing this data to the 1957 Current Population Survey, is it clear that the numbers have indeed risen. The amount of Jewish adults, by religion, rose about 15% over the last half-century ("Chapter 1", 2013), while not a drastic number it certainly shows the American Jewish population is surely growing. This means that as more Jews continue to come to the United States, it is important that we learn to better understand them and their customs. American Jews are growing and slowly becoming a larger part of our society; by becoming better informed about the Jewish society and issues, we will be able to acquire a new perspective on how they live and incorporate themselves into the American culture.
To understand the portrayed relationship between Jewish people and money, we need to go back into history to understand what roles Jews played throughout history in the secular world, even though they have been persecuted and consistently treated as second class citizen. A further examination of this will help us see where the “Jew and Money” stereotype originated from, and how it became a mainstay in society, media and propaganda.
Judaism is a religion that almost seems uncommon in today’s era. Currently, the United States is occupied with just two percent of individuals who believe in judaism; Globally, only .2 percent of the population is Jewish, which means this religion isn’t practiced heavily by many. The USHMM (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) indicates that World War II was responsible for the death of more than six million innocent jews; this still impacts the jewish community today. Jews
In the years just after World War II, Zionism (the desire to rebuild a Jewish national presence in the Promised Land) became a popular Jewish cause all around the world. Many Jews who were not practicing Judaism at all with religion became involved with the establishment of the State of Israel. Even today, many years after the successful founding of the State of Israel, there are Jews whose only real tie to Judaism is their belief in Zionism and their support for the State of Israel. They are joined by many Jews who are members of synagogues and support a modern Jewish religious movement, but who also find their prime identity as Jews in the Zionist cause.
There are many different cultures that surround us everyday; each one with its own unique customs and lifestyles. The Jewish culture contains some of the oldest traditions and customs that date back thousands of years. This culture has survived everything from exile to almost being diminished during the Holocaust. The Jewish culture has a unique culture, that has much to share with the world around them.
Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jewish people have suffered persecution through the holocaust, they were left with nothing. No leader or land to call their own as everything was taken from them.