Traditions and Customs of The Jewish Culture Essay

For my ethnographic fieldwork, I decided to do my research on the Jewish culture. I interviewed a friend of mine at her house, which is the field site I decided to work in. To protect her identity I changed her name to Rebecca. As soon as I got to her house I notice there was a small piece of metal on the side of her doorpost with hebrew text written on it. I enter the house and she greeted me and took me to her living room.In her living room I noticed she had a tray of bite size cookies for us and a Snapple drink. The cookies were sweet and they did not have strong odor. My friend wore black slacks a white blouse and a star necklace around her neck. After a while, her brother and father came in and I noticed they had a little cap on the top of their heads. I asked her questions about her religion and culture.

Hebrew is the language of the country of Israel, a country which is mainly Jewish, but Hebrew is not usually spoken outside of Israel except as the main language of religious studies. Most Jewish Americans speak English, unless they are a recent immigrant. Jews are known for using with a lot of inflection in their voices and hand gestures when they are speaking. Older Jews may be very open to expressing their feelings or discomforts verbally and this may be interpreted as constant complaining (Swartz, 2004).

What is the Great Tradition, and what two key elements make up this tradition within the different groups; is there any resemblance or inequality as to one’s religious preference. So, what is the Great Tradition, “it refers to the sectors of culture that are codified or systematized by a literate elite” (Scupin, 2012. Pg. 158). Therefore, stating that Judaism is a religion that is controlled through others powerful sphere’s, while applying the ultimate decisions as to how they will enforce obedience; through their administrator’s religious ways. “In Judaism, the Great Tradition includes a body of sacred texts, prayers, liturgy, rituals, and a cycle of holy day observances determined by a lunar calendar” (Scupin, 2012, pg. 158). In addition,

I am a Christian. Therefore, I believe that the Jewish people are God chosen people. According to the scripture through the Jewish people all of the nations of the world would be blessed. Jewish people have been persecuted for thousands of years. Jewish Americans include three groups of people. The first group is people who practice Judaism and have a Jewish ethnic background. The second group is people who have converted to Judaism but do not have Jewish parents. The third group is individuals with a Jewish ethnic background who do not practice Judaism but still maintain their identity and connection to their Jewish descent. There are a lot of people in the world that believe that the Jewish people killed Jesus Christ. Some people

The writings of Alicia Ramos-González in her work Daughters of Tradition discuss, in great detail, the cultural world of Jewish women in Eastern Europe during the 16th-19th century. I believe that culture takes root in ones’ identity not only as an individual, but also in ones’ identity with their people and nation. Based on this belief, I have chosen to focus my explorations on the patterns found in the bases of Jewish identity among the women in Yiddish culture during this time. Despite the negative impacts towards gender equality which arose though preventing women from obtaining skills such as learning Hebrew scripture, the Yiddish heritage has benefitted greatly in part of this gender gap and has become a cornerstone in the bases of the identity found throughout all Jewish Women.

Judaism is a unique and symbolic system of worship. For Jewish people, today as well as for those who lived over the past 3,000 years, observing religious holidays such as Hanukah, Passover, and Rosh Hashanah, are extremely important to them as a people. By keeping the feasts they not only show their obedience to Him by proclaiming the Messiah throughout their observances, God shows his unconditional love to His chosen people all the while pointing the way to salvation. The Jews have consistently kept these religious observances in good times as well as times of severe persecution. It is a testament to their faith and the unbreakable covenant made with God that they have continued to observe and do all that He has commanded them throughout

One part of Orthodox Jewish culture that is passed down is that the children have to be "literate – able to access Jewish sources, from Bible through Talmud in the original language – and that they have a personal knowledge of the Jewish experience." (Heilman: 2013) Not only do the children have study of Jewish sources, they have to study in other subjects. Another part of culture that is passed down is obedience, they want everyone to conform to everything. If they don't they are seen as an outcast.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture maintains historical customs and likens to the Amish culture from outside observation, their community and family lives have seemingly stopped in time. They are recognizable by their differential style with characteristics reminiscent of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The males adorn black coats and Cossack-looking hats; their beards are full with distinct side curls called peyots which adhere to the Torah’s instruction to not cut the corners of one’s head. Different sects of Ultra-Orthodox Jews vary the style of curls distinguishing one group from another. The women wear modest clothing which covers their skin from neck to ankles and forearms and wears wigs that cover their shaven or closely cut heads. Modesty is of the utmost importance;

Those who are Jewish believe that God appointed Jews to be His chosen people, therefore, they have an obligation to live lives that are holy and exemplary to the rest of the world. Judaism is also a faith that is rooted in both family and community. Many Jewish customs revolve around the home such as the preparing and sharing of a kosher meal on the Sabbath when families eat together is that human beings play a distinctive role. Because they believe theirs is a covenant relationship with God, Jews believe in living out their faith and in exchange for performing good deeds, God will continue to bless and protect those of the Jewish faith. As a result, Judaism is viewed not only as a religion but also a distinct culture that embraces other Jews from all walks of life and from all over the world.

Emancipation and enlightenment were pivotal aspects of Jewish history and culture beginning in the eighteenth century and continuing through to the twentieth century. Influential political figures such as Mendelssohn laid the framework for Jewish political and social freedoms. This was a direct response to the oppression and anti-Semitism Jewish people have faced for hundreds of thousands of years. These harsh restrictions placed on Jews worldwide included, the prohibition of full citizenship, coerced into assimilation, programs,all eventually leading up to the terrors of the Holocaust.

Some people wonder why other people do the things they do, why do the Asians take off their shoes before entering a house? Or why do Muslim women wear hijabs? The answer is very simple, this is because it is part of their culture. Culture is one of the most important things a society have because it defines who they are as whole. It can be modify, but never completely change. It is not something that we are born with but born into; although I can be adopt it by others. Culture is the set of beliefs, behaviors, views and traditions that make a group of people who they are.

As Levy, an black Jew himself, mentions in his article Who Are We?, some people have roots in West Africa where their cultural practices resemble those of Judaism, whereas others who were not originally Jewish were either forced to convert due to their circumstances (i.e. slavery), or willingly converted once married.

Some Jewish holidays are solemn occasions while others are festive, but they are all rich in history and tradition.

This class talks about the internal Jewish community and culture. There were three main communities of Jews: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi. Ashkenazi had the most population. Sephardic located in Spain. Mizrahi lived in Iraq and Israel. These different groups had different traditions. The Jews had autonomy. However, sometimes the Jews needed the court to make the executive. Rabbi was the leader of the Jewish community. They were the wealthy people who could read.

Another way this affected the original listener was by finally opening the door to having a personal, powerful, and intimate relationship with Yeshua. In the Jewish culture, everyone read and studied the Torah. It was not like how it is today in the West. When speaking of knowledge, God isn’t referring to intellect most of the time. The word heart really means the mind in much of scripture. When Jesus said He wants His people to know Him, He means to love Him with everything, which is shown by obeying His commandments. Love is a decision, not just an emotion. The whole reason Jesus came back was to reestablish the connection that was lost with the fall of man. Jesus abolished the sin barrier that had been between God and man for so long. A Father wants a true and pure relationship with his children; God is the exact same way in the sense of wanting intimacy. He desired this close relationship so badly that He sent His only Son, His FIRSTBORN to bore the cross and face rejection yet again. Even when looking at the significance of the firstborn to the Jewish culture will provide an even richer revelation to how incredible and infinite Adonai’s agape love is for His Children.