Joseph Green and Konrad Tom's film Mamele depicts a vastly different cultural and family dynamic in a different setting than the dynamic found in traditional Jewish shtetls. Whether it be incorporating Jewish holidays or traditional family roles, producers actively depicted Jewish cultural roots into their films prior to Mamele in 1939. In Mamele, a daughter named Chavchi takes on many household responsibilities after the death of her mother and is consequently given the nickname "mamele," or…
repentance that follows into Yom Kippur, otherwise known as the Day of Atonement. Another holiday they celebrate is called Passover as it celebrates the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt. Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah to Moses and Sukkot is the harvest festival. Celebrations about being delivered from enemies are the Purim and the Hanukkah. The acceptance of youth into society are held when they become twelve or thirteen. The Sabbath, a period of time from work from Friday…
The main cause of the start of the reform of Judaism was Moses Mendelssohn in the 1780s. He is known as the father of the Haskalah which comes from the word “reason” or “intellect.” Mendelssohn stated that Judaism is a rational religion that is made to change and shift as time goes on. A more modern Reform Judaism began at the start of the 19th century. Rabbi Abraham Geiger felt that people disliked the Judaism because they it was too rigid, dull and old-fashioned. His goal was to alter…
The name Syria was given to the country by the Greeks and Romans and has been told it comes from the Babylonian word “suri”. Syrians refer to Syria and surrounding large areas as Sham, which means “the northern region, and it was known as the Sham until the twentieth century. The culture of the Syrians is their own culture that they were practicing in their indigenous place culture includes ideals, values, arts, traditions, customs, beliefs and innovations that were developed both locally and…
Christmas, the 25th of December, is the most important festival of the year. Celebrated by most countries in the world, Christmas is a time of shopping, taking a break from work, connecting with friends and family, and reflecting on the year. Though most Christians view it is a day in honor of God to remember and celebrate the birth of His Son, taking a closer look and an investigative perspective draws parallels with pagan customs practiced long before Christ was born. In this essay, I will…
Judaism vs. Hinduism Judaism and Hinduism are much more similar up close than they appear at a distance. Now after some looking into them both I realize just how alike they really are. After you have read about the comparison between them, you will realize how much these two really have in common. The two religions I chose to compare are Judaism and Hinduism. Judaism is a Middle Eastern religion that originated in Israel. Hinduism is a religion that originated in India. Both of these religions…
devotion, the Second Temple loom over the city with no royal interference, which made it more reachable to the common people. There were three annual pilgrim festivals, which saw thousands of pilgrims ascend to the temple; The Passover, Shavuot and the Sukkot…
The Ignorance and Arrogance of Rabbi Avi Shafran I was not surprised by the vile views expressed by Rabbi Avi Shafran, spokesman for Agudath Israel of America. I was surprised that he decided at this most sensitive time to publically blame Jews for the crime of trying to pray on the Temple Mount. There is no doubt that such an attitude both legitimizes and strengthens Arab violence with a rabbinic stamp of approval! In my eyes, Shafran’s comments border on the criminal and he should be…
Does Travel Foster Great Citizenship? If you were offered a free ten-day trip to one of the holiest places in the world would you accept it? Since the establishment of Taglit-birthright, hundreds of thousands of young Jews have visited Israel on an all-expense-paid tour known as Birthright Israel. Birthright encourages young Jewish adults to expand and join the global Jewish communities. The Taglit-Birthright program does this through activities, religious social events, and engaging…
The Jewish Nation The Jewish nation is in every single place you go. The Jewish nation has not had their own country in a long time, so they have had a trouble settling. Since they never had their own nation, they have been bullied and moved so much yet they develop more and more everyday. The Jewish nation is heavily cultured and has a strong, rich history of tribulation and success and it can be traced to its origins and the development of the nation to see what an excellent nation it has…