CARLETON UNIVERSITY College of the Humanities: Religion Program RELI 2110 R: Judaism (Online and Fully Asynchronous) Winter 2021
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism
eSharp Issue 20: New Horizons A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism Eva van Loenen (University of Southampton) Introduction In this article, I shall examine the history of Hasidic Judaism, a mystical,1 ultra-orthodox2 branch of Judaism, which values joyfully worshipping God’s presence in nature as highly as the strict observance of the laws of Torah3 and Talmud.4 In spite of being understudied, the history of Hasidic Judaism has divided historians until today. Indeed, Hasidic Jewish history is not one monolithic, clear-cut, straightforward chronicle. Rather, each scholar has created his own narrative and each one is as different as its author. While a brief introduction such as this cannot enter into all the myriad divergences and similarities between these stories, what I will attempt to do here is to incorporate and compare an array of different views in order to summarise the history of Hasidism and provide a more objective analysis, which has not yet been undertaken. Furthermore, my historical introduction in Hasidic Judaism will exemplify how mystical branches of mainstream religions might develop and shed light on an under-researched division of Judaism. The main focus of 1 Mystical movements strive for a personal experience of God or of his presence and values intuitive, spiritual insight or revelationary knowledge. The knowledge gained is generally ‘esoteric’ (‘within’ or hidden), leading to the term ‘esotericism’ as opposed to exoteric, based on the external reality which can be attested by anyone. 2 Ultra-orthodox Jews adhere most strictly to Jewish law as the holy word of God, delivered perfectly and completely to Moses on Mount Sinai. -
Varieties of Authenticity in Contemporary Jewish Identity
[133] Contempo- Varieties of Authenticity rary Jewish Identity in Contemporary Jewish • Identity Stuart Z. Charmé Stuart Z. Charmé uch discussion about religious pluralism among Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews, about assimilation and Jewish conti- Mnuity, about Jewish life in Israel and in the Diaspora, and about a variety of other issues related to Jewish identity all invoke “authenticity” as the underlying ideal and as the ultimate legitimizer (or de-legitimizer) of various positions. In an address to the graduating class of Reconstructionist rabbis in 1983, Irving Howe encouraged the next generation of rabbis to “try for an atmosphere of authenticity, wherever you find yourselves.”1 An Orthodox rabbi in Philadelphia recently encouraged liberal Jews to share a Sabbath meal at an Orthodox home in order to see “how special an authentic Shabbas really is.”2 Israel, claimed Daniel Elazar, is “the only place in the world where an authentic Jewish culture can flourish (at least potentially). Even the more peripheral of American Jews are touched by the Jewish authenticity of Israel, while the more committed find the power of Israel in this respect almost irresistible.”3 And in response to such typical Zionist authenticity claims, one of Philip Roth’s literary alter egos proposes that Europe, not Israel, is “the most authentic Jewish homeland there has ever been, the birthplace of rabbinic Judaism, Hasidic Judaism, Jewish secularism, socialism, on and on.”4 Authenticity has become the key term for postmodern reconstruc- tions and “renewals” of -
Guide to the Synagogue for Interfaith Couples and Families
GUIDE TO THE SYNAGOGUE FOR INTERFAITH COUPLES AND FAMILIES Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2 What happens at a synagogue? ...................................................................................... 3 Daily Prayer ................................................................................................................. 4 Torah Reading ............................................................................................................. 5 Special Prayers For Holidays ...................................................................................... 6 Lifecycle Events (But Not All Of Them!) ....................................................................... 7 Study ........................................................................................................................... 9 Other Community Activities ....................................................................................... 10 What Kind of Synagogue Is it? Jewish Denominations ................................................. 11 Reform ................................................................................................................... 12 Conservative .......................................................................................................... 12 Orthodox ................................................................................................................ 14 Hasidic Orthodox ...................................................................................................... -
University of Southampton Research Repository Eprints Soton
University of Southampton Research Repository ePrints Soton Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination http://eprints.soton.ac.uk UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF HUMANITIES English Department Hasidic Judaism in American Literature by Eva van Loenen Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2015 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF YOUR HUMANITIES English Department Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy HASIDIC JUDAISM IN AMERICAN LITERATURE Eva Maria van Loenen This thesis brings together literary texts that portray Hasidic Judaism in Jewish-American literature, predominantly of the 20th and 21st centuries. Although other scholars may have studied Rabbi Nachman, I.B. Singer, Chaim Potok and Pearl Abraham individually, no one has combined their works and examined the depiction of Hasidism through the codes and conventions of different literary genres. Additionally, my research on Judy Brown and Frieda Vizel raises urgent questions about the gendered foundations of Hasidism that are largely elided in the earlier texts. -
What Is Jewish Renewal?
The Jewish Denominations A quick look at Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist Judaism — and at other Jewish streams. By MJL Jewish denominations — also sometimes referred to as streams, movements or branches — are the principal categories of religious affiliation among American Jews. The denominations are mainly distinguished from one another on the basis of their philosophical approaches to Jewish tradition, and their degree of fidelity to and interpretation of traditional Jewish law, or halacha. Outside North America, the non-Orthodox streams of Judaism play a less significant role, and in Israel the vast majority of synagogues and other Jewish religious institutions are Orthodox, even though most Israeli Jews do not identify as Orthodox. Even within North America, the role of the movements has diminished somewhat in recent years, with growing numbers of American Jews and Jewish institutions identifying as “just Jewish,” nondenominational or transdenominational. The 3 Largest Jewish Movements Reform Judaism A participant marching with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in the Women’s March in Washington, Jan. 21, 2017. (Jason Dixson Photography/Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism via Flickr) The largest affiliation of American Jews, some 35 percent of Jews identify as Reform. The movement emphasizes the primacy of the Jewish ethical tradition over the obligations of Jewish law. The movement has traditionally sought to adapt Jewish tradition to modern sensibilities and sees itself as politically progressive and social-justice oriented while emphasizing personal choice in matters of ritual observance. Major institutions: Union for Reform Judaism, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institution of Religion, Religious Action Center, Central Conference of American Rabbis. -
Political Power, a Religious Agenda, and the Failings of the Endorsement Test: Hasidic Educational Separatism and the East Ramapo School Board Kathleen Lockwood
FIRST AMENDMENT LAW REVIEW Volume 12 | Issue 3 Article 6 3-1-2014 Political Power, a Religious Agenda, and the Failings of the Endorsement Test: Hasidic Educational Separatism and the East Ramapo School Board Kathleen Lockwood Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/falr Part of the First Amendment Commons Recommended Citation Kathleen Lockwood, Political Power, a Religious Agenda, and the Failings of the Endorsement Test: Hasidic Educational Separatism and the East Ramapo School Board, 12 First Amend. L. Rev. 697 (2014). Available at: http://scholarship.law.unc.edu/falr/vol12/iss3/6 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in First Amendment Law Review by an authorized editor of Carolina Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Political Power, a Religious Agenda, and the Failings of the Endorsement Test: Hasidic Educational Separatism and the East Ramapo School Board By Kathleen Lockwood* I. INTRODUCTION While presiding over the last meeting of the East Ramapo School Board before its summer break of 2012, Daniel Schwartz, a member of the Hasidic Jewish community of New Square, New York, and the controversial chairman of the Board, addressed criticism of the Board's alleged financial favoritism of yeshivas t at the expense of the public school system.2 In response to a suggestion that members of the Hasidic Jewish community were unfit to serve on the board because of their preference for private yeshivas over public schools, Schwartz remarked in a now infamous line: "You don't like it? Find yourself another place to live." 3 Schwartz's comment reflects what many believe to be the underlying rationale of the Board's actions since Rockland County's Hasidic Jewish population gained the majority of the Board seats in 2007-educational separatism for the Hasidic Jewish population at the expense of the surrounding minority populations. -
Title of Thesis Or Dissertation, Worded
TALES OF THE HASIDIM: MARTIN BUBER’S UNIVERSAL VISION OF ECSTATIC JOY AND SPIRITUAL WHOLENESS by CHARLES DAVID HANNA A THESIS Presented to the Folklore Program and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts March 2017 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Charles David Hanna Title: Tales of the Hasidim: Martin Buber’s Universal Vision of Ecstatic Joy and Spiritual Wholeness This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Folklore degree in the Folklore Program by: Dr. Dorothee Ostmeier Chairperson Dr. Carol Silverman Member Scott L. Pratt Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded March 2017 ii © 2017 Charles David Hanna iii THESIS ABSTRACT Charles David Hanna Master of Arts Folklore Program March 2017 Title: Tales of the Hasidim: Martin Buber’s Universal Vision of Ecstatic Joy and Spiritual Wholeness I will examine Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidim, and the limits of his concepts of “ecstatic joy” and “spiritual wholeness.” To Buber, Hasidic legends present the possibility of overcoming tensions between the quotidian present and the messianic future, divisions of sacred and profane, divine and self. I argue that Buber does not present clear instructions on how to achieve this unity, so I turn to his other writings on Hasidism in order to trace his definition of “ecstatic joy” and “spiritual wholeness.” While Buber accurately depicts the Zaddik-Hasidim relationship, he downplays the importance of Jewish Law (Halacha) in facilitating the goal of ecstatic joy and spiritual wholeness which he posits as the essence of Hasidism. -
Succession in Contemporary Hasidism
1 Succession in Contemporary Hasidism Who Will Lead Us? ZADDIKIM OR REBBES When the modern Hasidic movement fi rst emerged in the late eight- eenth century, it was led mostly by charismatic men, commonly called zaddikim (loosely translated as the saintly or pious), who were them- selves the successors of ba’aley shem (wonder masters of the name of God or healers) and their counterparts, the maggidim (itinerant preach- ers).1 While the ba’aley shem were said to possess the mystical knowl- edge of Kabbalah that enabled them to invoke and in shaman-like fash- ion manipulate powerful, esoteric names of God in order to heal people, do battle with their demons, or liberate the human soul to unify itself with God, powers they used on behalf of those who believed in them, and while the maggidim were powerful preachers and magnetic orators who told tales and off ered parables or sermons that inspired their listen- ers, zaddikim had a combination of these qualities and more. With ba’aley shem they shared a knowledge of how to apply Kabbalah to the practical needs of their followers and to perform “miracles,” using their mystical powers ultimately to help their Hasidim (as these followers became known), and from the maggidim they took the power to inspire and attract with stories and teaching while inserting into these what their devotees took to be personal messages tailored just to them. With both, they shared the authority of charisma. Charisma, Max Weber explained, should be “applied to a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart 1 HHeilmaneilman - WWhoho WillWill LeadLead Us.inddUs.indd 1 223/03/173/03/17 22:32:32 PPMM 2 | Succession in Contemporary Hasidism from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhu- man, or at least specifi cally exceptional powers or qualities.” 2 Whether the supernatural was an essential aspect of early Hasidism has been debated, but what is almost universally accepted is the idea that the men who became its leaders were viewed by their followers as extraordinary and exceptional. -
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism General Information Orthodox Judaism teaches that the Torah, in both its written and oral form, was given to Moses directly by G-d and that strict adherence to the Torah is required of all Jews in all areas of life. This core set of beliefs unites various subgroups with significant social, cultural, and organizational differences. Within the United States, the largest of these subgroups are “Modern Orthodox” Judaism, which finds positive value in interactions with contemporary society, and “Haredi” and “Hasidic” Judaism, which advocate segregation from non-Jewish culture but not complete isolation from the secular world. More information about Orthodox Judaism can be found by going to http://www.ou.org, http://www.rabbis.org, and http://www.chabad.org. Number of Members in the U.S. and Canada: 600,000 Number of Members Worldwide: 1.8 million Official Statements on Animals Humans are the “pinnacle” of creation and have “dominion” over animals Because Orthodox Judaism is not a monolithic movement, there is no one organization with the authority to speak on behalf of the entire Orthodox community. However, the Orthodox Union, the Rabbinical Council of America, and Chabad Lubavitch do speak on behalf of a large segment of the Orthodox population. According to these organizations, G-d rules over a cosmic hierarchy and has made humans “the pinnacle of creation.” Our privileged status is accompanied by the right to exercise dominion over animals. “The Torah tell[s] us that in the beginning, when G-d created all living creatures…the -
Lecture 5: Modern Judaism (1): the 18Th to Mid-19Th Centuries
A history of the Jewish faith: Explanatory guide Peter Scha;ner U3A Stonnington, 2021 Lecture 5: Modern Judaism (1): The 18th to mid-19th centuries A. ‘TRADITIONAL JUDASIM’ – That is, the way Judaism was usually prac6ces in the Kehillah (community) up un6l the modern era. Kehillah – Technically, the organiza6on of the Jewish popula6on of a community that deals with chari6es and other communal affairs. Generally, a Jewish community. Chmielnicki massacres (1648) - The Cossack riots were pogroms carried out against the Jews of modern Ukraine during the uprising of the Cossacks and serfs led by Bogdan Chmielnicki against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Some 20,000 Jews died of direct murder or by starva6on. B. THE ENLIGHTENMENT - A European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradi6on. It was heavily influenced by 17th- century philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Newton, and its prominent figures included Kant, Goethe, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Adam Smith. Haskalah (Jewish enlightenment) - An 18th–19th-century movement among central and eastern European Jews, begun in Germany under the leadership of Moses Mendelssohn, designed to make Jews and Judaism more cosmopolitan in character by promo6ng knowledge of and contribu6ons to the secular arts and sciences and encouraging adop6on of the dress, customs, and language of the general popula6on. Maskil - A follower or adherent of the Haskalah movement Naphtali Hirtz Wessely (1725 – 1805) - 18th-century German Jewish Hebraist and educa6onist, suppor6ng secular studies. Because of his energe6c commitment to the cause of Jewish emancipa6on, Wessely may be regarded as a leader of the Maskilim. -
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Ayala Fader: Mitzvah Girls Is Published by Princeton University Press and Copyrighted, © 2009, by Princeton University Press
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Ayala Fader: Mitzvah Girls is published by Princeton University Press and copyrighted, © 2009, by Princeton University Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher, except for reading and browsing via the World Wide Web. Users are not permitted to mount this file on any network servers. Follow links for Class Use and other Permissions. For more information send email to: [email protected] CHAPTER ONE Introduction HASIDIC JEWS, who claim to be the bearers of authentic Jewish religion, arrived in New York City after the Holocaust and, defying all predic- tions, flourished. Women and girls are essential to this community’s growth, for it is they who bear and rear the next generation of believ- ers. Women’s and girls’ responsibilities include mediating the secular world for Hasidic men and boys who study the sacred Torah. This book is an ethnographic study of how Bobover1 and other unaffiliated Hasidic women teach their daughters to take on their responsibilities and become observant Jewish women. Studies of religion often focus on sacred texts, prayer, or special rituals. My research with Hasidic women and girls led me instead to listen to everyday talk in homes, classrooms, and the front yards of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Boro Park. Language organizes social life and is a springboard into broader issues such as the ways Hasidic mothers and girls talk about authority and desire, about the body and autonomy, about power and morality. -
Judaism and Jewish Philosophy 19 Judaism, Jews and Holocaust Theology
Please see the Cover and Contents in the last pages of this e-Book Online Study Materials on JUDAISM AND JEWISH PHILOSOPHY 19 JUDAISM, JEWS AND HOLOCAUST THEOLOGY JUDAISM Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud. According to Jewish tradition, the history of Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham (ca. 2000 BCE), the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still in practice today. Jewish history and doctrines have influenced other religions such as Christianity, Islam and the Bahá’í Faith. While Judaism has seldom, if ever, been monolithic in practice, it has always been monotheistic in theology. It differs from many religions in that central authority is not vested in a person or group, but in sacred texts and traditions. Throughout the ages, Judaism has clung to a number of religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it. According to traditional Jewish belief, the God who created the world established a covenant with the Israelites, and revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of the Torah, and the Jewish people are the descendants of the Israelites. The traditional practice of Judaism revolves around study and the observance of God’s laws and commandments as written in the Torah and expounded in the Talmud. With an estimated 14 million adherents in 2006, Judaism is approximately the world’s eleventh-largest religious group.