Jews
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | [[Hath not a Jew eyes?]] | ||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | You may be [[black]]<br> | ||
| + | You may be [[white]]<br> | ||
| + | You may be [[Jews |Jew]] or [[Gentile]].<br> | ||
| + | It don't make a difference in our house<br> | ||
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| + | --[[Can You Feel It (Larry Heard song)|"Can You Feel It"]] (1986) by Mr. Fingers | ||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | "Of the romances of [[Eugène Sue]] and Dr. [[George Croly|Croly]], founded upon the legend [of the ''[[Wandering Jew]]''], the less said the better. The original legend is so noble in its severe simplicity, that none but a master mind could develop it with any chance of success. Nor have the poetical attempts upon the story fared better. It was reserved for the pencil of [[Gustave Doré]] to treat it with the originality it merited, and in a series of woodcuts to produce at once a poem, a romance, and a chef-d'œuvre of art."--''[[Curious Myths of the Middle Ages]]'' (1866) Sabine Baring-Gould | ||
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| - | '''Jews''' are members of the Jewish people, an [[ethnic group]] originating in the [[Israelite]]s of the [[Ancient Near East|ancient Middle East]] and others who [[Conversion to Judaism|converted to Judaism]] throughout the millennia. The ethnicity and the religion of [[Judaism]] are strongly interrelated, and converts are both [[Non-exclusive ethnic group|included and have been absorbed within]] the Jewish people. | + | The '''Jews''', also known as the '''Jewish people''', are a [[nation]] and an [[ethnoreligious group]], originating in the [[Israelites]] or [[Hebrews]] of the [[Ancient Near East]]. The [[Jewish ethnic divisions|Jewish]] [[Ethnic group|ethnicity]], [[nationality]], and [[religion]] are strongly interrelated, as [[Judaism]] is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation. [[Conversion to Judaism|Converts to Judaism]], whose status as Jews within the Jewish ethnos is equal to those born into it, have been absorbed into the Jewish people throughout the millennia. |
| - | [[Etymology of the word Jew#Negative use|Some uses]] of the term "Jew" are tainted by historical anti-Jewish bigotry. The correct adjectival form is "Jewish"; the use of "Jew" as an adjective (as in "Jew lawyer" rather than "Jewish lawyer") is associated with bigotry. The use of "Jew" or "Jew" as a verb (as in "to Jew someone down": to bargain for a lower price) is generally seen as an extremely offensive expression based on stereotypes. However, when used as a noun, the term "Jew" is preferred, except situations where it is used to [[objectification|objectify]] and separate Jews from the remainder of the population, often by referring to the majority population by the name of the country ("Countrymen") but referring to Jewish citizens as "Jews." | + | In Jewish tradition, Jewish ancestry is traced to the Biblical patriarchs [[Abraham]], [[Isaac]] and [[Jacob]] in the second millennium BCE. |
| + | The modern [[Israel|State of Israel]] was established as a Jewish nation-state, and defines itself as such in its [[Basic Laws of Israel|Basic Laws]]. Its [[Law of Return]] grants the right of citizenship to any Jew who requests it. Israel is the only country where Jews are a majority of the population. Jews also enjoyed political autonomy twice before in [[ancient history]]. The first of these periods lasted from 1350 to 586 BCE, and encompassed the periods of the [[Book of Judges|Judges]], the [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|United Monarchy]], and the Divided Monarchy of the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)|Israel]] and [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], ending with the destruction of [[Solomon's Temple|the First Temple]]. The second was the period of the [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean Kingdom]] spanning from 140 to 37 BCE. Since the destruction of the First Temple, most Jews have lived in [[Jewish diaspora|diaspora]]. A minority in every country in which they live (except Israel), they have frequently experienced [[Persecution of Jews|persecution]] throughout history, resulting in a population that has fluctuated both in numbers and distribution over the centuries. | ||
| - | ==Negative use== | + | The world [[Jewish population]] reached a peak of 15 million prior to the [[Second World War]], but six million Jews were killed in the [[Holocaust]]. Since then the population has risen again and as of 2010, was estimated at 13.4 million by the North American Jewish Data Bank, or less than 0.2% of the total world population (roughly one in every 514 people). According to this report, about 42.5% of all Jews reside in [[Israel]] (5.7 million), and 39.3% in the [[United States]] (5.3 million), with most of the remainder living in [[Europe]] (1.5 million) and [[Canada]] (0.4 million). These numbers include all those who consider themselves Jews, whether or not they are affiliated with a Jewish organization. The total world Jewish population, however, is difficult to measure. In addition to issues with census methodology, there are ''[[halakha|halakhic]]'' disputes regarding [[Who is a Jew?|who is a Jew]] and secular, political, and ancestral identification factors that may affect the figure considerably. |
| - | The word ''Jew'' has been used often enough in a disparaging manner by [[Anti-Semitism|anti-Semites]] that in the late [[19th century|19th]] and early [[20th century|20th centuries]] it was frequently avoided altogether, and the term ''Hebrew'' was substituted instead (e.g. [[Young Men's Hebrew Association]]). Even today some people are wary of its use, and prefer to use "Jewish". Indeed, when used as an adjective (e.g. "Jew lawyer") or verb (e.g. "to Jew someone"), the term ''Jew'' is purely pejorative. However, when used as a noun, "Jew" is preferred, as other circumlocutions (e.g. "Jewish person") give the impression that the term "Jew" is offensive in all contexts. | + | ==History== |
| - | In much the same manner, ''Yid'' (ייִד) — [[Yiddish]] for "Jew", and a benign term when taken without context — was once used as an insult, but now is often used by Jews in praise, to describe an upstanding religiously observant Jew (e.g., "He's such a ''Yid'', giving up his time like that") or to distinguish upstanding religiously observant Jews from non-observant, with the implication that the latter would be better people if they were stricter in their observance (e.g., "''Yidn'' [ייִדן – plural for ''Yid''] wouldn't do such a thing"). | + | '''Jewish history''' is the history of the [[Jews]], and their nation, [[Judaism|religion]] and [[Jewish culture|culture]], as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Although Judaism as a religion first appears in Greek records during the [[Hellenistic period]] (323–31 BCE) and the earliest mention of [[Israelites|Israel]] is inscribed on the [[Merneptah Stele]] dated 1213–1203 BCE, religious literature tells the story of Israelites going back at least as far as c. 1500 BCE. The [[Jewish diaspora]] began with the [[Assyrian captivity]] and continued on a much larger scale with the [[Babylonian captivity]]. Jews were also widespread throughout the [[Roman Empire]], and this carried on to a lesser extent in the period of [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] rule in the central and eastern [[Mediterranean]]. In 638 CE the Byzantine Empire lost control of the Levant. The Arab [[Rashidun Caliphate|Islamic Empire]] under [[Caliph Omar]] conquered [[Jerusalem]] and the lands of [[Mesopotamia]], [[History of Syria|Syria]] and [[Egypt]]. The [[Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain]] coincided with the [[Middle Ages]] in Europe, a period of [[Al-Andalus|Muslim rule]] throughout much of the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. During that time, Jews were generally accepted in society and Jewish religious, cultural, and economic life blossomed. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, [[Ashkenazi Jews]] experienced extreme persecution in Central Europe, which prompted their massive emigration to [[History of Jews in Poland|Poland]]. |
| - | In the past, the term "Jewess" was sometimes used for Jewish women. This word, like "[[Negro|Negress]]" is now at best an archaism, and is generally taken as an insult. However, some modern Jewish women have reclaimed the term Jewess and use it proudly. | + | ==See also== |
| + | * [[Antisemitism]] | ||
| + | * [[The Holocaust]] | ||
| + | * [[Israel]] | ||
| + | * [[Jewish culture]] | ||
| + | * [[Jewish identity]] | ||
| + | * [[Ashkenazi Jewish intelligence]] | ||
| + | * [[Jewish stereotypes]] | ||
| + | * ''[[The Invention of the Jewish People]]'' | ||
| + | * ''[[The Economic History of the Jewish People]]'' (2002) by Jacques Attali | ||
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You may be black --"Can You Feel It" (1986) by Mr. Fingers "Of the romances of Eugène Sue and Dr. Croly, founded upon the legend [of the Wandering Jew], the less said the better. The original legend is so noble in its severe simplicity, that none but a master mind could develop it with any chance of success. Nor have the poetical attempts upon the story fared better. It was reserved for the pencil of Gustave Doré to treat it with the originality it merited, and in a series of woodcuts to produce at once a poem, a romance, and a chef-d'œuvre of art."--Curious Myths of the Middle Ages (1866) Sabine Baring-Gould |
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The Jews, also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and an ethnoreligious group, originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation. Converts to Judaism, whose status as Jews within the Jewish ethnos is equal to those born into it, have been absorbed into the Jewish people throughout the millennia.
In Jewish tradition, Jewish ancestry is traced to the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the second millennium BCE. The modern State of Israel was established as a Jewish nation-state, and defines itself as such in its Basic Laws. Its Law of Return grants the right of citizenship to any Jew who requests it. Israel is the only country where Jews are a majority of the population. Jews also enjoyed political autonomy twice before in ancient history. The first of these periods lasted from 1350 to 586 BCE, and encompassed the periods of the Judges, the United Monarchy, and the Divided Monarchy of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, ending with the destruction of the First Temple. The second was the period of the Hasmonean Kingdom spanning from 140 to 37 BCE. Since the destruction of the First Temple, most Jews have lived in diaspora. A minority in every country in which they live (except Israel), they have frequently experienced persecution throughout history, resulting in a population that has fluctuated both in numbers and distribution over the centuries.
The world Jewish population reached a peak of 15 million prior to the Second World War, but six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Since then the population has risen again and as of 2010, was estimated at 13.4 million by the North American Jewish Data Bank, or less than 0.2% of the total world population (roughly one in every 514 people). According to this report, about 42.5% of all Jews reside in Israel (5.7 million), and 39.3% in the United States (5.3 million), with most of the remainder living in Europe (1.5 million) and Canada (0.4 million). These numbers include all those who consider themselves Jews, whether or not they are affiliated with a Jewish organization. The total world Jewish population, however, is difficult to measure. In addition to issues with census methodology, there are halakhic disputes regarding who is a Jew and secular, political, and ancestral identification factors that may affect the figure considerably.
History
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, and their nation, religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Although Judaism as a religion first appears in Greek records during the Hellenistic period (323–31 BCE) and the earliest mention of Israel is inscribed on the Merneptah Stele dated 1213–1203 BCE, religious literature tells the story of Israelites going back at least as far as c. 1500 BCE. The Jewish diaspora began with the Assyrian captivity and continued on a much larger scale with the Babylonian captivity. Jews were also widespread throughout the Roman Empire, and this carried on to a lesser extent in the period of Byzantine rule in the central and eastern Mediterranean. In 638 CE the Byzantine Empire lost control of the Levant. The Arab Islamic Empire under Caliph Omar conquered Jerusalem and the lands of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. The Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain coincided with the Middle Ages in Europe, a period of Muslim rule throughout much of the Iberian Peninsula. During that time, Jews were generally accepted in society and Jewish religious, cultural, and economic life blossomed. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, Ashkenazi Jews experienced extreme persecution in Central Europe, which prompted their massive emigration to Poland.
See also
- Antisemitism
- The Holocaust
- Israel
- Jewish culture
- Jewish identity
- Ashkenazi Jewish intelligence
- Jewish stereotypes
- The Invention of the Jewish People
- The Economic History of the Jewish People (2002) by Jacques Attali
