Modern Jewish History

Paper Summary:

In modern times, the transformation of both the religious and traditional aspects of Judaism from traditional beliefs and customs led directly to the formation of a Jewish homeland. This essay traces the causes and effects of both the Haskalah or Jewish Enlightenment and the Holocaust, the two most important events in contemporary Jewish history. Special attention is given to their contribution to the Zionist effort to establish the state of Israel.

From the Paper:

"As the power of host states began to rise, Jewish autonomy decreased, and with it, the authority of the traditional Jewish leaders, the rabbis, also decreased. In their place, maskilim gained power, promoting the rational thinking inherent in the general European Enlightenment. The most famous maskil, Moses Mendelssohn, advocated reforms in
which the Jews would be able to socially and culturally integrate into their host societies (Finder Sept. 12, 2002). This was to be accomplished largely through reformed education in which secular subjects were added to the more traditional religious subjects (Sorkin 53). The learning of vernacular languages, adoption of local manners, and reformation of economic behavior were also goals of the Haskalah. The ultimate goal of the Haskalah was to achieve full citizenship for Jews by convincing the surrounding gentile, or non-Jewish, population of the equality of their Jewish neighbors (Sorkin 5). This process was unsystematic and often required changes to Jewish traditions."

More papers on Modern Jewish History:

• Essay # 9361 : "Ethnicity in Modern Jewish Art"
• Essay # 17970 : "Israel & Jewish History"
• Essay # 90441 : "Modern Israel"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: