In a book written by Goldscheider Essay Example for Free

In a book written by Goldscheider Essay Studying the Jewish Future, the author revealed the reasons for the unexpected results, that instead of a vanishing race, the reality is that of a thriving community. And the explanation can be broken down into the following: 1. Conversion – It is surprising to find out that a considerable number of non-Jewish spouse opted to be converted to Judaism. It must be noted though that the said conversion may be formal or informal but true conversion is rather marked by a following community norms and values. 2. Acceptance – the Jewish community is now more open to the idea of intermarriage and this has resulted in a more openness which predictably made it easier for non-Jewish spouse to get exposed to Jewish ways. 3. Deliberate Outreach – the Jewish community and its institutions are forced to reach out to intermarried couples and by doing so encouraged non-Jews to be respect their beliefs and for some a desire to be counted as Jews. Ambivalence There is a dramatic change in perception and outlook that resulted in an improvement in how the Jewish community in general is treating intermarried couples. Still, the Jewish faith would never have reached its current position, a survivor of the Holocaust and many other forms of persecution without creating a defense mechanism that ensured the survival not only of its lineage but also of its beliefs and customs. It is this defense mechanism that made it hard for other to jump on the â€Å"accept the intermarried couples bandwagon† and prevented some to see the possibilities not only in finding a novel way of thriving in a modern society like America but also a novel way of finding new converts. In one extreme, intermarriage is one valid form of proselytizing whose impact is not yet fully measured. But as mentioned earlier, not everyone is convinced that the time has come for the Jews to fully open its house to the Gentiles. Bayme and Rosen provided an example of this ambivalence when they cited the popular Mordecai Kaplan who at one point encouraged intermarriages: Jews must meet all situations that might lead to mixed marriages, not fearfully or grudgingly, but in the spirit of encountering an expected development †¦ With a belief in the integrity and values of his own civilization, the Jewish partner to the marriage cold †¦ make Judaism the civilization of the home†¦ And yet two years later the same person said: Since Jews are a minority and Judaism is exposed to tremendous disintegrative forces from non-Jewish environment †¦ it cannot approve of uncontrolled intermarriage with non-Jews. If however, a non-Jew who desire to marry a Jew, after studying what is involved in being a Jew and what are the principles and practices of Judaism, he should be given every encouragement and should be welcomed into the Jewish community (Kaplan, as qtd. in Bayme Rosen, 1994, p. 268). Conclusion After thousands of years since God has declared them the â€Å"chosen people† the Jews continue to struggle and to find their place in the world. Every generation is pressured to find ways to pass on what they have received from their ancestors to the next generation of Jews. Each time the baton is passed the more it becomes more difficult to continually display integrity, commitment, and consistency. Just like other ancient religions, Judaism is finding it extremely difficult to solve the dilemma of identity and relevance. The present generation can enforce and strengthen their spiritual identity and dig deep into their past to find that old familiar path that will lead them to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. But every time they struggle to keep their ancient traditions and beliefs together they risk losing their relevance to a fast evolving world. This is especially true in America; the world’s most advanced and most powerful nation. As a result the new generation of Jews are abandoning ancient traditions and exchanging it with new ideas. But this is just a part of a bigger problem. What they are most concern about is the marriage of Jews to non-Jews or interfaith marriages. As mentioned in the introduction part of this paper, the Jews can directly trace their lineage to an ancient people, the Israelites, children of Jacob. A long time ago, they co-existed with ancient people groups but they are the only fortunate ones to have survived the passage of time. It can even be argued that they are the only surviving, direct descendants of ancient tribes. This made them a special group. A fact that is not lost in the collective psyche of the Jewish people. This ability to survive against all odds does not come without a price. They have developed a sort of defense mechanisms against the â€Å"melting pot† effect of the world. The world is like one giant sponge of conformity, sucking them in to make them conform to popular trends and standards. The Jewish people, for thousands of years were able to resist that pull. They have their strict diet, their festivals, their rituals, and their traditions that must be strictly followed wherever they are. Whether they are in the midst of prison, or in a land filled with racism they have to remember who they are and by doing all these things they have fought back extinction and remained a distinct people group. The Jewish race also has one major secret weapon and it is the implied rule that they should not marry non-Jews. At first glance it is easy to believe that they perpetuate this rule for the sake of practicality. It would be impossible for an outsider to keep up with their way of life unless one has learned of these things since early childhood. But a close look into this code of conduct reveals a religion that is so exacting that it sees intermarriage as a threat to the continuity of this particular group. For thousands of years they had succeeded in maintaining the status quo. Wherever they went they formed a close knit community of fellow believers that find support and strength from one another. The long history of persecution and anti-Semitism forced them to band close together as one family. It is understandable why for a long time outsiders are reluctant to penetrate their strong defenses so that they can get an idea as to what Judaism is all about. Moreover, anti-Semitism is a serious problem that strongly discourages a potential suitor from risking his life for someone that is as enigmatic as a Jewish girl. Everything went fine until after World War II. It seems that the Holocaust has placed the Jews in the limelight and not to discount also the successes of the Holocaust survivors in the field of finance and business that may well have contributed to their fame in the international stage. Another factor is the settling of Jews in America, first coming in droves as refugees and then finally establishing a place they can call home. In the New World the Jewish community was able to thrive in an environment where anti-Semitism is denounced as something belonging to a bygone era. Then an unexpected thing happened. The lessening of anti-Semitism no doubt changed the way Americans see the Jews. In short Jewish men and women became desirable in the eyes of modern day Gentiles. And since they are in the land of the free, the new generation of Jews can find nothing wrong in interfaith marriages. But for the elders, especially communal leaders have a different perspective. They are perhaps remnants of that era where Jews are considered as the persecuted one in Europe and in many parts of the world. It may have been a difficult notion to entertain for these old folks – that a Jew can finally live with a non-Jew and yet retain its identity and continue practicing their faith. They cannot see the gray area, only the black and white shades that says either one is fully committed Jew, focused on his religious duties or none at all. Moreover, the increasing rate of intermarriages was seen as a black-eye for the Jewish community. They interpret it as a growing weakness in the institution that teaches Jewish beliefs and traditions. It was also interpreted as rebellion towards parents and to their way of life. In modern times, there are researchers like Goldscheider who contends that the elders made a fundamental error in judgment. He argues that the reason for the negative assessment of intermarriage is a wrong perspective. He hastens to say that if the elders and the whole Jewish community can see what intermarriage is doing to the community in general then they will be more open to the idea of intermarriage. Firs of all, intermarriages are means for increasing the number of Jews in America. This is because studies have found a significant percentage of non-Jews willing to learn more about the Judaism, willing to let their children grow up as followers of Judaism and in many instances non-Jews are getting converted formally or informally. Goldscheider warns though that in order for this new trend to be a source of joy for communal leaders and elders they need to have a paradigm shift. They no longer have to limit their idea â€Å"Jewishness† on the basis of birth but they must be willing to accept that a true Jew is not someone with a direct lineage to the ancient people found in the Jewish Bible, but they are people who are in love with Jewish customs and tradition and that they are eager to lead their children in following their lifestyle. For Goldscheider this is what 21st century needs and for him this is what intermarriage brings to the Jewish experience. Works Cited Bayme, Steven. Jewish Arguments and Counterarguments. New Jersey: KTAV Publishing House, 2002. Bayme, Steven Gladys Rosen. The Jewish Family and Jewish Contiunity. New Jersey: KTAV Publishing, 1994. Goldscheider, Calvin. Are American Jews Vanishing Again? Ed. Put Name of Editor of the book article was taken from. Place of Publication: Publisher, year of publication. _____________________. Studying the Jewish Future. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2004. Jewish Bible. Retrieved 13 November 2007 from http://www. breslov. com/bible/Joshua3. htm#3 Shapiro, Edward. A Time for Healing: American Jewry Since World War II. MA: The John Hopkins Press, 1992. Sklare, Marshall. Understanding American Jewry. New Jersey: Transaction Books, 1982.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare :: Papers

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare When Shakespeare wrote the 12th night the social mores were very strict. For example servants were not allowed to woo their masters but in the 12th night these rules of society were corrupted for example. Olivia loving cesario but Olivia doesn't realise that cesario is really a man and that links with cesario because she was a very wealthy woman but in an instant she becomes a servant also she is in mourning for her brother but now she is very joyful and in love. ====================================================================== Also in this play there is a hierarchical pyramid in place which is been transformed where there is a master and a servant but it seems almost reversed so the servant becomes the master and the master becomes the servant. Even there is servants loving masters there is masters falling in love with servants referring to Olivia loving a servant called cesario. The thing that seemed to attract Olivia to Cesario was her manner of speaking and intelligence. Also the 12th night has a certain comedy to it for example Sir Toby trick on Malvolio. Which is a pivotal point in the play. The letter says that Olivia has feelings for Malvolio. Malvolio showing his pomposity lets his guard down and obeys the instructions on the letter he also remembers the woman from Strace who married her wardrobe master. The instructions that were on the letter are as follows (1) Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; (2) Remember who commended thy yellow stockings, and wished to see thee ever cross- gartered: (3) Therefore in my presence still smile, dear my sweet, I prithee. This is a classic case of Dramatic Irony and inappropriateness when Olivia is in Mourning. This act of arrogance in Olivia's case is inappropriate and should be severely punished therefore Malvolio was sent to the Dungeon. Which is also symbolic to his actual position in the house at this point the audience feels empathy for Malvolio. but there is the point of if malvolio is the only person that is not

The Secret Under the Veil

The legendary author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s intriguing story, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†, may be initially read as simply a town’s aversion to a pastor’s strange decision to wear a black veil, but a deeper examination will reveal more profound values—particularly one that echo those of the writer himself. Hawthorne was known to espouse beliefs on man’s propensity toward evil, as well as the ensuing dangers brought on by isolation (OnPedia. com, par. 1), which are evident in many of his works.The same thinking was used as the underlying theme in this story, which is a narrative of the choices made by Parson Hooper, the local minister who refused to remove the veil from his person—thus causing him to be avoided by townsfolk and associated with the idea of evil and secrecy, or both. Strangely, but perhaps intentionally, the word ‘veil’ may be turned around to spell ‘evil’, which in Hawthorne’s typical period of seventeenth-century New England (Merriman, par. 2) could be logically equated with sin.The question then to be asked is within Hooper’s vow to wear the veil—was it to conceal a great sin? The answer may be revealed by a careful analysis of the story, identifying specific statements and moments that provide proof. II. Facades and Appearances: Symbolism of the Black Veil The story begins with the townsfolk’s dismay at the veiled countenance of their new minister, Mr. Hooper, and is evident in a statement uttered by one of them: â€Å"’I don’t like it,’ muttered an old woman†¦ ’He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face. ’† (Hawthorne, par.8). This reaction was most probably triggered by the common representation of the black veil—gloom, death, sadness—as it is usually seen during funerals. It does not directly refer to an admission of sin, but rather to mourn f or something; but the people took its use to be for disguising one’s real feelings, and therefore, must be a manifestation of guilt. Such is implied in their collective thought as Mr. Hooper proceeded with the church service, â€Å"did he seek to hide (his face) from the dread Being whom he was addressing? † (Hawthorne, par. 10). Without actual knowledge of Mr.Hooper’s intentions, the townspeople had already passed judgment and concluded that the minister must be concealing a secret, something so evil that he would not even face God without it. This assumption was further made correct in their minds as Mr. Hooper’s sermon centered on the subject of secret sin, and how no matter it is relegated into the darkest corners, God is able to see it (Hawthorne, par. 12). Small-town societies, such as in the story, can be preoccupied with maintaining appearances and impressions; the main goal is to present a favorable image of themselves as members of a system.Anyt hing that goes against the accepted norms may be treated with curiosity at best, and ridicule at most. Clearly, the town’s unspoken rules did not include having a pastor wearing a black veil, due to the perceived meanings of the object. The outcome is thus the connection and interpretation found within their own social narrative—in this case, secrecy, evil, and sin. III. Change and Acceptance: Not For the Religious People during this era had a great attachment to their faith, exemplified by their staunch obedience to all requisites of religion.Because of this, they had little or no tolerance for anything that ran against the accepted notions of religious tradition (Smith, par. 2)—most especially the idea of a minister wearing a black veil. Gloom and darkness were instantly associated with Mr. Hooper, and produced images of supernatural events (Hawthorne, par. 18). Once more, the wealth of assumptions created by the townsfolk spoke greatly about their own values, and none truly giving value to Mr. Hooper’s reasons. No one dared ask him—except his fiancee—regarding his use of the black veil; the people were content to talk among themselves and further elaborate on their perceptions.The appropriation of funerals is notable in the story, which then gives the reader a chance to associate the concept with Mr. Hooper’s veil, but this was certainly not the mindset of the people; they had already formed their own ideas regarding Mr. Hooper, his probable secret, and the darkness it evoked that consumed the whole town. IV. Truth and Consequence: Revealing the Veil’s Purpose Curiously, the story includes as note that refers to another account of the wearing of the black veil: one that involved yet another clergyman who wore the veil to his death due to his accidental murder of a friend (Hawthorne, par.2). This information, as provided by the author, lends itself to much argument and debate. On the one hand, the reade r could assume that this was a ‘veiled’ revelation of Mr. Hooper’s real yet untold reason for donning the black veil; on the other, it could be simply a comparison of two similar manifestations albeit with different objectives. Another clue that positions itself toward the belief that Mr. Hooper may indeed have committed a grave sin is his exchange with his fiancee Elizabeth, during which he asked. â€Å"’.. if I cover (my face) for sin, what mortal might not do the same?’† (Hawthorne, par. 37). And no matter how much Elizabeth tried to convince Mr. Hooper to tell her his reasons for not removing the veil, the minister remained firm in is resolve. In the ends, he chose to live in isolation, far from the woman he loved, for the motivation for hiding behind the veil was greater. But this isolation and focus on the consequences of sin drew ‘sinners’ closer to Mr. Hooper; it was perhaps his dark appearance and reputation that made th em confess their sins easily, with the quest to ask for forgiveness, as is done in the presence of a priest.In the end, while on his deathbed, Mr. Hooper dealt the blow that would eventually explain, however cryptic, his possible reasons for wearing the veil: â€Å"’Tremble also at each other†¦ I look around me,†¦ on every visage a black veil! ’† (Hawthorne, par. 60). While some will conclude that the minister finally admitted to his secret sin, another interpretation runs toward his use of the veil only to make the people realize their hypocrisy and bad judgment. By his referring to â€Å"the mystery by which (the veil) obscurely typifies has made (it) so awful? † (Hawthorne, par. 60), Mr.Hooper denounced the isolation he had been subjected to by the evil in the minds of men, including his own religious brothers. Just by the sole use of the black veil, a lifetime of assumptions and judgment had been passed on to him—obviously a sin creat ed by malicious thinking. V. Conclusion If the reader were to assume that Mr. Hooper had committed a sin that he avowed to remain secret because of the bit of information about another priest’s use of a black veil, as well as the perceptions of society, then he or she would not be any different from the townsfolk. The presentation of various facts—Mr.Hooper’s wearing of the veil and his refusal to remove it; the earlier incident of another veil being used; and the affinity of the ‘sinners’ with the minister—were probably made to evoke the kind of reaction in a person, coming from the degree of evil in his or her mind. Nowhere in the story had any concrete proof of Mr. Hooper’s supposed sin been shown, and coming to this kind of conclusion is born out of the reader’s own experience. The mention of the other priest who had worn a similar veil was only there to provide one reason; it was not exactly meant to assume that Mr. Hooperà ¢â‚¬â„¢s was the same.Also, the author specifically stated why the first priest had done so—because of a murder he had committed—which meant that it was revealed to the public at some point. In Mr. Hooper’s case, no revelations of any kind were given, as he simply refused to remove it till his death. Mr. Hooper’s character is a test of the townsfolk’s—and the reader’s—core. Seeing how the townsfolk reacted, which is most likely along the same lines as that of many readers of this story, Hawthorne’s theory of evil residing in the minds of men is validated.Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†. The Literature Network, 2009 http://www. online-literature. com/hawthorne/146/ â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†. OnPedia. com, 2009. http://www. onpedia. com/encyclopedia/The-Minister%27s-Black-Veil Merriman, C. D. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne †. Jalic, Inc. , 2007. http:/ /www. online-literature. com/hawthorne/ Smith, Nicole. â€Å"Analysis of ‘The Minister’s Black Veil’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne†. Article Myriad, 2007. http://www. articlemyriad. com/146. htm

Ancient Mesopotamia And Egypt Different - 1029 Words

Ancient Mesopotamia Egypt; Different The Same Long before you and I today were societies in formation. These fascinating societies took place in Mesopotamia and Egypt in ancient times. Many factors contributed to the similarities and the differences that occurred between the two; including geography, religion, and social structures. A glance at the these factors will give us a better understanding of a couple of the first societies or civilizations that occurred before people today. In order to understand a society, with the religion that it follows and the social structures that are set, we need to understand the place that it lies, which is their geographical influences. The geographical influences hold a tremendous impact on the people that it consumes. Evidence has shown that the physical and emotional attributes imposed upon a person are dictated by the geography that surrounds them. Adaptations are made to survive within the standards set by the geography of a certain place. In example, a person living in a climate with a significant amount of sunlight, compared to a person living under little sunlight, will have darker skin to prevent harm from the rays of the sun. Both Mesopotamia and Egypt were dependent upon a source of water; the Nile for Egypt and the Tigris and Euphrates for Mesopotamia. The difference between the two lands is that Egypt took place on either side of the Nile, whereas Mesopotamia was a valley laid between the Tigris and Euphrates. Si tting onShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between Mesopotamia And Egypt1337 Words   |  6 Pages Although Mesopotamia and Egypt are similar in many ways, they also have many differences. This essay will point out the differences and similarities of how these civilizations were governed, how the geography affected the people of these civilizations and the outlook these people had. 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When the Neolithic Era began in 9600 BCE, human civilizations gradually started to spring up all over the worldRead MoreMesopotamia and Egypt Essay before 600 BC911 Words   |  4 PagesMesopotamia and Egypt Ancient civilizations across history have shown unique and incredible feats of mankind. Arguably, two of the most prominent ancient civilizations in the Middle East and even the world are the Mesopotamians (Beginning 5,000 B.C.) and Egyptians (Beginning 3,150 B.C). Even though these two civilizations peaked about 2,000 years apart, they share numerous similarities contributing to their success, and also show even more differences that distinguish how each had a unique culture