Judaism

Judaism One of the world's major religions, its estimated world population of around fifteen million is centred in the USA (5.7 million), Israel (4 million), and the Soviet Union (1.5 million). Its beliefs are enshrined in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Torah) and in its oral traditions (the Mishnah and the Talmud). Following centuries of persecution, during the nineteenth century Jews were emancipated in most countries, which presented them at least in Europe with a new challenge, i.e. to what extent it was possible or desirable to assimilate to their respective (Christian) societies without losing their identity and their religion. A variety of responses to this challenge have led to a number of divisions within Judaism, which persist to the present day. The Reform Movement sought to reconcile Judaism with contemporary society, e.g. by allowing the language of the country to be used in the synagogue. Orthodox Judaism was a reaction to these liberal reformists, seeking to reject secular culture and to preserve ancient practices; it included supporters of Hasidism, an austere, mystical group which stressed the development of a personal spiritual life and attacked every manifestation of modernity. Between these emerged Conservative Judaism, whose ‘positive historicism’ aimed to harmonize Jewish tradition with modern knowledge. Finally, since the 1920s, Reconstructionists have sought to reduce the need for assimilation through emphasizing the cultural value of Judaism as part of civilization. The foundation of Israel in 1948 has presented Judaism there with problems of a different nature, mainly about its role in the new secular state.

Zionism; anti-Semitism; pogroms