Jillian Rubin
Jews in the Modern World
Professor Lesses
November 17, 2008
1. There are many myths that are the basis of Christian anti-semitism in the ancient and medieval worlds. Medieval art, poetry, drama, and sermons identified Jews with the Devil. Also, in plays, Jews were being portrayed as evil demons with horns and tails. Christians believed the myth that Jews were evil. During the Middle Ages, there was an idea that the Jew was “the seed of Satan”. Christians believed that Jews played a role in the Black Death that took place in Europe in 1348 and 1349. The Christians in the Middle Ages believed that Jews had kidnapped and murdered Christian children, there were books written during this time to “prove” this.
During this time, Jews were associated with the devil in medieval thinking. The reason Jews were associated with the devil is because the devil was terrifying to early Medieval Christians, therefore they associated the devil with Jews because they had such a hatred of the Jewish people.
Martin Luther at first had the same hatred towards Jews that the rest of the Christian people during this time had. Soon after the start of the Reformation, he called for a gentler attitude toward Jews. By doing this he was hoping that the Jewish people would convert to Christianity. In a treatise that was written by Martin Luther that was titled Concerning the Jews and Their Lies, he wrote about his ideas for the “final solution” to the Jewish question. In the beginning of this treatise he wrote “What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews”? (81). This shows that he wrote about the Jews in a very poor manner. He continued to write other extremes about what he wanted done to the Jews including having their houses destroyed and to set fire to their synagogues. He continues to write that he wants their prayer books taken away from them. All of this shows that Martin Luther was hated the Jews very much because he wrote about them so negatively.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Jillian Rubin
The effect of the First World War upon Jews living in Western Europe was that about 100,000 Jews were serving in Germany’s armed forces, 12,000 died in combat (315). During World War I in Western Europe, Jews were being recruited for important public positions. One the war was in a stalemate during 1915-1916 there began to be a great amount of national frustrations towards the Jews. Germans believed that Jews were “taking over” national institutions. There were a lot of problems for Jews living in Russia during World War I. As soon as World War one started the Jews in Russia were seen as being untrustworthy, as many as 45,000 Jewish civilians in Europe were serving in the army however they could not receive officer’s ranking, this shows that they were seen as a separate population in Europe (317). In Russia, Yiddish was now seen as a foreign language, and Jews were no longer allowed to use it in public. In addition, there were rumors going around that Jews in Russia were giving aid to the enemy that the Russians were fighting. This shows that World War I had a very negative effect on the Jewish population in Western Europe because there were rumors circulating about them, and they were not allowed to practice parts of their lifestyle (speaking Yiddish) that made them comfortable.
In Eastern Europe such as Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine the War had effects on Jews as well. In Ukraine the War had negative effects on the Jewish population. Under the May Laws the Jewish population which was around 1.927 million, were now considered town-dwellers. They no longer counted as being part of the population of Ukraine. This is very bad for the Jews living in Ukraine during this time because they are no longer going to feel like they belong in their own country.
The postwar “minorities treaties” were made up of twelve articles. One part of the treaty was that there was now going to be full civil, religious, and political rights granted to every citizen of the new Poland, there were also linguistic rights which allowed minorities in Poland the right to use their language in areas such as commerce, courts of law, and also for children in primary schools. This treaty that was first signed by the Polish Prime Minister at the time was extremely important because very similar documents were signed in countries such as Armenia, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Czechoslovakia. Therefore, the original signing allowed these other countries to do the same thing and grant more freedom to their Jewish citizens.
The effect of the First World War upon Jews living in Western Europe was that about 100,000 Jews were serving in Germany’s armed forces, 12,000 died in combat (315). During World War I in Western Europe, Jews were being recruited for important public positions. One the war was in a stalemate during 1915-1916 there began to be a great amount of national frustrations towards the Jews. Germans believed that Jews were “taking over” national institutions. There were a lot of problems for Jews living in Russia during World War I. As soon as World War one started the Jews in Russia were seen as being untrustworthy, as many as 45,000 Jewish civilians in Europe were serving in the army however they could not receive officer’s ranking, this shows that they were seen as a separate population in Europe (317). In Russia, Yiddish was now seen as a foreign language, and Jews were no longer allowed to use it in public. In addition, there were rumors going around that Jews in Russia were giving aid to the enemy that the Russians were fighting. This shows that World War I had a very negative effect on the Jewish population in Western Europe because there were rumors circulating about them, and they were not allowed to practice parts of their lifestyle (speaking Yiddish) that made them comfortable.
In Eastern Europe such as Poland, Russia, and the Ukraine the War had effects on Jews as well. In Ukraine the War had negative effects on the Jewish population. Under the May Laws the Jewish population which was around 1.927 million, were now considered town-dwellers. They no longer counted as being part of the population of Ukraine. This is very bad for the Jews living in Ukraine during this time because they are no longer going to feel like they belong in their own country.
The postwar “minorities treaties” were made up of twelve articles. One part of the treaty was that there was now going to be full civil, religious, and political rights granted to every citizen of the new Poland, there were also linguistic rights which allowed minorities in Poland the right to use their language in areas such as commerce, courts of law, and also for children in primary schools. This treaty that was first signed by the Polish Prime Minister at the time was extremely important because very similar documents were signed in countries such as Armenia, Greece, Romania, Serbia, and Czechoslovakia. Therefore, the original signing allowed these other countries to do the same thing and grant more freedom to their Jewish citizens.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Jillian Rubin
Jews in the Modern World
Professor Lesses
November 9, 2008
What is the “Jewish Question” that Herzl wants to solve? Why should Jews accept his solution?
The Jewish question is something that still exists (534). According to Herzl it is in existence wherever Jews are in large numbers. He believes that Jews will move to places where they are not being persecuted against, and once the Jews have moved there they will be persecuted. The Jewish question according to Herzl, is why does anti-Semitism exist? He says that he understands anti-Semitism, which Herzl explains is a very complex movement (534).
He believes that the Temple should be rebuilt in order to remember the faith of our fathers (535). He believes that there should be a “gestor” that will help to direst the political cause. Jews should accept this solution because they are in such great distress throughout the world that a “gestor” might help to solve this problem. Herzl says that the “gestor” should not just be one person, it should be a few. He is trying to stop Jews from being persecuted wherever they migrate to. He believes that a Society of Jews should be set up in order to do this. This society will be able to find out of the Jewish people really want to go to the Promised Land of Palestine. Jews should accept his solution because it is of benefit to them if they are not being persecuted against; he is looking out for the Jewish people.
Jews in the Modern World
Professor Lesses
November 9, 2008
What is the “Jewish Question” that Herzl wants to solve? Why should Jews accept his solution?
The Jewish question is something that still exists (534). According to Herzl it is in existence wherever Jews are in large numbers. He believes that Jews will move to places where they are not being persecuted against, and once the Jews have moved there they will be persecuted. The Jewish question according to Herzl, is why does anti-Semitism exist? He says that he understands anti-Semitism, which Herzl explains is a very complex movement (534).
He believes that the Temple should be rebuilt in order to remember the faith of our fathers (535). He believes that there should be a “gestor” that will help to direst the political cause. Jews should accept this solution because they are in such great distress throughout the world that a “gestor” might help to solve this problem. Herzl says that the “gestor” should not just be one person, it should be a few. He is trying to stop Jews from being persecuted wherever they migrate to. He believes that a Society of Jews should be set up in order to do this. This society will be able to find out of the Jewish people really want to go to the Promised Land of Palestine. Jews should accept his solution because it is of benefit to them if they are not being persecuted against; he is looking out for the Jewish people.
Jillian Rubin
Jews in the Modern World
Professor Lesses
November 9, 2008
What is the “Jewish Question” that Herzl wants to solve? Why should Jews accept his solution?
The Jewish question is something that still exists (534). According to Herzl it is in existence wherever Jews are in large numbers. He believes that Jews will move to places where they are not being persecuted against, and once the Jews have moved there they will be persecuted. The Jewish question according to Herzl, is why does anti-Semitism exist? He says that he understands anti-Semitism, which Herzl explains is a very complex movement (534).
He believes that the Temple should be rebuilt in order to remember the faith of our fathers (535). He believes that there should be a “gestor” that will help to direst the political cause. Jews should accept this solution because they are in such great distress throughout the world that a “gestor” might help to solve this problem. Herzl says that the “gestor” should not just be one person, it should be a few. He is trying to stop Jews from being persecuted wherever they migrate to. He believes that a Society of Jews should be set up in order to do this. This society will be able to find out of the Jewish people really want to go to the Promised Land of Palestine. Jews should accept his solution because it is of benefit to them if they are not being persecuted against; he is looking out for the Jewish people.
Jews in the Modern World
Professor Lesses
November 9, 2008
What is the “Jewish Question” that Herzl wants to solve? Why should Jews accept his solution?
The Jewish question is something that still exists (534). According to Herzl it is in existence wherever Jews are in large numbers. He believes that Jews will move to places where they are not being persecuted against, and once the Jews have moved there they will be persecuted. The Jewish question according to Herzl, is why does anti-Semitism exist? He says that he understands anti-Semitism, which Herzl explains is a very complex movement (534).
He believes that the Temple should be rebuilt in order to remember the faith of our fathers (535). He believes that there should be a “gestor” that will help to direst the political cause. Jews should accept this solution because they are in such great distress throughout the world that a “gestor” might help to solve this problem. Herzl says that the “gestor” should not just be one person, it should be a few. He is trying to stop Jews from being persecuted wherever they migrate to. He believes that a Society of Jews should be set up in order to do this. This society will be able to find out of the Jewish people really want to go to the Promised Land of Palestine. Jews should accept his solution because it is of benefit to them if they are not being persecuted against; he is looking out for the Jewish people.
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