Two Major Divisions of Jews in the Diaspora
- Sephardi
2. Ashkenazi
Sephardi
Jews expelled from Spain and North Africa took refuge in Turkey and Italy
- Tur- a masterful, encyclopedic review of all of Jewish law which quickly became authoritative for Sephardic jews
- Ladino language, also called Judeo-Spanish
Ashkenazi
Other Jews expelled from Palestine in the second century migrated to northern Europe: France, Germanic lands, and then eastward into Poland and Russia. Most modern Jews are descended from Ashkenazi.
- Rama- modified code of law for Ashkenazi Jews
- Yiddish Language
Orthodox Judaism
- Still observes Jewish Law, but still want to participate in European culture
- They adhere to traditional beliefs of the Torah.
Conservative Judaism
Characterized by loyalty to tradition and openness to change based on rigorous examination of Jewish sources and historical developme
Reformed Judaism
- Argued for a universal set of ethical principles
- Any aspect of Judaism that was not universally applicable was expendable.
Hasidic Judaism
- Extreme conservative Wing
- Mystical movement
Reconstructionist Judaism
- Follows the traditional pattern, but does introduce basic changes and reinterpretations into the text of the prayer book.
- They do not necessarily accept the Halakhah as binding, but they observe traditional practices which they consider to be expressions of Jewish religious civilization.
Anti- Semitism
Hatred of the Jews
French Revolution
- Led to emancipation of Jews in 1791
- Jews were formally declared citizens
- Jews given full citizenship in Holland in 1796
- Ghetto barriers broken down in Venice and Rome
The Rothschilds
- Became principle bankers in Paris, Vienna, Naples, and Frankfort
- 1858- Lionel Rothschild Seated in British Parliament
Protocols of the Elders of Zion”
- Fake documents
- Jews were supposedly trying to take over the world
- Henry Ford believed it
