Verified Document

Judaism In American Judaism, Nathan Glazer Examines Essay

Judaism In American Judaism, Nathan Glazer examines the unique way Jewish culture has evolved in the United States. I wanted to interview a member of the local Hillel about how she felt about her Jewish heritage, identity, and community. In particular, I was interested in interviewing someone who had been to Israel because it would provide me with insight into the ways Judaism has evolved differently in the United States vs. Israel.

My interview subject describes herself as Jewish and says that she has always been proud of being Jewish and has had no direct experiences of anti-Semitism because she was born and raised in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. All her close friends from high school were Jewish, and her identity was socially constructed in this way. When she came to college, she was concerned about anti-Semitism, but claims that the presence of the Hillel on campus has helped her to integrate into the campus community and retain her strong Jewish identity. When asked what exactly it meant to be Jewish, she told me that it was difficult to answer because she was born Jewish and felt that it was like being a part of any other ethnic community. This reflects Glazer's observations that American Judaism has evolved as an ethnicity. Glazer calls it a "nation-religion," and when I use this term, the interview subject agrees that it is fairly accurate (p. 4). Glazer assumes that American Jews have...

It can be confusing for outsiders to consider Jewishness as an ethnic as well as a religious dimension, especially given the great diversity in Jewish culture in the diaspora. When asked about the diversity of Jewish culture in the diaspora, the interview subject said that shared Jewish identity transcends the differences in culture. She said that the Sephardic Jews that she knows have more in common with her than people from Eastern Europe, where her Ashkenazi family originated. This "ethnic element" is "essential to the Jews," as Glazer points out (p. 5).
When I asked about her experience in Israel, the interview subject said that it was interesting how different Jewish culture is expressed there vs. The United States. The interview subject visited Israel as part of a high school program called High School in Israel. In Israel, she claims, they do not differentiate between categories like Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. These categories are clearly American, which is the way Glazer frames it in American Judaism. In Israel, Jewish religious services and rituals at home are more uniform in nature. People are either more devout, or they are less devout. There are other differences that are important to the appearance of Jewish ritual and custom, such as the services. The majority of…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Judaism Religion Teachings and Festivals
Words: 1218 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Judaism Religion Rabbinic Judaism is the main form of Judaism that has existed from the 6th Century to date. From this form of Judaism, three different forms of Judaism have been established which are conservative, Orthodox and reform. Covenant -- Torahic teachings defines it as an agreement that the people had with God. An Arch of Covenant as highlighted in the books of Samuel and Kings symbolized the agreement between God and

Judaism Misconceptions About Various Religions Have Been
Words: 1824 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Judaism Misconceptions about various religions have been present for a long period of time. Some of the religions that have been the subject to common misconceptions include Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. In this text, I address some of the misconceptions I had with Judaism and how they were altered via my encounter. Further, I amongst other things also discuss steps that can be adopted to minimize misconceptions individuals harbor in

Judaism the Founding Elements of
Words: 1923 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Another major practice first set forth by Abraham is that of the practice of circumcision done on all baby boys of Jewish faith. Abraham had initially started the practice on Isaac. It was done primarily to distinguish the Jewish people and represent a mark of the Jewish faith. This tradition has continued on into the modern era, and is still regularly practiced by those of the Jewish faith. As

Judaism Is a Major World Religion, Honored
Words: 1761 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Judaism is a major world religion, honored and practiced by at least ten million people around the world, probably more ("Jewish Population"). The vast majority of Jews live in the United States and Israel, but there is also a sizeable Jewish population in Europe too ("Jewish Population"). Judaism is also one of the oldest religions still practiced in the world today, and its historical origins date back to 1800 BCE

Judaism and Christianity Judaism Is
Words: 2571 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Today, Christianity is the belief of more than a billion people in the world, who believe in the teachings and in the life of Jesus Christ. Therefore, to a Christian, 'Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Messiah or Christ promised by God in the prophecies of the Old Testament', and he, through his life, then his death, and finally his resurrection, 'freed those who believe in Him from

Judaism and Buddihsm Dow Defined
Words: 2185 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

It is also known as the will and finally the consciousness or vijnana which is the sense of awareness of a sensory or mental object. The human being is thus seen as a cluster of ever changing physical and mental processes with no underlying self. The five aggregates depend on becoming as they dependant on one another. Life is therefore a suffering in itself and one does not merely

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now