Assimilation Threat With the Rise

Assimilation Threat

With the rise of globalization and the increase of technology, there is hardly a first-world or even less developed country on the globe that can claim either cultural or religious purity. Assimilation has become a part of life for people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Jews are a particularly poignant example of this. This nation seems to have been displaced ever since the beginnings of their history, if biblical evidence is taken into account. As such, their resistance to assimilation has always proved to be their sustenance and salvation in times of adversity and threat.

The Jewish concern with assimilation has been a constant worry since biblical times. Indeed, according to Stephen S. Pearce, the first Jew to face assimilation was Joseph. He was kidnapped as a slave to Egypt, where he won the favor of the king, and was subsequently thoroughly assimilated into the new culture. As the story unfolds, it however becomes clear that Joseph's heart is still Jewish, and he refuses to denounce his cultural or religious principles, even in the face of temptation.

Today, the Jewish community still has its many different rituals and beliefs. Many Jews still adhere to these, as they provide not only a sense of spiritual fulfillment, but also of cultural belonging. While it is true that many Jews have assimilated into other cultures and abandoned many of their own cultural practices, it can also be seen that the Jewish culture is alive and healthy in the general world today.