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The Chosen People

Miranda Grace Turner
University of Kentucky
November 3, 2014

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Abstract

Jewish-American families have their own ideals, values, and traditions; different
from every other American in the US. I explored those differences in this paper. I found
some facts to be surprising and some things to reaffirm what I already knew about the
culture. In the paper I explored home life, the Torah, stereotypes, and religious practices
of Judaism. I also looked into the differences between Orthodox and Reform Judaism.
Keywords: Torah, Judaism, Jewish-American, Orthodox, Reform

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I was raised as a Roman Catholic. In my family we believe in Jesus Christ the Son
of God, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. My mother especially is a very devout
Roman Catholic but she is also a big nerd, so she has knowledge on many different
religions. But recently I have come to learn that many people who claim to be Christians
do not know that Jesus himself was a Jewish Rabbi before John baptized him. After that
realization, I had another, which was that I know very little about the religion that helps
base the religion I follow. Not only as a religion is Judaism interesting but as a culture.
In more than one instance have I heard Judaism referred as a race, religion, or culture.
There are so many ways you can be apart of the Jewish-American community, not just
religiously. That is the main difference from many other communities, religions
especially. The Jewish-American community is a major support system for its members;
and that is something that most other cultures especially the African-American one does
not have. That is why I chose to explore Judaism as a religion, and community for my
culture essay.
Jewish people have experienced persecution since the Ancient times. Many
Christians blamed Jewish people for the death of Jesus, wrongly so. Since his execution
was ordered by Pontius Pilot who in fact was not a Jew but Roman. In 1492, Spain
expelled all Jewish people from the land; this began the Jewish migration to the Calvinist
Netherlands. By 1654, twenty-three Jewish went to New Amerstdamn. During the
colonial American times most Jewish residents lived in New York and Newport. As
America began to form, and grow the Jewish community divided more into two sections:
Orthodox Judaism, and American Judaism. Settling in more western states, mainly
California. In the early 19th century Jewish residents began to settle and organize their

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communities. During the American Civil War 3,000 Jewish people fought for the
confederate side and 7,000 Jewish-Americans fought for the Union. (Wikipedia.com)
During the 20th century more Jewish-Americans rose to the middle-class and higher
wealth. In World War I, 250,000 Jews represented approximately 5% of the American

armed forces even though they were only 3% of the population. (Wikipedia.com) Before
and during World War II we only took about 21,000 refugees. Which was significantly
below neutral European countries, and below our quota. (Wikipedia.com) The Holocaust
created a divide amongst American-Jewish people. Between the people who were now
Zionist; which meant that return to Holy Land (Israel) was the only solution to the
Holocaust, and anti-Zionist. After WWII Jewish people became more politically active.
Except for Orthodox Jews they tend to fall more on the liberal side. In the 1970s the
Jewish Feminism Movement began and has been getting prominence ever since. The first
female Rabbi was ordained in 1972.
Judaism is one the oldest
religions in the world too date. It is
a religion based on many spiritual
readings, the most sacred being the
Torah. The Torah is so prominent
that it the first five books in the
bible and mentioned eighteen times
in the Quran. Another very
important reading is the Halakhah.

Rabbi reading the Torah

The Halakhah in translation means the path one walks. In this reading it describes not

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just religious life, but daily life a Jewish person should live. How to: eat, pray, dress,
help the poor, observe, show gratitude, etc. Similar to many religions, Judaism has
celebrations and holidays year round. Some of them being: Passover which is the
celebration of the Hebrew slave liberation from Egypt, and Bar Mitzvahs which is a
induction of a child to an adult into the community. They also have their own New Year
called Rosh Hashanah. But during Rosh Hashanah it is a solemn and holy time that is
very different from the typical rowdy, drunken American New Years. Finally, Jewish

people obviously do not celebrate Christmas. The literal translation of Christmas is Mass
of Christ and Jewish people do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. So instead
around that time of year they celebrate Hanukkah. It is an eight-day celebration,
acknowledging Maccabean Revolution. Unlike other monotheistic religions Judaism has
no one definition on the afterlife. I found to absolutely astounding, that with all the
spiritual reading of Judaism that is no general consensus on the afterlife and that is up to
interpretation. But like other religions there are different levels of commitment to the
faith, and its practices.
Orthodox Jewish members practice
the strictest form of Judaism. Culturally,
speaking they do not tend to mix with
other cultures, they keep kosher, practice
the Sabbath, and dress extremely modestly
not showing there heads or much skin.
Spiritually, they believe that Jesus was not

Orthodox Jewish family

the Son of God, and that the Messiah has not come yet. They also believe that the Jewish

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people are Gods chosen people, and Israel is there land given to them by God. An
average Jewish family home has a Siddur, which is a book of daily prayers that must be
read. Family purity is also very important in the Orthodox community. For example, a
woman must wait one week after her menstrual cycle stops to be deemed clean again, and
can resume physical contact with her husband. Politically speaking Orthodox Jews tend
to fall more on the conservative then Reform Jews. I did not find that finding very
surprising. Except for the fact that many Republican representatives talk about their
strong Christian values; so I did find it a little funny. Now some of these things seem
rather extreme but the Orthodox community appears to be very close. They do no operate
as separate households, but more as one large unit. I cannot think of any other community
that promotes such solidarity. The bible encourages to help a friend in need with a free
loan. Maimonidees writes that lending money for a friend in need is the highest quality of
charity! (Orhtodox-Jews.com) Not only do they give interest free loans but they soup
kitchens, and goodwill but just for people in their community, which is just amazing, and
generous.
Orthodox Judaism is the most conservative form of practice within the Jewish
religion. Now the Orthodox Jews only make up 10% or the Jewish population, where as
the least conservative, Reform Jews make up 35%. (NY Times.com) The Reform Jewish
community is also referred to as the American Jews through history and they are the most
liberal denomination. Reform Jews are the largest percentage of practicing Jewish
people, but it is only 35 percent of the population. That means many Jewish people today
identify as Jewish culturally but do not practice the religion. A great example of this is
Scott Disick, who was raised Jewish and claims to be Jewish but does not participate in

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the Sabbath, or Passover. He also married, and had children with a non-Jewish person
Kourtney Kardashian.
The first major survey of American Jews in more than 10 years finds a
significant rise in those who are not religious, marry outside the faith and are not
raising their children Jewish resulting in rapid assimilation that is sweeping
through every branch of Judaism except the Orthodox.-NY Times

Amongst the Reform Jewish sub-community the attitude is more laid-back than Orthodox
obviously. There are more freedoms with dressing, education, and even religious
practices. The overall decline in all religions in America could account for why many
Jewish people, except Orthodox, do not practice the religion.

Amongst the community there seems to be an all or nothing mentality arising

recently. Either you practice the strictest
form of Judaism or tend to wean of the
religion all together. The technological
advances in society have made it much
easier to be an Orthodox Jewish
member. It is possible to set a Jewish
home to Shabbat hours, so the
electricity runs automatically which

Shabbat necessities

also make Shabbat meals, and the household in general easier to run without breaking
any rules. Some Shabbat rules are harder to avoid such as not spending any money, but
Jewish run companies do close for Shabbat hours. So many Jewish families buy what

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they need well before the Shabbat so they dont have to break that rule either. In some
hotels they have elevators that run automatically during Shabbat hours. Also with
international trade you can buy items that are sold exclusively from Israel. Since
Orthodox Jews believe God gave Israel to them it gives them a connection to the
motherland. I think all these reasons are why Orthodox Jews are the most consistent with
their practices throughout generations.
Although Orthodox Judaism seems strict they seem very welcoming once you
become a member. From the information I gathered they do not have the judgment or
stigma that the Catholic Church has. Also, outside of the church the community is a giant
support system. The African-American community is anything but a support system. It is
very Marxist, survival of the fittest. Which means lots of people do not survive for long
especially without the necessary tools for todays world. I wonder what would my life,
or my siblings lives be like if we had what the Jewish community had? But not to be
confused my siblings and I had so many more privileges than most African-Americans
Would there be cases of teenage boys being murdered if they had a community to support
them? Would there gang violence? Would the African-America people make up 13% of
population but 60% of those in jail? I think my culture has many things to learn from the
Jewish culture. The support, love, and dedication to the people within the Jewish
community is what I would call as beautiful and I am jealous of that.
Stereotypically, Jewish people are seen as having a monopoly on media, and pop
culture. In my research I have found that is partially true. Rupert Murdoch, whose mother
was Jewish owns FOX TV, New York Post, London Times, and News of the World.
Stephen Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and David Geffen are all Jewish and all happen to

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be co-owners of DreamWorks. Lastly, Terry Semel is CEO of Yahoo, and former chair of
Warner Bros. So it true that for a small part of the population they control a large amount
of the media, and pop culture. That is very honestly that they dominate such a large
portion of that profession, and I predict that they will continue to do so for many years.
At first, I thought the only
stereotypes widely believed about Jewish
Americans were that they were cheap or
frugal. Then I remembered that the Nazi
Party used a huge amount of stereotypes
and hate campaigns against the Jewish
people. That some people, although they
dont openly speak about sometimes they

Jewish Stereotypical appearance

think about. The main ones would be that

Jewish people all have big noses, big ears and large, curly afros. (Image 4) Many times
in school, and social occasions have I heard the term Jew Fro.
Jew Fro: a Jewish man (or woman) that has very curly hair, resembling an afro
Widely known from being mentioned on the popular TV show "The OC".
(UrbanDictionary.com)
The offensive term like Jew Fro was used on a television that was broadcasted nationally.
That is completely obscene. Luckily the show is now canceled and no other show has
come up in my research as being associated with term. Other Jewish stereotypes are that
mothers tend to be loud, and overbearing; and Jewish lawyers are greedy, and

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manipulative. Also the terms, nice Jewish boy who is the type of boy you bring home to
your mother, and American Jewish princess who is materialistic, and spoiled. I was so
misguided at first thinking that Jewish people didnt have many stereotypes painted on
them. Ive come to realize that people are little less vocal with those stereotypes then with
other races, and cultures and I think that is because the Holocaust was less than 70 years
ago. Like I said before the Nazi party gained momentum by playing on stereotypes and
hate campaigns; so Id like to think the American people are more conscientious of what
slander they say.
In one point of history almost every culture has been a minority, has been
persecuted, and oppressed. The Jewish culture especially has been the ant under
someones boot multiple times throughout history; but they have started to find their
place. I was taught in the Jewish-American families they value hard work and
perseverance because of the history of the Jewish people. My parents always told me I
could do anything, because I share kin with Moses and the Maccabees. We are Gods
people so we can do anything, even in the darkest days we have His light. (Dr. Waldmen
Interview) This statement is from a person with many identities female, mid-westerner,
therapist, and wife but one of her most important is Jewish-American. It is a identity she
is proud of and wears proudly, she isnt orthodox, but she Jewish. She even tried to
convince my very Catholic mother to convert to Judaism on more than one occasion
because she says the community is one the best things in her life. She also I need to
marry a nice Jewish boy. My overall impression from the interview with Dr. Waldmen
was that the community aspect of Judaism is marvelous, and the religion side is adaptable
to modern day so it is manageable to maintain a connection with God.

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The American Jewish people are a people who have immigrated, and have built
their lives and communities in a country where they had opportunity. In many places they
experienced so much religious persecution that could not fully flourish but being in
America they have found a place to enhance themselves. They seem to a community of
love and support; also hard work, and determination. They have many qualities and traits
that are admirable. I learned so much from exploring this identity, Including that you can
identify in so many different ways as being Jewish. You could mean race, religion,
culture, heritage, by marriage, or all of the above. And the really astounding thing that
they will accept you no matter how you identify. The Jewish American culture is not
perfect, we are flawed people but they are making strides that many other cultures have
not even begun discussing yet. I honestly think Jewish-American history should be taught
more in schools, not just the Holocaust because the general public would benefit from it.

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Annotated Bibliography:
1. Kress, M. (n.d.). Orthodox Judaism Today. Retrieved September 28, 2014, from
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Jewish_World_Today/Denominations/
Orthodox.shtml?p=3
a. Gives me the history of all denominations of Judaism in America
starting at 1686 since their beginning. There is some history of the
denominations in general, but mostly just the denominations that
have been practiced in America.
2. Sarna, J., & Golden, J. (2000, October 1). The American Jewish
Experience through the Nineteenth Century: Immigration and
Acculturation. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/judaism.htm
a. How most the Jewish population was 1/10th of the population until
the 1900s starting at 1400s. The Jewish experience with immigration
between the 1800s - 1900s.
3. Grubin, D. (n.d.). Being Jewish in Modern America. Retrieved September
29, 2014.
http://www.pbs.org/jewishamericans/jewish_life/modern_america.html
a. A look into day-to-day life for Jewish Americans. Gives a look into the
modern Jewish family. Does not tell much about modern Orthodox
families. Also about the first Female Rabbi
4. Makin, C. (2014, April 14). What does being Jewish mean in 2014?
Retrieved September 29, 2014, from
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/14/passover-jewishmonday/7712487/
a. Many people identify with the Jewish culture strongly more then with
the religion in 2014. People can be apart of the Jewish community
without practicing the religion. IE having one Jewish parent, etc.
5. The Jewish American Family. (2008, January 1). Retrieved September 29,
2014, from
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/usjewfamily.html
a. A depiction of the Jewish American Family in modern day times. Not
only Orthodox. Informs reader about all sorts of technology used to
help celebrate Sabbath.
6. Kress, M. (2012, December 12). Orthodox Judaism Today. Retrieved
September 29, 2014, from
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Jewish_World_Today/Denominat
ions/Orthodox.shtml?p=1
a. The political state of Jewish culture today. Shows how many people
with political power do identify Jewish. Also what legislation is
affecting the Jewish community directly and indirectly.
7. Goodstein, L. (2013, October 1). Poll Shows Major Shift in Identity of U.S.
Jews. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/us/poll-shows-major-shift-in-identityof-us-jews.html?_r=1&
a. Physical Data on the shift back to Orthodox Judaism in the recent
years. Also shows how more people are either converting back to
orthodox Judaism or they see themselves as Jewish but do not practice
the religion.
8. Interviews with Dr. Waldmen