Judaism final - questions

When and why did Columbia struggle to hold on to the "Knickerbocker" families, and when and why did they give up in this struggle?

"Knickerbocker" families were elite, wealthy, Christian New Yorkers who had power and money that Columbia desired. However, at the time, Columbia lacked on campus housing as well as relationships with surrounding boarding schools (where the children of "Knickerbocker" families were educated) so more often than not, these wealthy, Christian children were drawn to other schools such as Yale and Harvard. This left Columbia with a limited, New York-based applicant pool composed mostly of Jewish individuals. They are Manhattan's aristocracy Episcopalian or Dutch Reform In its early days Columbia did not have dorms, and these men did not want to live at home so they went to other Ivy League schools Columbia applicants were mostly from New York

How does Maimonides understand the purpose of the kippah?

"Scholars conduct themselves with great modesty: They should not degrade themselves and should not uncover their heads or their bodies."

What major themes in Zionism does the Israeli national anthem capture?

"the hope of 2000 years" --> claim of continuity "to be a free people in our land"--> Claim of "our" land "towards the ends of the east" --> European perspective "our hope is not yet lost" --> Underdog mentality

How does Annie Nathan Meyer envision the nature of Jews and Judaism, and how do those around her in the early days of Barnard and Columbia?

People see Jews as a race They see a 'Jewish problem' ⅔ of applicants to Barnard come from NYC, the Jewish proportion is much larger than reflective of the population There arose conceptions of the right jew and the wrong jew to admit, attractiveness of personality She thought antisemitism was fueled by the rough immigrants wo sullied the Jews' reputation She subscribed to an elitist view of Judaism, supporting the personality sifting, and areed with the Jewish problem; she saw the right jew and the wrong Jew; suporting geographic distribution to limit them more. She's from a refined sephardic family that's been in America for centuries. She sees Judaism as her religion. There are vynig understandings of what it means to be a Jew.

Why did Jews want to argue in US Supreme Court Opinion Shaare Tefila Congregation v. Cobb that they are a race?

See ID Question So that Jews merit protection under the 13th amendment, a civil rights act, only protects a race

What role did Annie Nathan Meyer play in the founding of Barnard, and what are some of the reasons she may not have gotten the credit she deserved?

She came from an established american jewish family, was a major proponent of women's education, and womens intellectual lives. Was a big force against women's suffrage, which is one of the reasons she might have not been taken seriously. She also is Jewish, and Barnard was already known as a very Jewish college, so perhaps the administration did not want to associate themselves with a Jewish woman because that would not help with getting more non-Jewish students She was a student at Columbia through a program that allowed women to take the exams even while not being allowed to go to lectures. She petitioned the trustees to found an affiliate liberal arts school for women.

What is a Passover seder and what are some of the big questions about it debated by modern scholars?

The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. To what extent is the seder modeled on a Greek symposium? • Was Jesus' last supper a seder? Was the rabbinic seder a response to Christian practices? • How old are the various elements of the seder? How old is the haggadah?

How might early modern Italian "sumptuary laws" have influenced the Maharik's understanding of appropriate Jewish dress?

There was a clamp down on pretentious dress, gold and rich jewelry from the 13th century onward. As christians were clamping down on showiness, they associated Jews with being rich and showy, so Jews developed sumptuary restrictions in response to show that they were modest too Maharik challenges association of Jews with immodesty

What are some biblical legislations having to do with dress and physical appearance?

They had to dress modestly and cannot copy other people's style of both purely for the sake of copying them No cross-dressing allowed-dress of the opposite sex There had to be fringes on the garment Cotton and wool can't be mixed

What has been the approach of the Reform and Conservative movements to same-sex marriage and to lesbian and gay rabbinic ordination?

They have been accepting: Various new forms of acceptance. Reform: -decriminalized homosexual acts & recognized same-sex marriage in 1977 and called for equality for gays and lesbians. -allowed for orfintion of lesbians and gay men in 1990 Conservative: -allowed ordination of lesbians and gay men in 2006 -recognized SSM in 2011

Where are the Jews of Wakanda?

Wakanda is apocryphally located somewhere in northeastern africa, so it's already close to a well-known population of Jews. they're theoretically bounded by Jews on all sides, somehow they aren't accounted for. It's equally as crucial that Jews of color have a voice at the American Jewish table as they be present and counted in the fictional future of blackness, even if it's just a comic book story about Jews in some secret kingdom hidden away from sight with superior magic and technology, virtually inaccessible to the rest of civilization. Wakandans might be black Jews. his real point: American white Jews need to integrate black jews into their vision, but so do black Jews for white Jews

Describe some of the ways in which and reasons for which American Jews have expressed ambivalence in their relationship with African-Americans. Give examples.

Wanting to differentiate themselves from african americans to retain the privileges of a white society. However also wanted to identity with african americans in order to keep their separateness, in order to advocate for inclusiveness, and to empathize with the african american struggle Started participating in minstrel shows to show difference Philanthropy: rich Jews giving to African-American causes

Why did some Jews start eating only bodek vegetables and what might be the deeper concerns involved in this new dietary restriction?

concern for microscopic bugs; they flash boil the vegetables, check vegetables for bugs; salt them; but even Broccoli you can't get all the bugs out so it's not kosher. the bugs are a concern of Kashrut; they represent that you really have to check with what's kosher, who's kosher

What are some of the contemporary variations with respect to the wearing of the kippah and what kinds of internal Jewish differences do those variations reflect and express?

different kippah sizes show sociological differences Kippah Serugah; a knit kippah, whole idea of what kind of group it represents since it has images or patterns on it kippah with political symbols on it; pride kippot; sports teams women occasionally start to wear kippot

Who are Black Jews? Describe some of the diversity, and address the different names for the category.

encompasses: --black converts to Judaism --children of Jewish and African-American parents (mixed marriage) -adoptions of African-American and Ethiopian children by Jews of European descent -Diverse African groups, some of whom trace themselves to the ten lost tribes of Israel from 721 BCE when Assyrians conquered Norther Kingdom •Beta Israel of Ethiopia, trace back to tribe of Dan •Lemba of southern Africa •Abuyadaya of Uganda •Igbo of Nigeria •Tutsi of Rwanda, trace back to Solomonic House of Ethiopia

In what ways did Jewish attempts to de-Judaize their names sometimes fail? What were the strategies by which Jews retained links to their old names?

ews chose fancy american names: Jerome, Irving, Ira, Seymour, Stanley, Morton, Marvin Jews were a bit mistaken about which last names were actually prestigious or perceived as such these names that were supposed to sound Christian and fancy end up just sounding Jewish the goal of de-Judaizing backfires, and the consequence is unwitting Judaizing Shortening/syncopating last names, translating the word, disguising the name by changing it a little bit.

Describe the features of "American Jewish English" according to Sarah Bunin Benor.

features of American Jewish English: base language is English Hebrew and Aramaic loanwords Hebrew syntax Hebrew characters and calligraphy influence of prior Jewish vernacular like Yiddish secretive/humorous/derisive walks to talk about non-Jews and avoidance of words that seem too non-jewish recognition of language as distinctively Jewish

What is Postzionism? Who are the main figures in this movement, and what are their concerns? ((!!not added!!) What features of Israeli culture and narratives of Israel's history did they challenge?

it's about: -inequalities in Israel in wake of occupation; -gender inequalities particularly in the military draft -the way mizrahi jews were integrated which was very discriminatory (ethnic inequality) -they changed the story; the simple narrative taught in zionist history, that the Jews came and the arabs left, was exposed as having had actually a lot of violence and expulsion -Benny Morris, Baruch Kimmerling; Tom Segev, Ilan Pappe,

What are some rabbinic innovations to the Bible's food laws?

key rabbinic developments, (developing around 2nd Cen CE) Slaughter laws: very complicated; all to be said is that there must be a quick cut across the throat separation between dairy and meat restrictions on gentile wine, bread, oil, and cheese food blessings passover seder Rabbinic laws became more intense over time for separate utensils, taking on taste of other foods, + waiting period between foods; different among different kinds of jews

Describe the Black Jewish racial project explored by Bruce Haynes, and the counternarratives that have emerged from this project.

racial project: dynamic between the meanings one attaches to race and the distribution of social resources in accordance with these meanings. Thus the challenges of black hews to rabbinic hegemony can be seen as a competing racial project to redefine the role of blacks in world history and to claim the favored status of the chosen people. its goals: --articulation of race has aim of better outcomes and visibility for their communities --articulation of race grounds the community in history, in sacred sources, in cohesiveness --articulation of race challenges dominant narrative about Jews and whiteness, rabbinic hegemony, challenge who is the chosen people

What restrictions did the Rabbis develop on non-Jewish foods, how do they explain them, and what impact might they have had?

restrictions on gentile wine, cheese, bread, and oil wine: concern about its use in pagan & christian worship Cheese: concern about rennet from improperly slaughtered animals bread and oil: concern about intermarriage they flash-boil wine so that gentiles can touch the wine gentile cheese: rennet would have come from an impure animal the Talmud does not say why gentile bread and oil were prohibited; maybe it was developed just to keep Jews separate from everyone else; since if you have different bread, oil, wine and cheese from gentiles, you are really separated

Discuss the use of patronyms and matronyms among Jews.

see ID card

What are some theories explaining why the Rabbis prohibited the cooking, consumption, and serving together of milk and meat?

theories about origin of prohibition on mixing meat and milk 1. Jews not the only people to observe such a prohibition 2. separation of male/female and life/death 3. separation of temple/non-temple 4. separation of rabbi and non-rabbi 5. roman rejection of the barbarian

How does the gender binary as it plays out in Orthodox settings have an impact on transidentifying Orthodox Jews?

•Pre-transition: contributes to gender dysphoria and discomfort in pre-transition phase •Transition: Gender binary makes public participation near-impossible in transition phase •Post-Transition: Gender binary can make post-transition life more comfortable, but individuals need to learn practices of new gender and can become dissatisfied with the exclusions of the binary given their own history of suffering on account of them

Who was Leo Frank, and how did anti-Semitism get mixed with racism in the way his story was covered in popular culture?

1913-1915: jewish factory manager in Atlanta accused of raping and murdering a white girl captured anti-semitic energies brewing in the south -Frank's sentence was commuted by governor of Georgia -Frank was then killed by a lynch mob He gets scapegoated for this crime he clearly didn't do. Like Dreyfus. It's because of this larger societal force. "The next Jew who does what frank did is going to get exactly the same thing we give to black rapists"

What forces led to the emergence of modern Zionism?

Enlightenment emancipation-the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation. anti-semitism rise of nation-states and nationalism they're meeting a lot of resistance in integrating into the societies of their countries it's also a nationalist time; people thinking a lot of nation states

What are various ways that the Jewish great tradition and little tradition interact?

Complementary -Little tradition brings great tradition to life --The details help with the overall -Great tradition as outline, little tradition as content -Great tradition spawns new little traditions -Little tradition spawns new great traditions --Bar mitzvah

Outline in general terms the degree of diversity and unity among Jewish practices.

Diversity comes from the oral quality of the little tradition and detail of little tradition Little tradition more local, and non-Jewish culture is very ambient Jews have rules, Halakah is common, which brings unity -Different forms of slow cooking -Name indicating priestly language

What are some of the organizations that now exist to serve and support LGBQT+ Orthodox Jews?

Eshel: founded by Rabbi Steven greenberg: ​​creates community and acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Jews and their families in Orthodox Jewish communities. Keshet: Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life Svara: Yeshiva geared towards queer orthodox people studying together. "Dedicated to the serious study of Talmud through the lens of queer experiences"

How does the Maharik understand the Maimonides passage on the subject of "their laws"?

Everything that falls into their laws fall into 2 categories of non-Jewish practices that a Jew should not do: A thing whose reason is not clear; something for which there is no clear reason that non-Jews do. A jew doing that would be just purely to copy Stuff that is immodest; Jews are naturally modest, so if Jew is going to dress immodestly, it's to copy the non-Jews. It has to do with wealth

What are examples of the Jewish great tradition and examples of the Jewish little tradition?

Great tradition: -The bible, talmud, midrash -Writings Little tradition: -Songs, food, words sayings -Stuff people grow up with -Music in synagogue, food you eat at shabbat and hanukkah

Who was the Maharik and how does he understand the prohibition on "their laws" in Leviticus 18:3? What two categories of practice does he believe to be prohibited under the scope of this biblical rule?

He was a prominent 15th century italian rabbi, Joseph Colon Trabotto Everything that falls into their laws fall into 2 categories of non-Jewish practices that a Jew should not do: A thing whose reason is not clear; something for which there is no clear reason that non-Jews do. A jew doing that would be just purely to copy Stuff that is immodest; Jews are naturally modest, so if Jew is going to dress immodestly, it's to copy the non-Jews. It has to do with wealth

What does Rebecca Walker mean when she asks "Am I possible?"

Her experience at Yale: a guy comes into her dorm room and says how can you be black and Jewish; this raddles her What does Rabbi Capers Funnye means when he says, "There is no such thing as the Jewish race"? He wants to take race out of the equation; Judaism has nothing to do with race

What are the major elements of Zionism according to Ottolenghi?

How rooted is Zionism in antuiquity? Before Zionism: "passive acceptance of exile" With Zionism, new ideas that: 1. Jews are a modern, secular nation 2. Diaspora is defective 3. National sovereignty desirable 4. physical and cultural survival (not fulfilling the divine will) is the goal

In what ways have ideological commitments influenced Jewish first name choices?

Ideology as an influence on name choice: Zionist naming: David Ben Gurion has been David Green--shed the old European influence for Ashkenazi Jews and take on Zionist names. Often it was just the Hebrew translation of that their name meant in German Golda Meir had been Golda Meyerson Feminist Naming: Orly and Tamar Berkowitz-Henkin Chabad Naming: Chaya Mushka

How do you know if a practice is "really" Jewish? Propose at least one approach to this question.

If Jews think it's Jewish, and if nonJews identify it as Jewish, then it's Jewish.

What are some distinctions among American Jews that affected their views of African Americans?

Impulse to differentiate themselves from african-americans: in order to retain the privileges possessed by white society Impulse to identify with african-americans: -in order to maintain separateness, like African-Americans -in order to advocate for inclusiveness, which would help Jews too -in order to empathize with the African-American struggle against oppression, which seemed to mirror Jews' own struggles

In what ways did American Jews also retain their conception of themselves as a race in the course of the 20th and 21st century? Give examples.

In 1987 there was the case of Shaare Tefila vs Cobb The synagogue was vandalized with swastikas Wanted to say it was a hate crime, but would have to say Jews are a race They decided that Jews are white but they did not used to be In the 21st century: member of the Tribe; something that feels more contrived or real than just a shared faith

In what ways does the Bible describe the people of Israel's conquest of the promised land? What key differences exist within the biblical corpus with respect to this narrative of conquest?

In Exodus, God will lead them to the inhabiting peoples and will annihilate them Himself; they will be driven out by the Israelites since they cannot be in the land, or else the Israelites will sin against God through their false Gods In Deuteronomy: They must annihilate these 7 mightier nations (slightly different list); don't marry them, it says to kill them rather than expel them. Destroy their altars and other means of ritual. Joshua's version of the conquest: Joshua smote them by the sword and annihilated them as Moses commanded. They destroyed them and did not leave any alive; not a single Canaanite was left behind. This is what we'd call genocide; a massive killing of everyone. Emphasis of not a single person left behind. Judges: they weren't able to push the peoples out because they had iron chariots; Benjaminites did not dispossess Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem; so they dwelled together The Canaanites persisted living in the region. Israel, when they gained the upper hand, subjected Canaanites to forced labor, but did not rive them out.

Under what circumstances and in what ways were Jews forced to choose names?

In Nazi germany, all middle names for men were forced to be Israel, and Sarah for women also in Germany, name changing: some names were chosen by government officials Needed to choose/ or would be assigned last names when arrived at ellis island, after immigrating to U.S. also by Habsburg empire in late 1700s from list of allowable names for men and women

What exactly does Leviticus 18:22 prohibit? What are some of the ambiguities in this verse?

It is saying don't lie with a man as you do with a woman Prohibits anal sex with man, focusing on active partner The word to'evah does not have a real translation, which makes this verse ambiguous Also doesn't mention male-male intimacy that is not sex, or male desire Doesn't explicity prohibit homosexuality

Discuss Leviticus 18:3. Whose and what kinds of practices might it be prohibiting and why?

It must be taken very seriously as it comes from God. Like the practice (ma'aseh) of the land of Egypt where you have dwelled, you should not practice, and like the practice of the land of Canaan to which I am bringing, you should not practice, and in their laws (u-ve-huqotehem) you shall not go. There are basic human activities that everyone does that aren't being prohibited. what practices are prohibited: prohibition on Egypt-style worship could mean don't follow their constitution just don't do the same thing whose practices are prohibited: Egypt, Canaan, this is about separation from them Why are these things being prohibited? Dislike of Egypt and Canaan in particular, but if you understand this as separation of Jews from all lands, then it's to stay separate from them

What is a kippah and what are the origins of the practice of wearing one?

It's not in the bible, or in Palestinian Talmud; first shows up in the Babylonian Talmud; where the practice of men's headcovering begins. The idea is for scholars and particularly pious to wear; not before marriage; it's a circumscribed thing Scholars should be modest; covering the head is a form of modesty for scholars

In what ways is the land central to the Bible and to rabbinic culture, and in what ways is it not?

It's the key element of covenant with Israel Many laws are prefaced by the phrase: "when you come into the land" Reward for observing the law is fertility of the land Punishment for violating the law is devastation of the land The whole story in the Pentateuch is trying to get to the land Non-centrality of the land in the torah The land seems peripheral in certain ways. The people of Israel don't actually get to the land. 2 tribes settle outside of the land. A lot of the story of Joseph happens in the land of Egypt. It's the departure from Egypt that is the pivoting date for the calendar. All the patriarchs come from outside of the land. The pivotal events on Sinai isn't on the land. The land is called land of canaan, not land of Yaweh

How were Jewish surnames chosen?

Jewish last name derivation: used as identifiers before the development of formal hereditary last names, but also used in modernity to create formal hereditary last names Father's name (sometimes mothers), occupation, place of residence, perosnal characteristics, tribal & priestly names they didn't arise until the 1700s in Ashkenaz; in late middle ages elsewhere

How did men's headcovering have a different cultural and religious meaning for Jews in Muslim lands than Jews in Christian lands? How did Jewish legal authorities in Muslim lands differ from those in Christian lands in their positions on the kippah?

Jews in christian lands had it a more explosive issue not to cover their heads because it would seem like they're copying the christians to not wear the headcoverings; it's much less of an issue in Muslim lands; then with reformers, they had a more integrationist or assimilationist perspective. Middle ground that it's ok for congregation to take their headcovering off. Moroccan Jews took a chill approach to headcovering. Hasidim wear two headcoverings at the same time

What are some of the different positions that Jewish legal authorities have taken on men's head-covering? (!!unadded!!) Where, when, and why should the kippah be worn?

Jews in christian lands had it a more explosive issue not to cover their heads because it would seem like they're copying the christians to not wear the headcoverings; it's much less of an issue in Muslim lands; then with reformers, they had a more integrationist or assimilationist perspective. Middle ground that it's ok for congregation to take their headcovering off. Moroccan Jews took a chill approach to headcovering. Hasidim wear two headcoverings at the same time

What are the different ways that Jews drew on biblical names for their own names?

Jews' use of biblical names: there's a lot of meaning packed into them; refer to Noah ID card often they translate into vernacular sometimes certain biblical characters are associated with animals; so often having the hebrew name for an animal associates you with the biblical character; Judah is like a lion, so name Avi - Aryeh is lion; Velvel and Zev mean wolf which has associations with Benjamin. Boys tend to be named by names in Hebrew girls by names in the vernacular

How do biblical names function? Discuss the example of Noah.

Jews' use of biblical names: there's a lot of meaning packed into them; refer to Noah ID card. the root shows through the course of the story that it's about renewal and a second story of creation by all the places in which the name appears.

How does Maimonides in his Mishneh Torah legislate regarding women's same-sex relationships? How does he represent those relationships?

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prohibitions on Sexual Intercourse 21:8 It is foridden for women to rub against each other; one does not punish it with lashes because no specific biblical prohibition has been violated and no sexual intercourse took place at all. It is however appropriate to punish such women with disciplinary lashes since they have violated a prohibition. Wives should be kept from associating with such women by their husbands.

What are some contemporary scholarly approaches to understanding the Pentateuch's prohibitions on consumption of certain animals?

Mary Douglas: biblical dietary laws have to do with dirt dirt is matter out of place; impure animals in the bible are 'dirty' the air, the land, and the sea: if you look at the bible; the pure animals are the ones who fit in the environment they live in; the ones that are impure are the ones who cross boundaries: they don't have the right locomotion system for their primary realm eg, land-dwelling animals should have 4 legs and hoofs for walking birds should have 2 legs and 2 wings fish with fins and scales are fit for swimming she took her anthropological experience and applied it; animals who do & don't fit in their sphere critics say that impure and dirty are different concepts; biblical lists of permitted and prohibited animals don't always conform to this model Jacob Milgrom: he takes the Holiness approach approach from the Torah's own explanation holy things are separate, withdrawn from common use purpose of the law must be to keep Israel separate, to give them distinguishing practices Milgrom also sees prohibitions as instilling reverence ofr animal lofe Critics say that separation doesn't help to explain the particular prohibitions, and if reverence for life is the point, why not be vegetarian? Howard Eilberg-Schwartz: Israel and the Nations permitted animals are ones typically used by ancient Israel as metaphors for themselves biblical texts portray God's sheep, or the choice of the goats prohibited animals are ones used as metaphors for other peoples: vulture, ass, eagle the dietary restrictions meant to reflect Israel's sense of themselves and the world Critics say: Israel is often likened to lion, eagle, not just permitted animals David Kraemer: animals serve as metaphors for good and bad traits; ox represents loyalty to on's master; eagle represents God's anger animals capture qualities that are considered either good or bad animal prohibitions are ways of instructing Israel regarging which traits are good and which bad these associations would have been common knowledge in ancient israel: slow as a snail; clever as a fox, wise as an owl

What are the different "maps" of the promised land that one finds in the Pentateuch? How might the differences be explained?

Numbers: boundaries of land in priestly source: the Land of Canaan with its boundaries from the tip of the dead sea, along the Jordan Genesis: during the covenant with Abram, from the Nile to the Euphrates, and all the people who live within that massive swath of land How do we make sense of these 2 different versions? The priestly boundaries reflect a priestly conception; how the land was defined under ancient Egyptian domination. Also in the creation story, it's very organized and separate. Deuteronomistic: the babylonian empire was ascendant; the israelite authors want their land to be a rival to the Babylonian imperial space. It incorporates a lot of different territories in it. It copies Babylonia or Rome.

How do customs or practices get Judaized? How might they get dejudaized?

-Judaizing :-Jews begin to incorporate outside tradition into their own tradition -The practice of the incorporated tradition changes meaning, form, function or circumstances within a Jewish context -Ex: Yiddish, Borscht, falafel change meaning -Dejudaize: - Jewish practices that are taken and spread to non-jews - The practice is no longer identified with Jews specifically - Ex: Bagels and Lox

Have Jewish vernaculars disappeared in modernity? Compare Steve Lowenstein and Sarah Bunin Benor on this question.

-Lowenstein thinks Jewish vernaculars are done --Says Jews speak the same languages as other people, aren't really vernaculars anymore -Benor says they are alive and well --Jewish American language has most of the features of Diasporan vernaculars --In short, this essay points to crucial continuities between pre- and post-Emancipation Jewish communities that are often overlooked in historical Accounts.

Discuss the process by which a Jewish vernacular gets born.

-Originally learned from non-Jews -Picked up informally, written in Hebrew characters -Mixes Hebrew and Aramaic, and other vernaculars -Distinctly Jewish version of ambient language, still has characteristics of ambient language -Gets moved to another place where non-Jews don't understand

What role has Hebrew played within Jewish linguistic culture?

-Some people did not speak at all, was language of male literate elite -Was written not spoken -Came back as modern language with Israel

Dora Sarietzky, a secretary, described her frustratingly long search for work before a name change: "My name proved to be my handicap." What are some reasons that American Jews changed their names?

-to de-judaize and avoid discrimination -they didn't want to be attacked by anti-semites; rising anti-semitism in the interwar period -to more easily assimilate into culture -to make it easier for them to find jobs -they were often hard to pronounce and spell receive education avoid bullying and ridicule avoid being marked as different seek a spot in the middle class made themselves "white," invisible, unmarked, unseen

What are the key concerns, contradictions, and commitments for black Jews and Black Israelites or Hebrews in America?

-traditionally seen as christian, people expects jews to be white, and jews don't always accept them. -Other Jews are not nice to them: calling one girl the Yiddish word for black which is derogatory, not wanting to lease apartment to a black Jew. -People do not understand, the girl at Yale. Some people do not believe they are Jewish -Seen as Christian, Judaism really a choice for them because of the history of religion for African Americans.

What are some of the distinctions that food blessings produce?

1. distinguishing between Jews and gentiles, and among jews 2. distinguishing between permitted and prohibited substances 3. distinguishing among types of foods

What are the major branches of modern Zionism and how do they differ from one another with respect to their objectives, tactics, perceived problems they were addressing, and the relationship they defined between the new Jewish homeland and the diaspora?

1. political (& practical) zionism (Pinsker's version); Hertzel read pinsked; he sees that Jews aren't going to make it in Europe; he saw the Dreyfus affair whcih really sours him; he concludes that Jews are never going to be accepted. He was able to gather the jews of Eastern Europe to make this a much bigger movement. 2. Practical Zionism 3. cultural zionism: the law of the heart; he left but was stil attached to tradition; you have to survive for a reason; there has to be a place where Jews can flower; a place for cultural effervesecne that can radiate to Jews all over the world. His approach was the need for judaism, not just individual Jews 4. Religious zionism: zionism associated with religion; this is a minority. They see zionism able to bring about messianic expectations. Hasidic Jews often associated with this. Religious zionists worked with seculr zionists. Nowadays they don't work together.

What are some of Orthodox gay Rabbi Steve Greenberg's responses or rebuttals to those rationales?

1: Greenberg comes up with many examples of unreproductive sexual activity that are permitted: -Mishnah does not clearly require an infertile couple to divorce -anal sex between a husband and wife is permitted -intercourse with pregnant, nursing, postmenopausal, and sterile women is permitted -contraception is permitted if wife's health and well-being is at stake Greenberg's conclusion: reproduction is a central Jewish value/legal obligation, but many acts of 'unreproductive' sexual intercourse are permitted by Jewish law, and reproduction is often juggled with other priorities gay men today can reproduce in a variety of ays. it is suppressing their sexuality that makes it impossible for them to have a family. 2: marriages of gay men and women to opposite-sex spouses often end in pain and depression, self-blame, and divorce conclusion: social disruption is caused not by wandering from one kind of sexual fulfillment to another, but by the forcing of homosexual men and women into marriage in the first place. this leads to terrible endings. 3: people used to be disgusted by interracial marriage sometimes the things that might disgust us because they confuse their categories are things we need to move forward from one has to determine whether the boundary that is crossed has moral significance the gender divide is a fuzzy and and makeshift line that is a morally neutral or potentially oppressive social construct 4: if a man can't do to a fellow man what he ordinarily does to women because it 'feminizes' him, then femininity is itself the worst of humiliations this seems to endorse hatred of women is lyings of a woman is associated with humiliation, then what the verse is really prohibiting is a sexual relationship where one person's intention is to humiliate or do violence to the other conclusion: any sexual act that is humiliated should be prohibited

In what ways did the prohibition on milk and meat intensify over the course of Jewish history?

3 extensions of biblical prohibition of "You shall not cook a kid in his mother's milk" by rabbis: 1. from cooking to eating & even serving 2. from goat to all animals 3. from animal in his own mother's milk to any animal in any milk

Describe the two passages from classical rabbinic literature that address women's same-sex relationships and discuss how the texts approach those relationships.

Babylonian Talmud Yavamot 76a: "Women who Rub Against Each other" contains a more mild condemnation; those who do are prohibited to marry a priest & it's called indecency. Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prohibitions on Sexual Intercourse 21:8 It is forbidden for women to rub against each other; one does not punish it with lashes because no specific biblical prohibition has been violated and no sexual intercourse took place at all. It is however appropriate to punish such women with disciplinary lashes since they have violated a prohibition. Wives should be kept from associating with such women by their husbands.

What forms does anti-Semitism take in the early years of Columbia and Barnard? What other kinds of prejudice is it accompanied by?

Anti-semitism appears in many ways in the history of Barnard and Columbia. Firstly, Columbia had a reputation for being the "Jewish" Ivy, with fewer white, aristocratic families which seemed to place it on a lower social tier amongst the league. Anti-semitism also appears in Columbia's efforts to limit the amount of Jewish students attending by erecting class and health barriers in the application process. Barnard wanted geographic diversity, which could also be seen as a veiled way to limit the number of local Jews. While there were efforts to improve inclusivity, goals of purity and elitism (at times, irreconcilable with Jewishness) were ever-present. Also desire to keep out public school kids, since the public school system overlapped heavily with Jews (they were ⅓ Jewish)

How were Jewish first names chosen?

Biblical names Hebrew non-biblical names eg Saadia, Hayim Vernacular names with certain patterns But avoid christian names Patterns differ by gender Boys named with Hebrew, girls with vernacular More male names in bible and rabbinic literature; Men called to torah; Women more likely to get pet vernacular names

What do the last names Akhamzadeh and Rabinowitz reflect about Jewish last names?

Both mean son of the rabbi; they are based on patronymics; the first is Iranian and the second ashkenazic. Names derived from parent names are the most common, though they often also come from their occupations; these are a combination of the two The last names were also derived from these characteristics; from father's name, or occupation, or place of residence, personal characteristics, tribal or priestly name, or colloquial nickname

What do the blue trays symbolize for Daniel Bonner and the Jewish students at Columbia whom he interviews?

Food shaping jewish life at barnard/ columbia "If you meet someone who has a blue tray, you get talking for five minutes; you're going to know at least five people in common." "You see a table with 10 people eating off of blue trays and you don't have one. It's like everyone's got the new pair of Jordans and yours aren't cool anymore." They symbolize the divide in a very arbitrary way

What is a Jewish language? What are some examples?

Languages of Jewish Great Tradition: Hebrew and Aramaic Languages of Jewish Little Tradition (Jewish vernaculars): Judeo-Arabic Judeo-French Judeo-Italian Judeo-Provencal Djudezmo (Judeo-Spanish) Yiddish (Judeo-German) Judeo-Tat Judeo-Tadzhik Judeo-Malayalam (Judeo-Indian language)

Describe early forms of Jewish nationalism that did not focus on the promised land as an ideal home for the Jews.

Leo Pinsker "Auto-Emancipation" 1882 The Jews cannot be readily digested by any nation They must seek their honor and salvation in the restoration of a national bond of union. So that the world considered them an enterprise of standing. They should not restore ancient Judaea, not attaching themselves to place where their political life was once violently destroyed. They need a land of their own.

When and why did American Jews start thinking of themselves as a race?

Reform Rabbi says it in 1887 Trying to fight off assimilation Happens after Civil War but before Holocaust when Jews were thought of as a race Thinking in terms of race gives coherence Why: Avoid problems of divided loyalties (like in Paris) Assimilation To accentuate positive attributes associated with race Prevent intermarriage

What are some rationales that Jewish interpreters have offered for this biblical prohibition?

Reproduction: male same sex doesn't further reproduction which is what the torah wants: be fruitful and multiply Social disruption: Wandering husbands undermine families Category confusion: Homosexuality is a threat to the order of creation in that it confounds the gender binary. Humiliation and violence: Being penetrated by men is height of disgrace; assumption in biblical narrative that male same-sex intercourse is act of violence

In what ways and why did American Jews in the twentieth century stake a claim to whiteness?

Statements of differentiation from blacks Ads that depict Jews in the white divide and blacks on the opposite divide Books about things inherent to Jews like genius (Einstein)

What are some reasons that LBQT+ Jews might choose to remain or become Orthodox even though these two identities are difficult to harmonize?

The comfort and familiarity of how they grew up Counterculturalism Hypersociality of Orthodox communities: intense communality Lack of secular life skills for ultra orthodox: language and functioning skills holds them back from engaging with rest of the world "Religious orientation": some people are just drawn to it; it's not something they're going to give up

What models for male same-sex relationships do classical Jewish sources potentially provide?

The key model for male same-sex relationships provided in the Bible is that of Jonathan and David. While the relationship is platonic, it does express a certain degree of intimacy and closeness that could definitely provide modern-day homosexual couples with a sense of Bible-based support. There are several instances of marriage-like imagery between the two, such as "Jonathan's soul became bound up with the soul of David; Jonathan loved David as himself" (Samuel 18:1).

What were some of the strategies proposed in the course of Columbia and Barnard history to keep out "undesirable" students? Who did they think was undesirable, and who did they think was desirable?

The main strategies adopted by Columbia/Barnard to keep out "undesirable" (AKA Jewish and/or immigrant students, low-income students) had to do with the application process. Firstly, they began only accepting students would could pay for housing, erecting a class barrier. Second, they "capped" classes to make the University seem more exclusive as to deter students from applying. Thirdly, they began conducting physical exams in order to deny access to immigrants who were thought to be carrying disease, and lastly, they instituted a system of interviews in order to meet applicants face-to-face to be sure they were only accepting "desirable" students. Barnard decides to limit the number of Jews accepted. Limit of public school children; requirement to know Greek and Latin

What was Ahad Ha-Am's approach to Zionism?

The proper subject is not Herzl's "the need of the Jews," but rather "the need of Judaism."

Offer some history on the badges that Jews were sometimes required to wear in medieval Europe. (See Lowenstein chapter.)

The second lateran council in 1215 required Jews to wear badges identifying them as Jews The badge consisted of the tablets of the law or of a yellow ring sewn on the front of the outer garment. Other times they were required by secular authorities to wear particular form of hat, or a yellow hat, or in italy, a hat with a red ribbon tied to it.

What is the cappa, and on what basis does the Maharik rule that a Jew wearing the cappa does not violate the prohibition on non-Israelite practice in Leviticus 18:3?

an academic gown worn in Italian universities and a physician's robe Rabbi Joseph Colon argues that the cappa serves a clear purpose (for distinguishing achievements and gaining profit) and isn't merely being worn to appear "like" the gentiles. He believes that following a gentile law for no reason other than appearing to be like them is evidence of conceding to gentiles and abandoning Jewish identity, but since the cappa (in his opinion) serves a purpose that would benefit Jewish people, it should not be forbidden.

Discuss Jews' use of names that point to a family's point of geographical origin.

name by place of origin: Ashkenaz: Berliner (from Berlin), Minsky (from Minsk)... History of Jewish migration traced in these names; soemtimes names were from cities, or even whole regions or countries

Discuss Jews' use of names that point to professional occupation.

names by occupation: rabbi names; rabbi acronyms as honorifics Hebrew: melamed is teacher, hazan or chazzan is cantor Ashkenazic Jews have many versions of tailor: Schneider; Kravitz, Portnoy, Needleman Cohen-priest Schuster - cobbler

What features of the seder are created by the Rabbis over the course of time? What are some modern innovations with respect to the seder?

new symbolic gestures and objects are added giving symbolic meanings to certain foods new food items are added to the seder plate to remember historic events or other significant symbols: eg potato peels for holocaust & olive for peace in the middle east modern-day adaptations: Feminist Seders: Miriam's cup as parallel to Elijah's cup Holocaust poems and memoirs inserted Queer haggadah

How does Maimonides understand the prohibition on non-Israelite practice in Leviticus 18:3?

one should not be similar to them, either in dress or in hairstyle or the like, as it is said, "And you should not walk in the laws of the nations" (Lev. 20:23), and it is said, "And in their laws you should not go" (Lev. 18:3 Israel should be differentiated (muvdal) from them and identifiable (yadua) in his dress and in all his behaviors, as he is differentiated from them in his knowledge and in his opinions,

When did Jews start to use last (a.k.a. family) names and what were the forces affecting Jewish last name choices in modernity?

permanent family surnames started appearing among Sephardic Jews in Iberia and elsewhere as early as the 10th or 11th century, they did not spread widely to the Ashkenazic Jews of Germany or Eastern Europe until later (permanent surnames assigned to families started in Austria 1787). Forces affecting modern Jewish last name choices 1. bureaucratic pressures 2. cultural pressures 3. word sound 4. ideology there was sense that there were Christian names that were entirely off limits there were Jewish names that were considered pretty for them bureaucratic forces: 1. some name choices prohibited (because christian) 2. names chosen for prettiness 3. same last name doesn't mean people are related, and different last name doesn't mean people are related (often name changes just because they like it more) 4. not used in daily or synagogue life 5. some names chosen by government officials 6. can pay more to get better name

Describe some of the complexities of food blessings.

there is a different blessing for each type of food, so before you eat, you need to figure out which kind the food is in to say the appropriate blessing; this can depend on the main ingredient, whether you're having it as the main meal or a snack, which food you really want. from the mishnah Berakhot 6: 4. If he had before him multiple types [of food], Rabbi Judah says: If there is among them one of the 7 species [mentioned in the Bible as the produce of the Land of Israel], he blesses upon it. But the sages say: He may bless upon whichever of them he desires. 5. ...If he blessed upon the appetizer before the meal, he has exempted relishes served after the meal. If he blessed upon the loaf, he has exempted minor dishes, but if he blessed upon minor dishes, he has not exempted the loaf... 7. If they first brought before him a salted dish, and a loaf with it, he blesses upon the salted dish and exempts the loaf, because the loaf is secondary to it. This is the general rule: Whenever there is a main food and something secondary along with it, he blesses for the main food and exempts the secondary food.

Compare the concern for bodek vegetables with Magen Tzedek's concern for ethical practices: how do they both represent contemporary Jewish innovations in kashrut?

they are both efforts to maintain the standards of kosher food, which gets extended as there are technological improvements and industrial expansion to check that the foods are really kosher

What are some of the different derivations for Jewish last names?

used as identifiers before the development of formal hereditary last names, but also used in modernity to create formal hereditary last names Father's name (sometimes mothers), occupation, place of residence, perosnal characteristics, tribal & priestly names

What are some of the Pentateuch's laws related to food consumption?

what is the first food law in the bible? not to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil the first real restriction on eating: at the end of the flood, God gives laws to Noah, and says they can eat meat but not blood; whereas before they were just herbivorous other things: prohibition against eating blood prohibition against eating sciatic nerve prohibition against cooking a kid in his mother's milk & against eating animal that has died a natural death animals must have spilt hooves and chew the cud; fish must have fins and scales, certain wild birds & winged insects are prohibited the bible's own rationale: Leviticus 11:45-7 it doesn't give much explanation: the closest it gets Holiness; "you shall be holy, for I am holy"; they are described as unpure/unclean

In what ways is Zionism continuous with the Jewish past and in what ways is it new?

yes it's part of enlightenment and it's new, but it's also drawing on past notions on the centrality of the land. Zionism was a nationalist synthesis of tradition and modernity objective was to recharge Judaism, not abandon it offers alternative to assimilation build on existing collective ethnic allegiance

Discuss Rav Kook and the ideas in Religious Zionism.

zionism associated with religion; this is a minority. They see zionism able to bring about messianic expectations. Hasidic Jews often associated with this. Religious zionists worked with secular zionists. Nowadays they don't work together.

When and why did American Jews stop thinking of themselves as a race?

​​Mass migration Jews began to symbolize industrialization, urbanization, and commercialization Jewish "race" became less and less appealing Jews not as white anymore, becoming associated with African-Americans