Judovstvo je ena od monoteističnih religij, izjemna po skupnem izvoru z dvema najbolj plodnima religijama na svetu, Krščanstvo in Islam. Začelo se je na Bližnjem vzhodu pred 3.500 leti in je ena najstarejših religij na svetu, ki še vedno obstaja.
Razumeti
| “ | Poslušaj, Izrael: Gospod je naš Bog, Gospod je Eden. | ” |
- 5. Mojzesova, 6: 4 | ||
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Osnove
Judaizem je monoteistična religija, ki časti in sledi zapovedim enega Boga.
Za razliko od mnogih religij je judovstvo neločljivo povezano z določenim ljudstvom, judovskim ljudstvom, katerega domovina je območje Izrael/Palestino. Glede na Biblijo je Bog leta Judje osvobodil Judov Egipt, po katerem je Bog dal Tora jim ob Gora Sinaj. Tora, ki pomeni "poučevanje", je sklop zakonov in prepričanj, ki naj bi jih Judje sledili. V skladu s tradicionalno razlago je sestavljena iz "Pisne Tore" (Biblije, zlasti njenih prvih 5 knjig), pa tudi "Ustne Tore" (zbirka tradicij, iz katerih izhaja judovska zakonodaja v praksi). The Hebrejska Biblija (kar kristjani imenujejo "Stara zaveza", znana tudi pod hebrejsko kratico Tanakh) je za Jude svet in je sestavljen iz treh oddelkov: prvih pet knjig (imenovanih "Chumash" ali preprosto "Tora" in tradicionalno rečeno, da jih je Bog narekoval Mojzesu); knjige "prerokov" (Nevi'im) in sveti "Spisi" (Ketuvim). Tradicionalno Tora vključuje 613 mitzvot (zapovedi).
Judovske verske voditelje imenujejo "rabini" in naj bi bili strokovnjaki za zakone Tore, ki temeljijo na ustnem izročilu in besedilu Biblije. Vendar obstajajo nekatere majhne skupine, ki rabinov ne sprejemajo kot voditelje. Karaiti so sekta, ki se je razvila v srednjem veku, zavrača rabinske interpretacije in sledi lastni neposredni interpretaciji Biblije. Prav tako je bila etiopska judovska skupnost tisoče let ločena od drugih Judov in ni imela rabinov vse do priseljevanja v Izrael leta 1984.
Tradicionalna judovska zakonodaja kot Juda opredeljuje vsakogar, ki se je rodil od judovske matere ali spreobrnil v judovstvo po verskih zakonih o spreobrnjenju. Judje so različnih odtenkov, narodnosti in narodnosti. Tudi tisti, ki ne verjamejo več v judovsko vero, se med seboj priznavajo kot pripadniki enega samega ljudstva.
Verski Judje verjamejo, da morajo Judje slediti judovski religiji, vendar ne-Judje morajo biti le etični monoteisti (včasih imenovani tudi "Noachides"), da jih Bog nagradi. Številne oblasti zakona Tora gredo dlje in teoretične prepovedi malikovanja za Nejude ohlapno razlagajo kot nepomembne zanje.
Sveta mesta
V starih časih je bilo judovsko čaščenje osredotočeno na Tempelj v Jeruzalem, kjer so ob molitvah in pesmi prinašali žrtve živali in žita. Toda odkar je bil drugi tempelj uničen leta 70 n. Št., So se judovsko čaščenje in obredi osredotočali na sinagoga in doma. Sinagoga je predvsem prostor za molitev in tudi za verski študij. Sinagoge nekateri sodobni Judje imenujejo "templji", ki ne pričakujejo, da bodo kdajkoli ponovno vzpostavili bogoslužje v Jeruzalemu.
Sinagoga nima fiksne arhitekture, čeprav je običajno obrnjena proti Jeruzalemu; Judje se praviloma soočijo z Jeruzalemom, ko molijo. Spredaj je "barka" (ahron), v katerem se hranijo zvitki Tore. Obstaja tudi platforma (bimah), kjer je med branjem postavljen drsnik Tore. V pravoslavni in nekaterih konservativnih občinah moški in ženske sedijo ločeno.
Rabini nimajo formalne vloge v sinagogi. Vsak moški Jud, star 13 let ali več (in v bolj svobodnih konfesijah tudi vsaka ženska, starejša od 12 let) lahko vodi molitve, včasih pa usposobljeni kantar moli molitve v zelo dekorativnem melodičnem slogu. Molitve lahko recitiramo soglasno, usklajeno ali odzivno s skupščino. Kljub temu obstaja nekaj posebnih molitev, ki jih lahko vodi samo neposredni patrilinealni potomec kohanim (Tempeljski duhovniki).
Relikvije templja v Jeruzalemu, kot je Zahodni zid in Tempeljna gora, so za Jude sveti. Zahodni zid deluje v bistvu kot zunanja sinagoga s posebno značilnostjo: tradicijo pisanja molitev na papir in njihovo vstavljanje v razpoke na steni. Tempeljna gora naj bi bila kraj, kjer je Abrahamu Bog ukazal, naj žrtvuje svojega sina Izaka, in kjer bi bil kasneje v času kralja Salomona zgrajen jeruzalemski tempelj. Judovsko bogoslužje na Tempeljni gori je tako med Judi kot muslimani sporno in je bilo vžiga spopadov, zato je prepovedano.
Grobovi, zlasti tzaddikim (pravični voditelji), so Judom sveti in so lahko tudi romarski kraji. Pripadniki gibanja chasidic romajo zlasti na grobove preteklih voditeljev, kot so bili rabi Nachman iz Breslova leta Uman in rabin Menachem Schneerson v Ljubljani Kraljice. Po judovski tradiciji so majhni kamni pogosto položeni na nagrobnik v znak žalosti, spoštovanja in trajnosti spomina. Ali ne odstranite jih.
Zgodovina
Starodavne korenine
Večina zgodnje judovske zgodovine se dogaja v današnjem času Izrael in Palestino, toda glede na zgodbo v Bibliji je izvor judovskega ljudstva prišel z bolj vzhoda, v današnjem času Iraku. Glede na Knjigo Geneze je bil prvi Jud Jud Abraham, ki se je rodil leta Ur, Iraku okoli leta 1800 pred našim štetjem in je ubogal božanski ukaz, da se preseli v deželo Kanaan (danes Izrael / Palestina). Abrahamov sin Izak in vnuk Jakob sta predvsem večinoma živela v Izraelu Beer Sheva in Hebron. Družinska potovanja pa so jih pripeljala tudi v Haran (v Jugovzhodna Anatolija južno od Urfa). Ob koncu Jakobovega življenja je lakota prisilila njega in njegovo družino, da se preselijo k njemu Egipt. Jakob je imel drugo ime - Izrael - zato so Jakobovi potomci, ki so judovsko ljudstvo, znani tudi kot "izraelsko ljudstvo" (ali v biblijskem jeziku "izraelski otroci").
Glede na knjigo Exodus (glej tudi Mojzesov izhod), je družina v Egiptu zrasla v veliko ljudstvo, vendar se je egiptovski monarh (faraon) odločil, da jih zasužnji. Po Exodusu je Bog Egipčanom povzročil vrsto čudežnih nadlog, da bi prepričal Egipčane, naj jih pustijo. Izraelci so Egipt zapustili kot svobodni ljudje pod vodstvom preroka Mojzesa. Medtem ko v Sinaj puščava, Bog je Mojzesu razkril svoje ime kot YHWH (glede pravilnih samoglasnikov ni soglasja, toda "Yehova" temelji na nesporazumu, mešanju YHWH in "Adonai", eni izmed pogosto uporabljenih zamenjav), in prepovedal Izraelci niso častili nobenega drugega boga. Mojzes je prejel tudi Tora (božanska zaveza in zakon za judovsko ljudstvo) od Boga in jo posredoval ljudem. Poti v puščavi je trajalo 40 let, nato pa je Mojzesov naslednik Jozue vodil ljudstvo v "obljubljeno deželo" Kanaana (tako imenovano, ker jo je Bog obljubil Abrahamovim potomcem). Jozue je osvojil deželo in pobil ali razselil številne njene kanaanske prebivalce. Od takrat naprej je "ljudstvo Izraela" živelo na ozemlju, podobnem sodobni državi Izrael (vključno z Zahodna banka, do neke mere Gaza in deli Libanon, Jordan, in Sirija).
Arheoloških dokazov o omenjenih posameznikih, pa tudi egiptovskega suženjstva in potepanja po puščavi ni bilo mogoče najti. Nekateri sodobni znanstveniki zato menijo, da zgornje zgodbe niso zgodovinsko utemeljene, v tem primeru pa je dejansko poreklo judovskega ljudstva odsek kanaanskega prebivalstva. Kot taka bi izraelska religija nastala v politeistični kanaanski religiji, preden bi kasneje postala monoteistična.
Obdobje prvega templja
Po Bibliji so Izraelci živeli nekaj sto let kot ohlapna plemenska konfederacija, nato pa so približno leta 1000 pr. N. Št. Pod kraljem Savlom ustanovili monarhijo. Drugi kralj, opisan v Bibliji, je kralj David, tretji pa kralj Salomon, ki je do danes dobro znan po vodstvu in literarnih / duhovnih delih. David je bil tisti, ki je ustanovil Jeruzalem kot nacionalna prestolnica in svetišče, status, ki ga ohranja še danes. Nato je Salomon zgradil prvi tempelj v Jeruzalemu, ki je bil v središču čaščenja celotnega naroda.
Po Salomonovi smrti se je kraljestvo razdelilo na dva dela. (Vendar nekateri učenjaki menijo, da je bilo vedno razdeljeno in biblijske zgodbe o enotnem nacionalnem kraljestvu pod vodstvom Davida in Salomona so napačne.) Severno kraljestvo se je imenovalo Izrael, saj je vsebovalo 10 od 12 plemen izraelskega ljudstva. Južno kraljestvo se je imenovalo Juda, saj je v njem prevladovalo močno Judovo pleme. Južno kraljestvo je imelo glavno mesto v Jeruzalemu. Prva prestolnica severnega kraljestva je bila Shechem (današnja Nablus), vendar je bila večkrat premaknjena, preden se je naselila v Samariji (na severu Zahodna banka, ki je zdaj poklican Sebastija).
V 8. stoletju pred našim štetjem je bilo asirsko cesarstvo (s prestolnico v Niniveh, današnji čas) Mosul) prispel na prizorišče, osvojil izraelsko kraljestvo in izselil njegove prebivalce. Prebivalstvo tega kraljestva je bilo razpršeno in sčasoma izgubilo svojo judovsko identiteto. Toda še danes po vsem svetu obstajajo razpršene skupine, ki trdijo, da imajo poreklo iz "desetih izgubljenih izraelskih plemen" in pripadnost judovskemu ljudstvu.
Po uničenju izraelskega kraljestva je ostalo samo še judovsko kraljestvo, ki je nadaljevalo judovsko življenje in vero. Pravzaprav izraza "judovstvo" in "žid" (oziroma njuni hebrejski ustrezniki) segata v to obdobje in se nanašata na celotno izraelsko ljudstvo.
Pozneje Babilonsko cesarstvo (s prestolnico v Ljubljani) Babilon, današnja Hillah) se je povzpel na oblast in osvojil Asirce. Babilonija je leta 597 pr. N. Št. Zajela južno kraljestvo Jude. Po judovskem uporu so se leta 586 pr. N. Št. Babilonci vrnili in osvojili Judovo kraljestvo, uničili njegova mesta in tempelj v Jeruzalemu ter prebivalce pregnali v Babilonijo (in drugod). Ti izgnanci so v izgnanstvu ohranili kohezijo. Njihovo hrepenenje po vrnitvi domov je izraženo v znameniti vrstici iz Svetopisemske knjige Objokovanja "Če te pozabim, Jeruzalem, naj mi usahne desnica."
Obdobje drugega templja
Potem ko je Babilonijo osvojila Perzijsko Cesar Kir je leta 539 pr. N. Št. Spodbudil tiste Jude, ki so to želeli, da se vrnejo v Izraelsko deželo in obnovijo svoj tempelj v Jeruzalemu. Obnovljena skupnost je bila sprva zelo majhna, a je postopoma prerasla v pomembno provinco v Perzijskem cesarstvu, znano kot Juda ali Judeja, s središčem okoli Jeruzalema in južnega Zahodnega brega.
Svetopisemska knjiga Esther poteka predvsem v perzijski prestolnici Sušan, leta Khuzestan, Iran.
Zgodovina, opisana v Bibliji, se na tej točki konča. V Bibliji je veliko knjig, katerih avtorji so bili različni ljudje v različnih obdobjih in ki so bile v perzijskem obdobju oblikovane v eno zbirko.
Potem ko je Aleksander Veliki Makedonski osvojil Perzijce, se je judovska skupnost morala spoprijeti s helenističnim vplivom. Številni Judje so bili pod močnim vplivom Grški kultura, medtem ko so se drugi upirali. Nekaj časa je Judeji vladala skupina antihelenističnih Judov, imenovanih Makabejci. Praznik Hanuke praznuje njihovo zmago nad sirsko-grškim kraljem Antiohom Epifanom leta 165 pred našim štetjem, v uporu, ki se je začel leta Modiin.
Judeja je kasneje padla pod Roman vpliv in sčasoma postala rimska provinca. Leta 66 n. Št. So se Judje uprli rimski vladavini. Upor je bil ukinen leta 70 n. E. Z zavzetjem Jeruzalema in uničenjem drugega templja, zadnjih nekaj upornikov pa Masada trdnjava do leta 73 n. Približno leta 132 n. Št. Je izbruhnil drugi upor pod vodstvom samooklicanega mesije Simona Barja Kochbe. Tudi ta upor je bil zatrt (leta 136 n. Št.) In judovska judovska skupnost je bila razpršena v prihodnjih stoletjih; Rimljani so nekoč imenovali IUDAEA Sirija Palæstina po Filistejcih, starodavnem ljudstvu, ki je bilo Judovim biblijskim nadvraznikom, da bi izbrisalo judovsko povezavo z deželo. Jeruzalem je bil obnovljen kot helenistično / rimsko mesto z imenom Aelia Capitolina s templjem Zevsa / Jupitra v središču in Judom prepovedan vstop. Beseda za razpršenost v hebrejščini je Galut, v latinščini in angleščini pa se imenuje Diaspora. Majhna manjšina Judov (pozneje imenovana "Stari Jišuv") je še naprej živela v domovini svojih prednikov, pogosto pod napadom različnih osvajalcev (križarske vojne so bile še posebej hud čas za stare Jišuve, pa tudi evropske Jude). Bilo je nekaj posameznih gibanj (večinoma versko motiviranih) Judov v Sveto deželo, večinoma v Jeruzalem, nekatere sinagoge pa so zbirale denar za podporo Staremu Jišuvu.
Diaspora
Diasporo so spremljale pomembne spremembe v judovski misli in praksi. Predvsem, ker je bil tempelj uničen in tam ni bilo mogoče žrtvovati živali in zelenjave, sinagoga postala glavno mesto judovskega čaščenja. Prišlo je tudi do sprememb v vodstvu: v poznem drugem templju so bili Judje razdeljeni med sekte z različnimi teologijami, toda po uničenju je skupina, imenovana rabini je bil priznan kot judovsko versko vodstvo. Kot se pozna pristop rabinov, se rabinski judovstvo osredotoča na "ustni zakon" (skupek tradicij ob pisnem besedilu Biblije). Razprave o starih rabinih so ohranjene v delih, kot je Talmud (večinoma sestavljena v starodavnih iraških mestih, kot je Pumbeditha [zdaj Falluja]), ki so osnova za sodobno judovsko zakonodajo. Medtem je vloga kohanim (Tempeljski duhovniki) so po uničenju izgubili večino svojega pomena. Hrepenenje po Eretz Israel je bilo še naprej pomemben del judovskega čaščenja in teologije s frazo "naslednje leto v Jeruzalemu", ki so jo pogosto izgovarjali pri pashalnih sederjih. Nekateri Judje so se prav tako dogovorili za pokop v Sveti deželi ali vsaj z zemljo iz te regije, vendar je na splošno veljalo prepričanje, da se je Galut če bi sploh prišel, bi ga uvedel Mesija, ne pa s "posvetnimi" sredstvi.
Največja težava v diaspori je bilo preživetje skupnosti. Judje so bili včasih fizično ogroženi in včasih pod pritiskom, naj preidejo v druge religije. Medtem ko poganskim Rimljanom ni bilo prav nič do tega, kako so Judje častili, dokler se niso uprli, so se stvari, ko se je Rimsko cesarstvo postalo krščansko, za Jude poslabšale. Kristjani so verjeli, da jim je Nova zaveza resnično nadomestila Jude, zaradi česar bodo Judje namerno grešniki, ki jih je Bog zavrnil. Podobno so muslimani videli Jude, da verjamejo v izkrivljeno, nepravilno različico prvotnega monoteističnega razodetja. Obravnavanje Judov je imelo svoje vzpone in padce tako v krščanstvu kot v islamu. Toda na splošno so bili najhujši preganjanji med kristjani, na primer prvi križarski pohod (1096–1099, v katerem je bilo pobitih veliko Judov v Porenju), izgon vseh Judov iz Španije in Portugalske (1492 in 1496), španski in portugalski Inkvizicija in pokol ukrajinskih Judov v vstaji Hmeljnicki (1648). Številni španski in portugalski Judje so se spreobrnili samo navzven, ena glavnih nalog inkvizicij pa je bila razkriti te "kriptojude". Ne glede na to, ali se oni ali njihovi potomci štejejo za "prave" Jude, je še vedno vprašanje teološke razprave, toda tako španska kot portugalska država sta se od takrat opravičili za krivico, storjeno njihovim Judom, in uradno povabili svoje potomce nazaj. Pod muslimansko vladavino je bilo nekaj večjih preganjanj, kot so bila Almohadi v Španiji iz 12. stoletja, vendar so bila na splošno veliko redkejša.
Včasih pa so Judje pod krščansko zaščito živeli bolj ali manj lepo. Eden takih časov je bil med carstvo Karla Velikega (740–814), ki je povabil Jude, da se naselijo v Porenje. To območje se je v hebrejščini imenovalo Ashkenaz, zato so potomci te skupnosti, ki so si s kasnejšimi izgoni in migracijami sčasoma ustvarili domove po večini Evrope, znani kot Aškenazim.
Naselila se je še ena skupnost Judov iz diaspore Iberia, in kot Španija se v hebrejščini imenuje Sefarad, potomci teh Judov so znani kot Sefardi. Sefardski Judje so bili izjemno uspešni in so veliko prispevali k napredni civilizaciji Ljubljane Islamska zlata doba (8.-13. Stoletje). Verjetno najbolj znan judovski mislec v tistem obdobju je bil Maimonides (ok. 1135-1204), ki je bil poleg tega, da je bil velik rabin in vodja judovske skupnosti leta Egipt, je bil tudi znan filozof in zdravstveni avtor, služil kot osebni zdravnik egiptovskega vladarja. Po izgonu iz Španije in Portugalske v letih 1492 in 1496 so se sefardski Judje zatekli v druge dele Evrope in Sredozemlja. Dandanes so številne bližnjevzhodne judovske skupnosti nekoliko pomotoma imenovane "sefardske" zaradi pomembne vloge sefardskih izgnancev v njih.
Številni Judje, zdaj poklicani Mizrachim, nikoli ni zapustil Bližnjega vzhoda. Judje v muslimanskih deželah so na splošno imeli status ahl al-dhimmah (ednina: dhimmi), ki je bila nižja od muslimanov, a vseeno zaščitena. V 20. stoletju je bila večina teh skupnosti zaradi arabsko-izraelskega konflikta izbrisana iz svojih zgodovinskih domovin, čeprav se vejice teh skupnosti zdaj nadaljujejo v Izraelu, Franciji in drugod.
Poleg treh glavnih skupnosti so obstajali še drugi manjši žepi judovskih naselij. Naselila se je skupnost Judov Etiopija, postaja Beta Izrael. Nekateri so se naselili v Kavkaz, postaja Gorski Judje v današnjem Azerbajdžan, in Gruzijski Judje v današnjem Georgia. Daljši dve skupnosti sta pustili korenine Indija, s skupnostjo na podeželju Konkan postaja Bene Izraelin skupnost v Kerala postajanje Cochin Judje, znan tudi kot Malabarski Judje. V Kitajska, je majhna skupnost prispela v mesto Kaifeng do 10. stoletja (ko je bilo glavno mesto dinastije Song), danes pa so znani kot Kaifeng Judje. Za razliko od skupnosti v muslimanskih in krščanskih deželah so se judovske skupnosti v Indiji in na Kitajskem dobro razumele s svojimi nejudovskimi sosedi in nikoli niso doživele nobene antisemitizem, čeprav je kitajska skupnost danes nekoliko prizadeta zaradi nezaupanja vladajoče komunistične partije do religije in občasna zatiranja verskih obredov.
Kasnejša judovska gibanja
Kabala je mistična oblika študija, ki je postala priljubljena okoli 13. stoletja med španskimi Judi. Po španskem izgonu Judov se je center preučevanja kabale preselil v Safed.
Kazidizem (ali Hasidizem) je judovsko gibanje, ki je bilo ustanovljeno v prvi polovici 18. stoletja Baal Shem Tov, a Ukrajinski rabin. Navdihnil ga je ustvariti nov slog judovske prakse in poudariti veselo povezanost z Bogom v oblikah (na primer) skupnega petja in plesa. Privrženci Baal Shem Tova so postali znani kot Chasidim in so se sčasoma razdelili v različne sekte, poimenovane po vasi ali mestu, kjer je bila njihova prva rebbe (rabin in duhovni vodja). Tako na primer Satmarers izvirajo iz Satu Mare, Romunija, Lubavitchers iz Lyubavichi, Rusijain breslovci iz Bratslav, Ukrajina. Dandanes je največja koncentracija Chasidima v Jeruzalem in New York City (zlasti Borough Park, Williamsburg in severni del Ljubljane Crown Heights v Brooklynu). Druge koncentracije najdemo v različnih mestih v Izraelu, ZDA, Kanadi, Evropi in Avstraliji. Eno hasidsko gibanje - Chabad - se ne omejuje na enklave, ampak pošilja posamezne družine, da vzpostavijo judovsko prisotnost v skupnostih po vsem svetu. So dober naslov za ljudi, ki iščejo judovsko izkušnjo med potovanjem kjer koli, zlasti na območjih z zelo majhno judovsko populacijo, ki so včasih lahko edino mesto, kjer je na voljo košer hrana. Chasidic moške prepoznamo po oblačenju v obleke in črne kape. Pogosto jih imenujemo ultrapravoslavni Judje, čeprav Chasidim sami zavračajo to oznako in so užaljeni, ko jih označujejo kot take.
The Haskalah ali "judovsko razsvetljenstvo" je bil judovski odziv na razsvetljenstvo v krščanskih državah, ki se je začel konec 18. stoletja. Prizadeval si je za racionalno razmišljanje in vključevanje v nejudovsko družbo. "Maskilim" (privrženci Haskale) je imel širok spekter ciljev - od konzervativnih rabinov, ki so želeli racionalistični pristop do študija, do radikalov, ki so želeli velike družbene in teološke spremembe. Eden od področij Haskalah je bilo reformistično gibanje, ki je reformiralo judovski ritual in teologijo, da bi bilo bolj v skladu s senzibilnostjo sekularne kulture. Sionistično gibanje (glej spodaj) je bilo novo veja.
Reformirajte judovstvo poudarja socialno zaskrbljenost zaradi obrednih praks (razglasitev ritualov za neobvezne in njihovo opustitev v celoti). The Konservativno gibanje je veja reformnega gibanja Judov, ki so mislili, da je reforma šla predaleč; Konzervativni judovstvo ohranja skoraj vse obrede in sistem halača (Judovski zakon), hkrati pa je uvedel nekaj sprememb, na primer enake vloge moških in žensk. pravoslavni Judje verjamejo, da niti judovske prakse niti teologije ni bilo treba posodabljati in še vedno vadijo enako kot njihovi predniki pred stotimi leti. Morda mislite, da lahko pravoslavne judovske moške prepoznate po njih, ki nosijo lobanjo (kipa v hebrejščini, yarmulke v jidišu) ves čas in ne samo med molitvami, ampak to počnejo tudi nekateri nepravoslavni Judje. Razvila so se nekatera manjša poimenovanja, na primer rekonstrukcionizem, in mnogi Judje se opisujejo kot pripadniki nobene veroizpovedi.
Judovstvo je že od nekdaj tradicija racionalne razprave o celo zapletenih in manjših točkah verskega prava, zato stereotip "Dva Juda, tri mnenja" deloma izvira iz talmudskih razprav, ki trajajo vse do danes. V nasprotju z mnogimi drugimi religijami ni nobenega avtoritativnega glasu, ki bi komu povedal, kaj je ali ni pravilna uporaba določenih teoloških pravil v današnjem času, vendar so posamezni rabini pogosto spoštovani zaradi svojega uvida in njihova mnenja imajo večjo težo med zvest. Kljub temu večina Judov meni, da je sprejemljivo, da se vsak učeni človek razpravlja z rabinom o verskih vprašanjih, ne glede na to, kako spoštovan je. Ta tradicija razprav in intelektualni pristop k "svetim" temam je vplival celo na sekularne ali ateistične ljudi judovskega porekla, kot je Sigmund Freud v svojem razvoju psihoanalize ali Karl Marx v svojem "dialektičnem" pristopu k ekonomiji in zgodovini. Tradicionalna osrednja pozornost preučevanja Tore in razprav o judovski zakonodaji pomeni, da so Judje že tisočletja poudarjali pismenost in izobrazbo, zato so se Judje pogosto izkazali tudi na drugih področjih življenja, ki zahtevajo izobraževanje in disciplino.
Sodobna doba
Začenši s francosko revolucijo so evropske vlade začele "emancipirati" Jude, kar jim daje enake državljanske pravice kot drugim državljanom. Toda sovraštvo do Judov je vztrajalo, včasih pa se je opiralo na "rasna" (in ne na verska) merila, ki so jih zagovorniki iz 19. stoletja začeli imenovati antisemitizem zveni bolj "znanstveno", včasih pa se opira na veliko starejše razloge, kot je ljubosumje zaradi zaznanega bogastva Judov. (Jude najdemo v vseh slojih družbe; zaznano povezovanje Judov in finančnega sektorja je predvsem posledica zgodovinske krščanske prepovedi posojanja denarja, kar je pomenilo, da so lahko le Judje posojali denar kristjanom, pa tudi dejstva, da so Judje prepovedana druga dela.)
V 19. in začetku 20. stoletja so bili v vzhodni Evropi številni "pogromi" (nasilni nemiri nad Judi), zlasti v Carska Rusija (Poglej tudi Manjšinske kulture v Rusiji). Okhrana, carska tajna policija, je celo napisala najbolj znano in podlo antisemitsko ponarejanje, "Protokole učenih sionskih starešin", da bi preprečila antisemitizem in odvrnila revolucionarne Ruse od njihovih prijemov proti ruski vladi. Da bi se izognili tej brutalnosti in poiskali priložnost, je prišlo do sodobnega izseljevanja Aškenazimov iz vzhodne Evrope v Združene države, Kanada, Južna Afrika, Avstralija, Latinskoameriški vključno z državami Argentinain Zahodna Evropa.
Čeprav so si Judje vedno želeli vrniti se v Izrael, je od križarskih vojn tam živelo zelo malo ljudi. Število Judov, ki so se selili v osmansko Palestino, se je konec 19. stoletja povečalo zaradi pogromov in tudi naraščajočega cionističnega gibanja, ki je pozvalo k ustanovitvi judovske države v Izraelu. Cionizem je pridobil veliko privržencev po aferi Dreyfus (v kateri je bil francoski vojaški častnik obsojen zaradi izmišljenih obtožb o vohunjenju, ki so razkrivale močan antisemitizem v francoski družbi), zaradi česar so številni Judje ugotovili, da niti "civilizirane" napredne države Judov ne bodo zaščitile pred -Semitizem in potrebna je bila posebej judovska država. Sionizem se je začel kot manjšinsko gibanje (že v tridesetih letih 20. stoletja je bila najbolj priljubljena judovska stranka protisionistični jidišistični socialistični Bund), toda do tridesetih let je v Obvezni Palestini živelo na stotine tisoč Judov, mednarodne vlade pa so resno razmišljale razmisli o razdelitvi ozemlja na judovsko in arabsko državo.
S prihodom evropskega kolonializma v 18. stoletju, Bagdadi Judje preselili v mesta Kalkuta in Bombay v takratni britanski koloniji Indija, kjer so se ustalili in ustanovili številna uspešna podjetja. S širitvijo Britanski imperij, mnogi od teh Judov so se preselili iz Indije v druge britanske azijske posesti in ustanovili prve judovske skupnosti leta Rangoon, Penang, Hong Kong, Šanghaj in Singapur. Večina teh Judov se je kasneje odselila v zahodne države, zaradi česar so mnoge od teh skupnosti zamrle ali izumrle, vendar je skupnost v Mumbaju še vedno pomembna, skupnosti v Hongkongu in Singapurju pa so dopolnili izseljeni Judje iz zahodnih držav.
Leta 1933 se je v Nemčiji na oblast dvignila nacistična stranka s ciljem iztrebiti vse Jude povsod. Med drugo svetovno vojno so umorili približno 6 milijonov Judov, preden so jih premagali, v tako imenovanem Nacistični holokavst, imenovano tudi Shoah. (Glej Spomin na holokavst za vodnik po nekaterih nacističnih taboriščih za iztrebljanje, tranzit in suženjstvo ter njihovih spomenikih.) Velike judovske skupnosti v Evropi so bile v glavnem izločene s holokavstom, razen ruskih in britanskih Judov, ki so živeli zunaj nemškega nadzora, in večina preživeli bi se po osvoboditvi preselili v Izrael ali ZDA.
Sodobna država Izrael razglasil neodvisnost leta 1948. Takoj so jo napadle arabske vojske, ki so jo poskušale uničiti. Toda ta napad je preživel in v naslednjih nekaj desetletjih je postopoma naraščal število prebivalstva in moči, odbijal je druge napade in v šestdnevni vojni leta 1967 pridobil velika ozemlja, nekatera pa se je vrnila po mirovnih pogodbah. Od leta 2017 približno 45% Judov na svetu živi v Izraelu.
Medtem ko je država Izrael uspevala, je arabsko-izraelski konflikt povečal sovražnost do Judov, ki živijo v muslimanskih državah. Med letoma 1948 in 1970 je velika večina teh Judov pobegnila ali bila prisiljena iz muslimanskih držav, večina pa jih je odšla v Izrael, Francijo ali ZDA. Do šestdesetih let je malo Judov ostalo v muslimanskih deželah, kjer so stoletja živeli njihovi predniki. Na primer Bagdad se je v nekaj letih iz skoraj četrtine judov preoblikoval v skoraj popolnoma nejudovske. V Juranu, Turčiji, Maroku in Tuniziji ostajajo ostanki judovskih skupnosti, ki pa so bili v preostalih bližnjevzhodnih in severnoafriških muslimanskih deželah tako rekoč uničeni.
Danes so največje judovske skupnosti v Izraelu, ZDA, Franciji, Kanadi, Veliki Britaniji, Argentini, Rusiji, Nemčiji, Brazilija, Avstralija in po nekaterih ukrepih Ukrajina. Francoska judovska skupnost se je močno povečala z migracijo sefardskih in mizraških beguncev iz francoskih nekdanjih severnoafriških kolonij Tunizije, Alžirije in Maroka, medtem ko novo nemško judovsko skupnost večinoma sestavljajo Judje iz nekdanje Sovjetske zveze. Večinoma sekularni (nekdanji) sovjetski Judje so se začeli množično izseljevati v sedemdesetih letih, hitrost pa se je povečevala po padcu komunizma v devetdesetih letih. Sovjetska vlada je potlačila vero, zato so ti Judje ponavadi zelo sekularni, a ponosni na svojo judovsko narodnost.
Iz Izraela se nekaj izseli tudi v države Severne Amerike in Evrope, kjer Izraelci predstavljajo prepoznavno etnično skupino. Čeprav je Izrael vedno imel neto pozitivno stopnjo migracije, izraelski politiki o številu izraelskih izseljencev v tujino kljub temu razpravljajo kot o potencialni težavi, zlasti glede na demografski in ekonomski profil številnih emigrantov.
Prazniki
Najpogostejša judovska priložnost je Šabat, sobota, ki se zgodi vsak teden od 18 minut pred sončnim zahodom do takrat, ko so na sobotnem nočnem nebu vidne tri zvezde. V tem obdobju je kakršna koli oblika dela (zelo široko opredeljena) strogo prepovedana. Opazovalni Judje obiščejo sinagogo na šabat, zlasti na šabatno jutro, pa tudi v petek zvečer, ko se šabat začne. Izleti pravoslavnih Judov v sinagogo morajo potekati peš, saj se šteje, da je upravljanje strojev ali vprega konj delo po pravoslavnih razlagah judovske zakonodaje in je zato v soboto prepovedano. Tako kot šabat tudi pri večjih judovskih praznikih velja prepoved dela, čeprav so nekateri bolj prizanesljivi kot šabat.
Judovski koledar je lunin, zato se datumi vseh letnih praznikov precej spreminjajo glede na standardni (gregorijanski) koledar. Število koledarskega leta se izračuna od časa, za katerega judovska kozmologija pravi, da je bila Zemlja ustvarjena. Na primer, 1. april 2015 je v judovskem koledarju 12. nisan 5775, kar pomeni, da je svet v judovski kozmologiji obstajal le 5775 let. Imenuje se prvi dan judovskega leta Rosh ha-Shanah.
Najbolj praznovani prazniki so:
- Rosh ha-Shanah in hitri dan Yom Kippur devet dni kasneje se imenujejo Visoki sveti dnevi, ko se celo številni sicer neopazni Judje vrnejo v sinagoge, da bi molili s skupnostjo.
- Pasha, spomladanski festival, ko se pripoveduje in praznuje zgodba o izhodu iz Egipta, in najpomembnejši družinski praznik judovskega leta. The Seder, na prvo noč (ali dve noči) velikonočne praznike, je praznična družinska trpeza ob prazniku eksodusa in jo opazujejo celo številni posvetni Judje.
- Purimv spomin na judovsko zmago nad sovražniki v starodavni Perziji.
- Hanuka, na katerem so prižgane sveče. Hanuka je včasih veljala za manjši praznik, med Judi pa je v državah s krščansko večino dobila pomen kot alternativa božiču.
Nekateri drugi večji prazniki vključujejo:
- Sladkor, jesenski praznik žetve, ko Judje jedo obroke v začasnih kabinah z zelenjem, kot so palmovi listi na strehi, in se spominjajo začasnih bivališč, v katerih naj bi živeli njihovi predniki med eksodusom.
- Simchat Torah, dobesedno "Sreča Tore", ko se konča letni cikel branja Tore. Svitke Tore prenašajo skozi sinagogo in pogosto ven na ulico, kjer z njimi plešejo veseli kongreganti.
- Shavuot, praznik pozne pomladi, ki obhaja tudi božji dar Tore Gora Sinaj in je tradicionalno zaznamovan s celonočno študijo Tore.
Mesta
- Poglej tudi: sveta zemlja
Izrael/Palestino
- 1 Jeruzalem. Najsvetejše mesto judovstva, nekdanja lokacija templja in trenutna lokacija zahodnega zidu. Partitioned between 1948 and 1967, the Eastern parts were conquered in the Six-Day War and are now seen by Israel as integral part of its territory.
- 2 Hebron. A city with a long Jewish tradition, only briefly interrupted between the 1929 massacre of Jews and the 1967 reconquest by Israeli forces. Controversially, a small Jewish community now lives here again.
- 3 Tiberija. A center of Jewish scholarship in the Byzantine and early Muslim eras. In the 18th century it became known as one of the "four holy cities" in Israel.
- 4 Safed. The center of Kabbalah study in the 16th century and since then. Now a very picturesque mountaintop town.
- 5 Tel Aviv. Only founded in 1909 by early Zionists, it is now the center of the world's largest primarily Jewish metropolitan area. The population and culture are mostly secular.
Diaspora
Avstralija
- 6 Melbourne — The heart of Australian Judaism and the largest Jewish community in the southern hemisphere. Jews are mainly concentrated in the suburbs of Caufield and St Kilda, with significant numbers also in Doncaster, Kew and Balacava. There are also Chasidic communities concentrated in the suburbs of Ripponlea and Elsternwick. Melbourne's oldest synagogue is the colonial-era East Melbourne Synagogue.
- 7 Sydney — Australia's second largest Jewish community, mainly concentrated in the eastern suburbs of Vaucluse, Randwick, Bondi, Double Bay and Darlinghurst, and a smaller concentration in the upper north shore suburbs between Chatswood and St Ives. Smaller pockets of Jews also exist in numerous other suburbs. The Velika sinagoga is one of the most impressive religious buildings in Australia.
- 8 Perth — Australia's third largest Jewish community, much more recently established than the Sydney and Melbourne communities, and mostly comprised of South African Jews who migrated to Australia in the 1990s and their descendants. Largely concentrated in the northern suburbs of Yokine, Bayswater, Noranda, Menora, Coolbinia, Morley and My Lawley. The heart of the community is the Perth Hebrew Congregation in the aptly-named suburb of Menora.
Azerbajdžan
- 9 Qırmızı Qəsəbə — also known as the "Jerusalem of the Caucasus", this is perhaps the only all-Jewish community outside of Israel. It is home to about 3,000 "Mountain Jews", descendants of the Persian Jews who settled in the Caucasus area in the 5th century CE. Theirs is a unique culture, combining ancient Jewish traditions with local Caucasian influences.
Kanada
- 10 Montreal — Though it was historically the heart of Canadian Judaism, many of Montreal's largely Anglophone Jews have moved on to majority-Anglophone provinces since the rise of the Quebec sovereignty movement. Vendar pa Mile-End neighborhood is still home to a fairly vibrant Jewish community, and remains the best place to sample two Jewish-derived staples of local cuisine: Montreal-style bagels (at Fairmount Bagel in Saint-Viateur Bagel) and smoked meat sandwiches (at Schwartz's in the nearby Plateau). The town-enclave of Westmount also continues to be home to Canada's largest Jewish community.
- 11 Toronto — with the large exodus of Anglophone Jews from Montreal in 1976-77, the Toronto area — particularly Thornhill, a small suburb just north of the city line — is home to Canada's largest Jewish population.
Kitajska
- 12 Kaifeng — historically home to a small, well-integrated Jewish community that nevertheless retained many Jewish customs, the community has dispersed since the fall of the Qing Dynasty, though their descendants continue to be scattered throughout the city. Sadly, the synagogue fell into disrepair and was destroyed in the 1860s, the site now being occupied by a hospital. Unlike other Jewish communities, the Kaifeng Jews recognised patrilineal rather than matrilineal descent, meaning that they are not recognised as Jewish by the Israeli government unless they undergo an orthodox conversion. While some of these people have rediscovered their heritage and begun to revive some Jewish religious practices, they are forced to keep a low profile due to the communist government's occasional crackdowns on religion.
- 13 Šanghaj — the city had a significant number of Jews from the 19th century on and got many more as life became difficult for Jews in Germany in the 1930s. Med Pacifiška vojna, the occupying Japanese established the Shanghai ghetto in Hongkou District; Jews often lived in appalling conditions alongside their Chinese neighbours. Today, the former synagogue has been converted to a museum commemorating the Jewish refugees of that era.
Češka
- 14 Plzeň. Once home to a thriving Jewish community prior to the Holocaust, it is home to the Great Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in Europe. Although the community has shrunk substantially, part of the synagogue is still in use as an active place of worship.
- 15 Praga. Its rich Jewish history and cemetery were not destroyed by the Nazis, because they wanted to preserve them as a museum. The Jewish museum, chevra kadisha, cemetery, and synagogues are the most ancient in Europe.
Etiopija
- 16 Gondar. Historically the heart of the Ethiopian Jewish community before most of them left for Israel, the city is still home to most of the last remaining Jews in Ethiopia.
Francija
- 17 Carpentras — This small town in Provansa-Alpe-Azurna obala nonetheless holds an important role in the history of Jews in France. The town's synagogue dates from the 14th century, and is the oldest in France. However, the Jewish community was established in Carpentras at least a century earlier, by 1276 at the latest. They were attracted here during a time of widespread persecution, as the town was then ruled not by France or any other kingdom, but was part of a papal county under direct control of the popes at Avignon, in which ironically freedom of religion flourished. The late medieval Jews of Carpentras enjoyed both economic and cultural freedoms on a par with their Christian neighbours. However, by the late 16th century, times had changed and the community was ghettoised, as part of an increasingly intolerant Church's repression of non-Catholic faiths, in particular Protestantism. In this period, Jews were excluded from many spheres of life including a long list of professions and participation in café culture. Somehow, the original community survived this phase of repression and those of the late 19th century and Second World War, and is still extant today. Aside from the synagogue and community cemetery, their most notable contribution to the visitor's experience is the annual Jewish music festival, which takes place in August as part of a wider summer season of festivities.
- 18 Pariz — Paris has a long and checkered history of Jewish settlement. Jews have participated in every facet of civic life since freedom of religion was declared during the French Revolution, but they were also targeted for mass murder during the Nazi occupation, with the enthusiastic assistance of the Vichy collaborationist government and a mixture of collaboration and resistance from their non-Jewish fellow citizens. The resistance was more successful in saving Jewish lives in France than in many other Nazi-occupied countries, and the previously mostly Ashkenazic Jewish community was augmented by a large-scale immigration of Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews from France's former colonies in North Africa in the 1950s and 60s. The center of Jewish life in Paris is in the Marais, where you can find kosher delicatessens, various Jewish shops, and an excellent Jewish Museum. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the Jewish community of Paris has suffered murderous attacks and a constant level of everyday harassment. This has come from far-right anti-Semites, and mostly nowadays from extremists within the local Muslim community, Europe's largest. Prior to being partly radicalized, that community used to have peaceable relations with their Jewish fellow citizens. As a result, French Jews have been immigrating to Israel at the rate of a few thousand a year, but the French Jewish community is still the largest in Europe, and the world's third largest after Israel and the United States.
Nemčija
- 19 Berlin - in the Mitte neighborhood, the beautiful Neue Synagoge survived Nazism due to the insistence of a policeman on protecting the building on Kristallnacht. Elsewhere in Mitte, there is a moving Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. V East Central neighborhood is the Jewish Museum in Berlin.
- 20 Dresden - the original synagogue (built to plans by Gottfired Semper, the architect of the eponymous opera) was destroyed by the Nazis and the "replacement" built in the early 2000s looks emphatically "not like a synagogue" and was decried as something of an eyesore. However, this was deliberate at least in part, as the new synagogue is intended not only to show the resurgence of Jewish life, but also that there was a break in Jewish tradition and what caused it. Unusual for a synagogue in Germany, there is no metal scanner or other visible safety measures and frequent guided tours are in keeping with this "open" approach.
- 21 Erfurt has the only synagogue built during the communist (GDR) era, and has tried applying its Jewish heritage for a UNESCO world heritage site
- 22 Črvi - The best-preserved of the old German-Jewish communities of the Rhineland. The Jewish quarter is largely intact. See the Rashi synagogue reconstruction and the cemetery.
- 23 München has one of Germany's most notable and architecturally interesting synagogues built after the war. It was inaugurated on the anniversary of the 1938 pogrom in 2006.
Grčija
- 24 Solun — known as "the mother of Israel" due to its once large Jewish population (for centuries when it was under the Ottoman rule, Thessaloniki was the only city in the world which had a Jewish-večina population), the city lost most of its historic Jewish quarters during the Great Fire of 1917 and the Holocaust that followed later. However, a Jewish museum and two synagogues still exist.
Hong Kong
- 25 Hong Kong is home to a small community of Baghdadi Jews, and the colonial era Ohel Leah Synagogue is one of the few active Baghdadi rite synagogues that date back to the pre-World War II era. One of the most prominent Jewish families in Hong Kong is the Kadoorie family, who founded and continue to run the iconic Peninsula Hotel.
Madžarska
- 26 Budapest/Central Pest — Central Pest contains the Jewish Quarter of Budapest. The Jewish community, though it was reduced in number by the Nazis and their collaborators and by emigration, is still substantial, with kosher eateries and shops and various synagogues, including the Great Synagogue on Dohány Street, which in the 1990s was renovated with contributions by the late American actor, Tony Curtis, the son of two Hungarian Jewish immigrants to the United States. On the second floor of the same building, with a separate entrance, is a Jewish Museum that displays many beautiful antique Jewish ritual objects.
Indija
- 27 Kochi. Historically home to the Cochin Jews, a community that dates back to Biblical times. They would later be joined by Sephardic Jewish refugees following the expulsion of Jews from the Iberian peninsula. While both communities retained distinct ethnic identities well into the 20th century, they are now moribund.
- 28 Kolkata. Settled by many Baghdadi Jews during the colonial era, Kolkata is home to five synagogues that date from that era. This community is now moribund, and down to less than 100 individuals.
- 29 Mumbaj. The surrounding Konkan countryside was historically home to a rural Jewish community of unknown origins known as the Bene Israel. With the advent of British colonial rule, many Bene Israel would move to Bombay, where they would be joined by Baghdadi and Cochin Jews, though all three Jewish communities would retain their distinct ethnic traditions. Like the Jewish community in India as a whole, the Mumbai community has fallen drastically in numbers since independence, though they still number in the thousands and are today by far India's largest Jewish community.
Iran
- 30 Teheran — although its population has dwindled substantially since the Islamic revolution, Iran is still home to the largest Jewish community of any Muslim-majority country, as well as the second largest Jewish community in the Middle East after Israel.
Italija
- 31 Firence — as in other Italian cities, its Jewish population was much reduced by the Nazis after they occupied the country in 1943, but its attractive synagogue is still active and along with the Jewish Museum in the same building, it is a secondary attraction in this city of incredible attractions
- 32 Rim — the Jewish Quarter of Rome, which housed the city's ghetto starting in the mid 16th century, is often visited nowadays; Roman cuisine was also influenced by its Jewish community as, for example, carciofi alla giudìa (Jewish-style artichokes) is a local specialty
- 33 Benetke — this city gave the world the word Geto, used to describe a neighborhood to which Jews were restricted; the Venice Ghetto still exists and is still the center of Jewish life in the city, though the Jewish community is now quite small and its members have the same rights as all other Italian citizens
Malezija
- 34 Penang — Once home to a small but thriving Jewish community of Baghdadi origin, much of the community fled abroad in the wake of rising anti-Semitism since the 1970s. Sadly, this community is now extinct, with the last Malaysian Jew having died in 2011, though descendants of the community now live in countries such as Australia and the United States. The sole reminders of this community are the Jewish cemetery, as well as the former synagogue, which has since been repurposed.
Maroko
Morocco has long history of providing refuge to Jews fleeing persecution — from the Almohad Caliphate (12th century), the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions (15th century), and from Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II.
- 35 Casablanca — home to the largest Jewish population in an Arab country. Also home to the only Jewish museum in the Arab world.
- 36 Fez. The Bab Mellah (Jewish quarter) is almost 600 years old. The Ibn Danan Synagogue was built in the 17th century, and elsewhere in the city you can find a house lived in by Maimonides in the 12th century (now home to a non-kosher restaurant called "Chez Maimonide").
Poljska
- 37 Krakov. Has an old Jewish quarter. It's surreal to see so many tiny shuls within spitting distance of each other. There are "Jewish" themed restaurants, and a Jewish festival in the summer.
- 38 Łódź. The 5th biggest city of the Russian Empire in late 19th century, for a number of years Łódź was an important centre of Jewish universe. Before World War II, Jews were about a third of the local population. There is a number of sites of Jewish heritage, incl. the old cemetery, the memorial Park of Survivors (Park Ocalałych), Holocaust memorial at Radegast railway station, 19th-century villas of Jewish industrial tycoons as well as some old buildings at the territory of the former Litzmannstadt ghetto.
Portugalska
- 39 Belmonte. The only Jewish community in the Iberian peninsula that survived the inquisitions. They were able to do so by observing a strict rule of endogamy and going to great lengths to conceal their faith from their neighbours, with many even going to church and publicly carrying out Christian rites. As a result of their history, these Jews tend to be very secretive, though some are slowly beginning to reconnect with the worldwide Jewish community.
Rusija
- 40 Birobidzhan. Founded in the 1930s as the capital of the Judovska avtonomna oblast, which Joseph Stalin set up to be an alternative to Zionism. While the Jewish population of the city has always been fairly low (the Soviet Jews traditionally inhabited the European parts of the country west of the Urals), it is interesting to find Yiddish signs with Hebrew lettering, menorah monuments, and synagogues in the far east of Russia, near the Chinese border.
- 41 Moskva. Still home to the largest Jewish community in Russia, and the beautiful Moscow Choral Synagogue.
- 42 Saint Petersburg. Home to Russia's second largest Jewish community, as well as the famed Grand Choral Synagogue.
Singapur
- Although small, various members of 43 Singapur's Jewish community have played a prominent role in the history of the city state, with the most notable Singaporean Jew perhaps being David Marshall, Singapore's first chief minister and later ambassador to France. Singapore is also home to two beautiful colonial-era Baghdadi rite synagogues: the Maghain Aboth Synagogue in Chesed-El Synagogue.
Španija
- 44 Toledo - The Jewish quarter here contains two beautiful and very old synagogues: the 1 Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca, the oldest surviving synagogue building in Europe (built in 1180, now a museum), and the 2 Synagogue of El Transito (built in about 1356).
- 45 Girona. Has a long Jewish history that came to an end when the Spanish Inquisition forced the Jews to convert or leave. The Jewish quarter today forms one of Girona's most important tourist attractions.
Surinam
- 46 Jodensavanne. Dutch for the "Jewish Savanna," this was a thriving agricultural community in the midst of the Surinamese Rainforest founded by the Sephardic Jews in 1650. It was abandoned after a big fire caused by a slave revolt in the 19th century. Its ruins, including that of a synagogue, are open for visits.
Tunizija
- 47 Djerba — an island off the coast of North Africa that is still home to a Jewish community that dates back to Biblical times, as well as the still-active El Ghriba Synagogue.
- 48 Tunis — capital of Tunisia and still home to a small but active Jewish community, with two active synagogues remaining.
puran
- 49 Edirne — once among the cities with the largest populations of Ottoman Jews, Edirne's Grand Synagogue, the third largest in Europe, was restored to a brand new look in 2015 after decades of dereliction.
- 50 Istanbulje Karaköy district, arguably deriving its name from Karay — the Turkish name for the Karaites, a sect with its own purely Biblical, non-rabbinic interpretation of Judaism — has a couple of active synagogues as well as a Jewish museum. Balat in Hasköy on the opposite banks of the Golden Horn facing each other were the city's traditional Jewish residential quarters (the latter also being the main Karaite district), while on the Asian Side of the city, Kuzguncuk is associated with centuries old Jewish settlement.
- 51 Izmir — the ancient port city of Smyrna had a significant Jewish presence (and it still has to a much smaller degree). While parts of the city, especially the Jewish quarter of Karataş, have much Jewish heritage (including an active synagogue and the famed historic elevator building), their most celebrated contribution to the local culture is boyoz, a fatty and delicious pastry that was brought by the Sephardic expellees from Iberia as bollos and is often sold as a snack on the streets, in which the locals like to take pride as a delicacy unique to their city.
Združeno kraljestvo
- 52 London - Home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe. While most of the Jews in the area have since moved on to other neighbourhoods, Beigel Bake na Brick Lane remains an excellent place to sample London-style beigels with salt beef.
Združene države
- 53 Greater Boston, and particularly Brookline, has a longstanding Jewish presence. Jews in the area run the gamut of levels of observance, but it's interesting that Boston has its own hereditary dynasty of Chasidic rebbes. The current Bostoner Rebbe has his congregation in Brookline.
- A short distance northwest of New York City, for much of the 20th century the 54 Catskills were a summer destination for Jewish New Yorkers who were largely segregated from other resort areas. The campgrounds, vacation hotels, and mountain lodges of the so-called "Borscht Belt" or "Jewish Alps" nurtured the fledgling careers of soon-to-be-famous comedians and entertainers such as Jack Benny, Jackie Mason, and Henny Youngman. Though that golden era came to an end in the 1960s and '70s (see the movie Umazan ples for a fictionalized glimpse at its last days), the region still contains a great deal of summer homes belonging to New York-area Jews, and a few lingering remnants of the old Borscht Belt still soldier on.
- 55 Charleston, juzna Carolina vsebuje Južno's oldest Jewish community, originally Sephardic and begun in 1695. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue was founded in 1749 and moved to a larger building with a capacity of 500 people in 1794. That building burned down in a fire in 1838 but was rebuilt in Greek revival style two years later. This congregation is also important in that it founded American Reform Judaism in 1824. Also associated with the congregation is Coming Street Cemetery, the oldest existing Jewish cemetery in the South, founded in 1754.
- 56 Los Angeles is home to a substantial politically and civically active Jewish population, particularly in the Westwood neighborhood of West L.A.Hollywood has traditionally been a redoubt of brilliant creative and business-minded Jews in all facets of the film industry.
- 57 New York - The world's main center of Jewish culture outside Israel, New York has the largest Jewish community of any city in the world. New York Jews have been very prominent and successful in numerous walks of life, including the arts, the sciences, academia, medicine, law, politics and business, and many of New York's educational, healthcare and cultural institutions have benefited hugely from the philanthropy of prominent local Jews. The Jewish community has also left a large impact on the city's culinary landscape, with bagels and pastrami being among the mainstays of New York cuisine. Yiddish is still spoken to a greater or lesser extent by some New York Jews and the use of Yiddish-derived expressions in English has been popularized by Jewish and non-Jewish entertainers from the New York area and filtered into the common speech of many New Yorkers of all backgrounds. Jews in New York vary from atheist to Chasidic, with Chasidim most prevalent in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park, Crown Heights in South Williamsburg, many Modern Orthodox Jews in Midwood and also on Manhattan's Upper West Side and Conservative, Reform and secular Jews in many neighborhoods including Brooklyn's Park Slope.
- The Lower East Side, parts of which are now in Kitajska četrt, was the first destination of nearly 2 million Jewish immigrants to the US in the late 19th and early 20th century. At the time, this was the most densely populated neighborhood in the world, with a thriving Jewish culture. Notable sites that remain today include the Bialystoker Shul, Tenement Museum, Eldridge Street Synagogue, and Kehila Kadosha Janina (the only Greek Rite synagogue outside of Greece, with museum).
- 58 Philadelphia and its suburbs have a very significant, longstanding Jewish community. The city has had Jewish residents since at least 1703. Its earliest Jewish congregation, Mikveh Israel, was founded in the 1740s and continues to operate a Spanish-Portuguese synagogue in a new building that was opened in 2010; its former home at 2331 Broad Street, built in 1909, has a beautifully intact interior and now functions as an Official Unlimited clothing store. Philadelphia is also well-known among American Jews for hosting the headquarters of the Jewish Publication Society since 1888. The JPS translation of the Tanakh is widely used in the United States and beyond.
- 59 Južna Florida is another epicenter of American Judaism. Beginning in the mid-20th century, the region became a popular retirement destination for Jews from New York and other Northeastern cities. Later on, the retirees were joined by Jewish immigrants from Latin America (especially Mehika, Venezuela, in Argentina), and now Okrožje Miami-Dade has the largest proportion of foreign-born Jews of any metro area in the United States.
- 60 Skokie, Illinois - The only Jewish-majority suburb of Chicago, and home to Jews of many different national origins, with the Ashkenazic, Sephardic and Mizrachi communities all having a presence here. The Kehilat Chovevei Tzion is one of the few "dual synagogues" that caters to both Ashkenazic and Sephardic worshippers, with two separate halls for the respective communities to carry out their respective rites.
Spoštovanje
Most synagogues welcome visitors of all faiths as long as they behave respectfully, though in areas where anti-Jewish violence is a more immediate threat, a member of the congregation might have to vouch for you and you might even be barred entry.
When entering any Jewish place of worship, all males (except small children) are normally expected to wear a hat, such as a skullcap (called a kippah in Hebrew and a yarmulke in Yiddish). If you have not brought a hat with you, there is normally a supply available for borrowing, for example outside the sanctuary in a synagogue. Both men and women can show respect by dressing conservatively when visiting synagogues or Jewish cemeteries, for example by wearing garments that cover the legs down to at least the knees, and the shoulders and upper arms. Orthodox Jewish women wear loose-fitting clothing that does not display their figure, and many cover their hair with a kerchief or wig.
Traditionally, only men are required to go to synagogue; since women's main religious role is to keep the home kosher, their attendance at services in the synagogue is optional. Some Orthodox synagogues at least in former times used to have only men's sections. In modern times, Orthodox synagogues generally admit women for prayers, though they have dividers (mechitzot) to keep men and women separate during services. The dividers can range from simply slightly higher banisters between aisles with equal view of the bimah from men's and women's sections in some Modern Orthodox synagogues to women being relegated to a balcony behind a curtain and not able to see the bimah at all. Egalitarian synagogues, such as Reconstructionist, Reform or egalitarian Conservative synagogues, have no dividers, and men and women can pray sitting next to each other.
There are some terms that can be controversial among Jews. Use "Western Wall" to refer to the Jerusalem holy site, not the somewhat archaic-sounding "Wailing Wall", which in some Jews' minds gives rise to Christian caricatures of miserable wailing Jews, rather than dignified, praying Jews. When speaking about the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis, the terms "Holocaust" and "Shoah" are both acceptable. (The word "holocaust" originally referred to a burnt offering for God, so the term could imply that the mass killing of Jews was a gift to God. Nevertheless, "Holocaust" is still the most common English name for the tragedy, and should not cause offense.) The phrase "Jew down", meaning to kupčijo, is offensive, due to its implication of Jews as cheap and perhaps dishonest. In general, it is fine to use "Jew" as a noun, but as an adjective, use "Jewish" (not phrases like "Jew lawyer"), and never use "Jew" in any form as a verb.
Jews' opinions on all aspects of politics, including Israeli politics, run the gamut, but reducing a Jewish person to their opinion on Israel - or worse, taking offense at whatever their opinion may be - is likely to be as counter-productive as reducing an African-American to their opinion on race relations and civil rights.
Govori
Hebrejščina in Aramejsko are the ancient holy languages of Judaism, and are used for worship in synagogues throughout the world. The two languages are closely related and used the same alphabet, so anyone who can read Hebrew will have little trouble with Aramaic.
Modern Hebrew, revived as part of the Zionist movement starting in the late 19th century, is the official and most spoken language in Israel. Other languages often spoken by Jews are the languages of the country they reside in or used to live in before moving to Israel (particularly English, Russian, Spanish, French, Arabic and German) as well as Jidiš, the historical language of the Ashkenazi Jews, which developed from Middle High German with borrowed words from Hebrew, Slavic languages and French, but is written in Hebrew letters rather than the Latin alphabet. (Many languages used by Jews have been written in Hebrew letters at some point, including English.) Before the Nazi Holocaust, Yiddish was the first language of over 10 million people of a wide range of degrees of Jewish religious practice; now, it is spoken by a smaller (but once again growing, thanks to their propensity for large families) population of a million and a half Chasidim. As Chasidic Jews consider Hebrew to be a holy language that is reserved for praying to God, Yiddish is the primary language used in daily life even among Chasidic Jews who live in Israel.
Ladino, similarly, was Judeo-Spanish, and used to be widely spoken among Sephardic Jews living in Turkey and other Muslim countries that had given them refuge, and also in the Greek city of Solun. While Yiddish is still very much alive in both Israel and parts of the US and quite a number of Yiddish loanwords have entered languages such as (American) English and German, Ladino is moribund and only spoken by a few elderly people and hardly any children or adolescents. There are some musicians (both Jewish and non-Jewish) that make music in Ladino, often using old songs, and Jewish languages are studied academically to varying degrees.
Unlike the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, there is no historical unifying language among the Mizrahi Jews, who primarily spoke languages such as Perzijsko ali arabsko, whichever was dominant in the area they lived in, in addition to using Hebrew for liturgy.
Glej
Sinagoge
Many synagogues, especially those built in the 19th century in Europe when Jews obtained civil rights for the first time, are architecturally spectacular and most of them are willing and able to give tours. Sadly many synagogues (especially in Germany) were destroyed by the Nazis, and if they were rebuilt at all, some of them show a somber reflection about the destruction of Jewish life in the past. Others, however were rebuilt very much in the original style and are truly a sight to behold.
- 3 Western Wall. The central prayer site in Judaism, adjacent to the holiest site, the Temple Mount. V Old City of Jerusalem.
- 4 Hurva Synagogue. The first synagogue was built in the early 1700s. It has been destroyed twice, and was built for a third time in 2010. It is in Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
- Northern Israel is home to a number of beautiful synagogue ruins from the Byzantine period (3rd-6th centuries), among them 5 Tzipori (Spodnja Galileja), 6 Beit Alfa (Beit Shean Valley) in 7 Baram (Zgornja Galileja).
- 8 El Ghriba synagogue (Djerba Synagogue) (v Djerba, Tunizija). Built in the 19th century on the spot of an ancient synagogue. The building, which has a beautiful interior, is a historic place of pilgrimage for Tunisia's Jewish community, and one of the last remaining active synagogues in the Arab world..
- 9 Grand Synagogue of Paris. Often known as the Victoire Synagogue, it is in central Paris. Among others, Alfred Dreyfus had his wedding here. Unfortunately, it is usually impossible to enter.
- 10 Touro Synagogue, Newport (Rhode Island). The oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States, built in 1762. The original members were Sephardic refugees from the Inquisition. In 1790, the synagogue was the proud recipient of a letter from President George Washington, testifying to the new republic's full acceptance and embrace of its Jewish citizens. Be sure to look for the trapdoor, concealing a underground room which may have been intended as a hiding place from pogroms (which never occurred in the US - but the builders didn't know that!)
- 11 Córdoba Synagogue. Built in 1315, this synagogue is full of beautiful, well-preserved carvings.
- 12 Bevis Marks Synagogue, 7 Bevis Marks, Mesto London. Arguably the Diaspora synagogue in longest continuous use
- 13 Amsterdam Esnoga. Built in 1675.
- 14 Ostia Synagogue. It is in Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rim. This is arguably the oldest synagogue known outside Israel, dating from the 1st century. Its ruins are somewhat away from the main Ostia Antica ruins, in the southern corner of the site, just before the road.
- Shuls for modern architecture geeks: Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, MI (Albert Khan), and Temple Beth El in Bloomfield, MI (Minoru Yamasaki).
- 15 Paradesi Synagogue, Kochi, Indija. The oldest synagogue in India, built in 1568.
- 16 Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Willemstad, Curaçao. Opened 1674, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas.
- 17 Kahal Shalom Synagogue, Dossiadou and Simiou Streets, Rhodes. The oldest surviving synagogue in Grčija, built in 1577. It is in the picturesque Juderia (Jewish quarter) of Rodos.
- 18 Sardis Sinagoga. An archaeological site with the ruins of a Roman-era (approximately 4th century) synagogue, one of the oldest in diaspora. The native Lydian name for this ancient city was Sfard, which some think is the actual location of Biblical Sepharad (identified by the later Jews with Iberia).
Muzeji
Museums of Judaism and/or Jewish history exist in many places, and are often full of beautifully decorated Jewish religious books and ritual objects, as well as historical information.
- 19 Izraelski muzej. The Israeli national museum, in Zahodni Jeruzalem, houses treasures that include the Dead Sea Scrolls (including the oldest Biblical scrolls, from the 2nd century BCE, as well as other texts that did not make it into the canon and had been lost), and the Aleppo Codex (traditionally considered the most accurate Biblical text, written in the 10th century).
- 20 The Museum of the Jewish People (Beit Hatfutsot). This museum in North Tel Aviv covers Jewish culture with a focus on the diaspora. It is best known for its models of European synagogues.
- 21 Anne Frank House, Prinsengracht 263-265, Amsterdam.
- 22 Yad Vashem. Israel's national Holocaust museum, in Zahodni Jeruzalem.
- 23 US Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington DC..
- 24 POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, 6 Mordechaja Anielewicza St, Varšava.
- 25 Jewish Museum, Berlin. If not the best, easily the most architecturally stunning in Germany, designed by Daniel Libeskind (himself of Jewish descent), the museum goes into detail on Jewish history in Germany from the earliest beginnings in the Roman era to the Shoah and ultimately the unlikely rebirth of Jewish life after WWII.
- 26 Muzej strpnosti, 9786 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles. Focuses on the Holocaust, but its overall subject is racism and intolerance in general.
- 27 Istanbul Archaeology Museums. Holds two important artifacts from ancient Jerusalem: the inscription from King Hezekiah's Shiloach aqueduct, and the sign from the Second Temple "soreg" in Greek.
- 28 National Museum of Damascus. Holds the Dura Europos synagogue murals. Warning - war zone!
- 29 Temple Institute. An exhibit of the vessels and clothing used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, and which the museum organizers hope to use once again in a rebuilt Temple. V Old City of Jerusalem.
- 30 Jewish Museum and Centre of Tolerance, Obraztsova St., 11, build. 1A, Moskva, ☏ 7 495 645-05-50, ✉[email protected]. Sun-Thu 12-22, Fri 10-15. Located in a famous Constructivist building of Bakhmetievsky Garage, designed by Konstantin Melnikov, the famous Russian architect of 1920's, the museum focuses on the history of Jews in the Russian Empire and USSR. An important Moscow's cultural venue. 400 RUB.
- 31 Jewish Museum, Själagårdsgatan 19 (Stockholmu). Displays the history of the Jews in Sweden.
Grobovi
- 32 Auschwitz-Birkenau in 33 Majdanek are probably the two most worthwhile Nazi concentration camps to visit. Auschwitz had the highest death toll and attracts the most visitors, while Majdanek is the best preserved.
- 34 Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, Hamadan, Iran.
- 35 Tomb of Daniel, Suza, Iran.
- Tombs of 36 Ezra, 37 Ezekiel in 38 Nahum v Iraku (Warning: war zone)
- 39 Tomb of the Baal Shem Tov (Medzhybizh, Zahodna Ukrajina). The Baal Shem Tov is significant for founding Chasidism. The village surrounding the tomb looks like the old-time Ukraine.
- 40 Tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (V Uman, Ukrajina). Each fall, for the Rosh Hashana holiday, tens of thousands of Jews make a pilgrimage to this site.
- 41 Hunts Bay Jewish Cemetery (V Kingston, Jamajka). A 17th-century cemetery that includes the graves of Jewish pirates, some with Hebrew text next to the skull and crossbones.
- 42 Tomb of Rachel. The Biblical matriach is traditionally considered to be buried here. While generally considered part of Betlehem, the tomb is more easily accessed from Jerusalem, specifically by taking bus 163.
- 43 Cave of the Patriarchs. The traditional burial place of the Biblical patriarchs (ancestors of the Jewish people) — Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah — in the West Bank city of Hebron. Generally considered the second holiest site in Judaism.
- 44 Grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. This 2nd-century rabbi is considered the leading figure in the history of Jewish mysticism. The "Zohar" is traditionally written by him. Bar Yochai traditionally died on the day of Lag BaOmer (about one month after Passover) and was buried in Meron (Zgornja Galileja). Each year nowadays on Lag BaOmer, hundreds of thousands of Jews gather there to celebrate his legacy with bonfires and music.
- 45 Beit Shearim. A burial complex containing the graves of Rabbi Judah the Prince, compiler of the Mishna in the 2nd century, and his family (including other notable rabbis) in the Spodnja Galileja. Rabbi Judah's name was found engraved in above the burial niches. The burial niches are now empty.
- 46 Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery. A large cemetery in East Jerusalem. Due to its proximity to the Old City, it is traditionally the location where the future Resurrection of the Dead will begin. The first burials here took place around 3,000 years ago. In recent centuries the cemetery has grown, and many of the most famous rabbis and secular leaders of the last 200 years are buried here.
Druga spletna mesta
- 47 Shiloh. The site of the ancient Israelite sanctuary from about 1300-1000 BCE, before it moved to Jerusalem. Now there are an archaeological site and a visitors' center here.
- Projekt Cairo Geniza na univerzi Cambridge v Združenem kraljestvu - običajno je javna razstava besedil, vključno z ročno napisanim Maimonidesovim pismom in drugimi unikatnimi predmeti. Če ste učenjak, lahko zaprosite za ogled predmetov, ki niso na razstavi.
- 48 Gora Nebo (Zunaj Madaba, Jordan). Glej na Izrael z edinstvenega kota, iz Biblije ga je videl Mojzes, preden ga je umrl.
- Pesach in Sukkoth na južni polobli - večina Judov živi na severni polobli, zato je doživeti te praznike v nasprotnih letnih časih vznemirjajoče
- 49 770. Središče gibanja Chabad v Brooklynu.
- Yeshivas - te akademije za študij Talmuda so praviloma glasne, mehurčke, kaotične sobe, polne ljudi, ki se prepirajo in razpravljajo o talmudskih besedilih. Če greste do lokalne osebe zunaj ješive in ji razložite, da želite to videti, vam jo bo verjetno z veseljem pokazal (vendar bodite pozorni, da morajo biti judovske institucije ponekod pozorne na morebitne teroristične napade, tako da, če ne nimajo judovske zveze, morda bi te gledali sumljivo). Dober kraj za ogled tega je Beis Medrash v Ješivi Gehovi v Lakewoodu v New Jerseyju.
- 50 Casa Bianca Mikvah (V Sirakuza (Italija)). Najstarejša ohranjena mikva (obredna kopel) v Evropi, ki sega v približno 6. stoletje ali morda že prej. Pod zemljo je približno 20 metrov.
Ali
- Udeležite se servisa - Če vas zanima izkušnja judaizma, v mnogih sinagogah niso dobrodošli samo Judje, temveč tudi Nejudi. Številne sinagoge imajo službe vsak dan, zlasti pa ob petkih zvečer in sobotah zjutraj Šabat, soboto, katere spoštovanje je ena od desetih zapovedi. Če bi radi poslušali briljantno kantilacijo (skandiranje), se pozanimajte, katere lokalne sinagoge imajo največ glasbenih kantarjev. Če sinagoge ni, ima Chabad, imenovan tudi Lubavitcher Chasidim, veliko oddaljenih postojank po vsem svetu in če ste Jud ali potujete z Judom, vas z veseljem povabijo na službo v njihovi hiši ali sejno sobo .
- Obiščite tisch - različne šasijske skupine prirejajo skupna praznovanja, z veliko petja in pod vodstvom rebeja. Pogosto lahko obiščejo tujci. Dober kraj za iskanje tisch je Jeruzalem.
- Pojdite na prireditev v judovski center - Marsikje so judovski centri, kjer so ure, predavanja, predstave, filmske predstave in umetniške razstave. Večina jih ima spletne koledarje.
- Dobrodelnost — Tzedakah je hebrejska beseda za "dobrodelnost" in je osrednja micva (zapoved) judovske religije. Judje ponavadi velikodušno dajejo v dobrodelne namene in obstaja veliko judovskih dobrodelnih organizacij, od katerih se nekatere posebej osredotočajo na pomoč drugim Judom v stiski, mnoge pa služijo revnim vseh veroizpovedi. Če bi radi bili dobrodelni, poiščite judovsko ali nesektaško organizacijo ali organizacijo, katere člani katere koli religije se držite, ki se osredotoča na razlog, v katerega verjamete, ali pa si vzemite čas, da osebno pomagate nekomu, ki bi ga lahko uporabil roka.
Nakup
Če vas zanima nakup židovskih obrednih predmetov in drugih judovskih stvari, poiščite trgovine Judaica. Priljubljeni predmeti za nakup vključujejo svečnike Shabbat; menore (9 razvejanih svečnikov za Hanuko); nakit s tradicionalnimi motivi, vključno s hebrejskimi črkami chet in yod for čaj, hebrejska beseda za "življenje" in srebrna roka, ki predstavlja božjo roko; Tore, molitvene knjige in knjige komentarjev; mezuzot (miniaturni zvitki pergamenta, napisani z besedami Shma Yisrael molitev, ki se začne z besedami "Usliši o Izrael! Gospod je naš Bog; Gospod je en!" v okrasnih ohišjih, ki se uporabljajo kot vrata) in judovske kuharske knjige.
Jej
Samo po tradicionalnih judovskih prehranskih zakonih košer hrano lahko jedo Judje; glej Kašrut. Ker judovski zakon prepoveduje zakuriti ogenj v soboto, se je razvila posebna sobotna kuhinja, ki se ukvarja s to problematiko in pogosto proizvaja "počasi kuhano" meso in zelenjavo. Pravila so med veliko nočjo strožja in izdelki, ki so košer za veliko noč, so običajno posebej potrjeni kot takšni.
Čeprav številne restavracije z judovsko kulinariko niso več košer, je judovska diaspora pomembno prispevala k kulinarični kulturi številnih domačih mest. Mesta New York, London in Montreal zlasti so znani po svojih judovskih trgovinah z delikatesami in vrečkami v tradiciji aškenazij. Najpomembnejša britanska jed ribe in krompirček domneva se tudi, da ima svoj izvor sefardske judovske begunce, ki so bežali pred špansko in portugalsko inkvizicijo, ki so se naselili v Angliji.
Košer obrok je bil eden prvih posebnih obrokov, ki so ga ponujali na komercialnih letih, košer hrana pa je običajno na voljo na večini večjih letalskih prevoznikov, običajno pa jo je treba zahtevati vsaj 48–72 ur vnaprej. Izraelski prevoznik zastave El Al na svojih letih ponuja samo košer obroke.
Pijte
Vino se uporablja zakramentalno na soboto (šabat) in druge judovske praznike. Nekateri so močno obogateni s sladkorjem, danes pa v Izraelu, ZDA, Franciji, Italiji, Španiji, Avstraliji, Novi Zelandiji in številnih drugih državah pridelujejo veliko odličnega košer vina. Vino za veliko noč mora biti Kosher l'Pesach, torej, če ste povabljeni k sederju (praznični velikonočni obed), poiščite to posebno oznako pri nakupu vina za svoje gostitelje.
Večina Judov meni, da so alkoholne pijače, razen vina, same po sebi košer, z le nekaj očitnimi izjemami (npr. Mezcal con gusano, saj so drobnice treif). Vendar se pijanstvo vsaj močno namršči, razen na dva praznika: veliko noč, ko bi po nekaterih interpretacijah zakona morala vsaka odrasla oseba spiti 4 polne skodelice vina (čeprav se v praksi običajno šteje, da grozdni sok nadomešča, ker razlika med "vinom" in "grozdnim sokom" sega v moderno dobo pasterizacije) in Purima, ko obstaja tradicija, da bi morali piti toliko vina, da Mardoheju (junaku praznika) ne morete povedati iz Hamana (negativec).
Spi
Kakršen koli pravoslavni (ali "shomer šabat" - torej varuje soboto) Jud ne more kršiti judovske zakonodaje proti potovanjem ob petkih zvečer in sobotah, kar velja tudi za večino judovskih praznikov. Zato mora poskrbeti, da bo spal nekje dovolj blizu, da se bo v tistih dneh sprehodil do sinagoge ali v primeru skupnih počitnic v domovih (na primer Kabbalat Shabbat, ki bo v petek zvečer v soboto pozdravil Seder na pasho ali branje Megillas Esther [Biblijske knjige o Esteri] o Purimu), do kraja, kjer poteka slovesnost in praznični obrok. Zato je tradicionalno, da pravoslavni Judje odpirajo domove drugim opazovalnim Judom, ki obiskujejo od daleč. Če ste Jud, ki upošteva soboto in ne poznate nikogar v kraju, kamor potujete med soboto ali počitnicami, se za nasvet običajno lahko obrnete na lokalno pisarno Chabad, če jih pokličete pred začetkom počitnic, ali lahko tudi poskusite poklicati lokalno sinagogo.
Nekateri hoteli in stanovanjske zgradbe poskrbijo za pravoslavne Jude tako, da se dogovorijo za soboto, izklopijo avtomatska vrata in / ali poskrbijo za posebna "šabatna dvigala", ki delujejo samodejno, tako da gostom ni treba pritiskati gumbov.
Ostani varen
Na žalost grožnja morebitnega antisemitskega nasilja stalno skrbi po vsem svetu, čeprav se stopnja nevarnosti spreminja glede na čas in kraj. Posledično je zelo pogosto, da je v sinagogah, ješivotih, judovskih občinskih centrih in drugih krajih, kjer se zbirajo Judje, prisotna policija ali oborožena straža. Vendar so možnosti, da se boste slučajno znašli na kraju, ko ga nekdo napade, zelo majhne. V primeru, da morate stati v vrsti za preiskavo torbe ali skozi detektor kovin, si dovolite dodaten čas, tako kot pri odhodu na letališče. Biti ali videti vidno Judov (npr. Nositi kipo) lahko pritegne neželeno pozornost, ustno zlorabo ali celo nasilje celo v nekaterih soseskah večjih mest prvega sveta. Zagotavljanje varnega prostora za vse vrste judovskega življenja je bil del razloga za ustanovitev Izraela, žal pa geopolitične razmere in nasilni posamezniki vplivajo tudi na varnost judovskih ustanov tukaj.
Poglej tudi
- Izrael - kraj izvora judovstva in danes edina judovska država na svetu, kjer živi veliko Judov