Middle Ages Tiyul
The Jewish people in the Middle ages were everywhere. Some came from Germany, others from Iraq or Morocco. But even with being so spread out, the Jews were a tightly knit kehillah. No matter where you went a Jew could always find a Jewish person who spoke Hebrew, bringing people from different cultures together.
Although Jewish people were united because of Hebrew, they also had distances. Wherever the Jew was living they would absorb some of the culture from the surrounding places making Jewish people unrecognizable to other Jews in different Kehillahs. For example, they would adopt their dress, making them blend in with non-Jews. Even though there were specific rules to make Jews stand out in their home towns, people from other places didn't know the rules, and therefore didn't know who was a Jew.
One of the robes a woman in Uzbekistan would wear
Another tradition Jews shared was going to Synagogue where everyone prayed for the return to Jerusalem. they also all had crowns representing the 3 crowns of Judaism. they were the crown of kings, priests and the Torah. They also all had Hebrew prayers on the walls. Even though they were all praying for the same thing and had some of the same symbols, all the synagogues were different. For example the Vittorio Veneto Synagogue in Venice Italy had Baroque style architecture. The ark was all gold and had symmetrical designs. It had seats all around the synagogue so everyone was facing each other. Another synagogue was the Horb Synagogue in Germany. It was wooden and had beautiful paintings on the ceiling and Hebrew written on the walls.
The ceiling of the Horb Synagogue
They also had different traditions relating to the "Lifecycle of Jews" The lifecycle consisted of The Brit Milah, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Huppa, and Death. Brit Milah was the ceremonial circumcision for boys. At the Israel Museum we saw a Brit milah chair. In the chair the person holding the baby would sit in one side and the other half would be left open for Elijah the prophet. Huppa is the ceremony for marriage. In a synagogue in Germany, the custom was to have a stone and after the wedding instead of you breaking the glass, you would throw it at the stone to break the glass. But in Kurdistan, after the wedding the bride and groom would go into a Gnoonie and consummate their relationship. Then for the next week they would sleep with a child in between them to symbolize fertility. Death is pretty self explanatory... it is the tradition for after dying. In Germany people would wear burial shrouds to be buried in. These were basic clothes, normally white that they had worn at previous special events in their lives. Jews also used Prayer glass at fundraisers for holy society to help collect tzdakah for Jewish burials
A picture of the Gnoonie
A picture of a Prayer Glass
The Hebrew manuscripts was another artifact that we saw at the Israel museum. They showed that the Jews were thriving economically. This is showed by the manuscripts because before focusing on writing elaborate expensive manuscripts they had to be strong economically. They also showed the beauty that is on the inside of everything because under Christian and Muslim rule Jews couldn't show their culture on the outside. Lastly Jews all over could read and write the manuscripts because all of the Jews during this time were literate.
One of the many elaborate Hebrew manuscripts
They were always surrounded by the Hebrew language. Having a common language made it so that wherever a Jew went they would always have a home. This also made it so that Jews were wanted to help with trade. Being so spread out meant that there was a Jew who knew Hebrew and another language and when that Jew talked with someone else they would learn more and more languages and be able to communicate well with everyone. This created a network of Jewish trade, and made them very prosperous.
My question for the class is, If you were to travel the world would you feel at home if there were other Jews around? and What would you say to a Jewish person you had just met?
Although Jewish people were united because of Hebrew, they also had distances. Wherever the Jew was living they would absorb some of the culture from the surrounding places making Jewish people unrecognizable to other Jews in different Kehillahs. For example, they would adopt their dress, making them blend in with non-Jews. Even though there were specific rules to make Jews stand out in their home towns, people from other places didn't know the rules, and therefore didn't know who was a Jew.
One of the robes a woman in Uzbekistan would wear
Another tradition Jews shared was going to Synagogue where everyone prayed for the return to Jerusalem. they also all had crowns representing the 3 crowns of Judaism. they were the crown of kings, priests and the Torah. They also all had Hebrew prayers on the walls. Even though they were all praying for the same thing and had some of the same symbols, all the synagogues were different. For example the Vittorio Veneto Synagogue in Venice Italy had Baroque style architecture. The ark was all gold and had symmetrical designs. It had seats all around the synagogue so everyone was facing each other. Another synagogue was the Horb Synagogue in Germany. It was wooden and had beautiful paintings on the ceiling and Hebrew written on the walls.
The ceiling of the Horb Synagogue
The ark of the Vittorio Veneto Synagogue
They also had different traditions relating to the "Lifecycle of Jews" The lifecycle consisted of The Brit Milah, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Huppa, and Death. Brit Milah was the ceremonial circumcision for boys. At the Israel Museum we saw a Brit milah chair. In the chair the person holding the baby would sit in one side and the other half would be left open for Elijah the prophet. Huppa is the ceremony for marriage. In a synagogue in Germany, the custom was to have a stone and after the wedding instead of you breaking the glass, you would throw it at the stone to break the glass. But in Kurdistan, after the wedding the bride and groom would go into a Gnoonie and consummate their relationship. Then for the next week they would sleep with a child in between them to symbolize fertility. Death is pretty self explanatory... it is the tradition for after dying. In Germany people would wear burial shrouds to be buried in. These were basic clothes, normally white that they had worn at previous special events in their lives. Jews also used Prayer glass at fundraisers for holy society to help collect tzdakah for Jewish burials
A picture of the Gnoonie
A picture of a Prayer Glass
A picture of a Brit Milah chair
The Hebrew manuscripts was another artifact that we saw at the Israel museum. They showed that the Jews were thriving economically. This is showed by the manuscripts because before focusing on writing elaborate expensive manuscripts they had to be strong economically. They also showed the beauty that is on the inside of everything because under Christian and Muslim rule Jews couldn't show their culture on the outside. Lastly Jews all over could read and write the manuscripts because all of the Jews during this time were literate.
One of the many elaborate Hebrew manuscripts
They were always surrounded by the Hebrew language. Having a common language made it so that wherever a Jew went they would always have a home. This also made it so that Jews were wanted to help with trade. Being so spread out meant that there was a Jew who knew Hebrew and another language and when that Jew talked with someone else they would learn more and more languages and be able to communicate well with everyone. This created a network of Jewish trade, and made them very prosperous.
My question for the class is, If you were to travel the world would you feel at home if there were other Jews around? and What would you say to a Jewish person you had just met?
I would not feel at home when I travel the world and stay with another Jew. I would feel like they are friends or family, but it wouldn't feel like home. No place is like home. Being in an unknown place staying with unknown people would not make me feel at home. I would say what I was doing and explain that I need a place to stay, and hope that they would let me stay there.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I really don't know how I would feel. I would imagine that walking into a jewish home in Morrocco would be pretty weird. There would probably be a pretty thick language barrier, and cultural differences would be incredibly difficult to overcome. I think I would be more comfortable in a Jewish home in Morrocco than a Christian home in Morrocco, as we would have some sort of common ground and shared background. As for what I would say to a Jewish person I just met, what did I say to you all?
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ReplyDeleteTo me, it depends on the community. Of course, there is no place like home, but you definitely can find a Jewish community that will welcome you as home. Since I've lived in several places, I've been to many Jewish communities, and to me the most welcoming people in Europe are Chabad- they are the people that made me feel more than like at home. I can't say that every Jew and Jewish community would make me feel instantly like at home even if they wanted to, but I can definitely say that there are places in the world that can and will. What I would say to a Jewish person is a little background about myself and my Jewish community back at home.
ReplyDeleteI think I would feel somewhat at home with other Jews. That’s how I feel here in Israel at least. I think being around people you have something in common with can really help you connect to them and feel more comfortable. I would ask them who they knew, maybe we have friends in common. Then I’d ask them about their practices and how they observe Jewish traditions. I might even ask to come to Shabbat dinner with them or something similar.
ReplyDeleteBecause I am always traveling, I can definitely say that the Jewish community has made me feel more at home. The Jewish Kehilla has always been the most welcoming of places wherever I have moved. If I met a Jewish person for the first time my interactions with them wouldn't be that different than with anyone else I just met. However, I would know for a fact that we have at least one thing in common with each other.
ReplyDeleteI mean seeing another Jew would be really cool, especially in a place where they usually aren't. Would it make me feel at home? No, but it be a cool feeling to connect with someone from my culture.
ReplyDeleteI would say hi I guess. Meeting other people is awkward, and a whole conversation about Judiasiam would be awkward. I guess we could talk about our Jewish lives at home.
I think that it is especially easy for me to feel at home in places where I enjoy the people. Heller High is an example of this, but I'm not sure if it is because everyone here is jewish or because we happen to have a very caring group. I do think that I tend to share morals and traditions because of our shared religion/culture, but that is also because the majority of us are ashkenazi and American as well. I think I am more likely to get along well with a jewish person, and if so I would feel at home but I cannot say that just meeting other jews would make me feel at home as being jewish is not a prerequisite for my friendship and I also do not always like jews. I also do not speak hebrew, so it would be more difficult for me. To a jewish person I just met, I would not say anything about Judaism I do not think. People are so much more than that, and this jew in particular might have other defining parts of their identity that they'd rather be known for. However, I'm also aware that this viewpoint is a modern one and if I was traveling the world in olden times I would most likely feel much more connected to judaism and the jewish people I would meet.
ReplyDeleteI feel like wherever I travel there will always be welcoming people and the rude people. But I think I would feel comfortable if I knew there was a Jewish community just like mine but on the other side of the world. I honestly would have no idea what to say or I would do the opposite and bombard them with questions about themselves and their life.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't feel at home when I am with Jewish people I do not know. However, if I stay with these people, their home can soon become my home. For example, when I was first dropped off at my Jewish summer camp, I didn't sense a home. But after I was able to immerse myself in the community and truly build a relationship to the Jewish people near me, I was able to call it home. To me, my home is not my religion but the people. Home is where I can feel most loved and protected, and it always isn't just with the Jewish people.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think I would feel at home if there were other Jews around and I was traveling just because I don't base my comfort around my religion. However I feel like if I were to be more comfortable with a strange group of people, it would be Jews.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't feel at home with other Jews. I would feel at home with people who are kind and accepting and that I am close with, but I would kind of relate with them, not on a religious level, but on a spiritual level where I can talk to them about our ancestors and stuff. When I'm with a lot of the same people I feel really bored. I feel at home when I'm with a lot of different people because I can learn about them and I really like that. If I met someone that's Jewish while traveling I would talk to them like I would to anyone else, I wouldn't dwell on the fact that their Jewish. The most I would probably do is ask them about about Israel.
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