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Judaism is more than a religion; it is a civilization
including a people, a language, unique laws,
a system of ethics, custom, a homeland,
and a theology. Judaism focuses on the proper and righteous
life in this world; Jews worship one God, who is just
and merciful, and they obey a wide-ranging and vigorous moral
law centered around the Torah. Themes of Jewish
life include family, study, morality, and community.
Moses
led the Jews from Egypt to the "Promised Land" of Canaan; they
became a strong unified nation in the 10th century BCE. The
kingdom soon split into Judah and Israel; Israel
was conquered by Assyria (722 BCE), and Judah by the Babylonians
(586 BCE). The Jews returned from Babylonian exile in 520 BCE,
only to experience centuries of oppression (and often persecution)
by Persians, Greeks, Syrians, Romans, and others.
Rome
destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE, with great loss
of life. The local synagogue and the rabbi now became the focus
of Jewish life. For eighteen centuries, Jews lived as a minority
- often a persecuted minority - mostly in nations dominated
by Christians
and Muslims.
Jews clung to their law and customs, longing for restoration
as a unified culture.
In
the 19th century, Jews were emancipated. Reform Judaism wanted
to liberalize Jewish life and reconcile it with the conditions
of local culture; the Orthodox Jews insisted on strict
adherence to traditional laws and beliefs. In the United States,
Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionism, and Secular
Humanistic Judaism arose. From the late 19th century Jews
struggled to reestablish their ancient homeland. Then in World
War II came the Holocaust, which saw the murder of six million
Jews in Europe. In its wake, the State of Israel was established
in 1948.
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