http://JewishHistory.org Faith and Fate is a documentary telling the story of the Jews in the 20th Century.
The first Episode is called, “The Dawn of the Century” and covers 1900 – 1910.
This episode introduces the uniqueness of Jewish history in the 20th century within the
context of world history. At the turn of the 20th century, Jews were scattered across the
globe, representing only ¼ of one percent of the worlds population. It was a time of
empires, imperial rule and colonial expansionism. In Russia the masses, including the
Jews, lived in dire poverty which was compounded by grassroots antisemitism. In 1905
the Russian masses revolted and there was a general strike. On Bloody Sunday the
Czar responded with force. The Czar did not abdicate until 1917, which is typically the
date given for the second Russian Revolution, which, in turn, led to increased pogroms
against the Jews. The pogroms and the economic conditions forced approximately
40% of Jewish population to leave the Russian Empire and go to Western countries
including the United States and to Palestine and other countries as far away as South
Africa and Australia.
Emigration and the Enlightenment presented Jews with the dilemma and opportunity to
maintain or reject their traditional Jewish upbringing, and many decided to forgo their
traditional Judaism and blend in with their larger non-Jewish society. Within the
traditional Jewish world, change was occurring as well, with the rise and acceptance of
the Mussar Movement, an ethical approach to Judaism. Because Jews were not
allowed into institutions of higher education in Eastern Europe, most of them went to
study in yeshivas to sharpen their intellect. The traditional yeshiva, unintentionally,
became a breeding ground for all philosophies, Jewish and secular alike. Zionism
grew as a national movement, and was led by secular Jews antithetical to traditional
Judaism. While most rabbis rejected Zionism and its leaders, because of their
nontraditional beliefs, a minority of rabbis developed religious Zionism, which combined
traditional Judaism with Zionist philosophy. The Old Yishuv Jews, who had settled in
Palestine in the late 1800s, were committed to traditional Judaism and rejected
secular, nationalistic ideas of the New Yishuv Zionists.
The Sephardic Jews living in Moslem and Arab countries at the turn of the 20th
Century maintained their own rich Jewish traditions and heritage, which often differed
from those of the Ashkenazim. There was relative peace within the Jewish community
and among the leadership in these Arab and Moslem countries, and although life was
sometimes difficult, these Sephardic Jews did not experience, by and large, pogroms
or the influences of the Enlightenment or Reform Judaism.
In Europe, Jews were the leaders of the Labor and Socialist movements and
spearheaded the establishment of labor unions in America. The challenge of
assimilation in the United States was the greatest difficulty confronting Jewish
immigrants. Attempts were made to stem the tide. Reform Judaism became a symbol
of acceptance into modern American society and Dr. Solomon Schechter initiated the
Universal Synagogue movement which became Conservative Judaism. Also
Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewish immigrants had to find their respective places within
the Jewish community and in their new host country, the United States, as well..
A small, strong group of American Jewish immigrants managed to cling to their Jewish
traditions and adapt themselves to the new reality in America. Meanwhile, for Jews
around the world, with the threat of WWI looming, the imperial race for supremacy was
escalating.
Duration : 1:7:9
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Can someone answer …
Can someone answer me why were Jews expelled from so many countries?
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I really enjoyed …
I really enjoyed this.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
great! long life to …
great! long life to Israel
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
talk about a tough, …
talk about a tough, resilient people; everything that history has thrown against them; yet they’ve survived. incredible. talk about how many times Jerusalem had changed hands; how many times they were exiled to foreign lands…how many times their temple was destroyed…
no wonder they fight tooth and nail to try to keep Israel to themselves. Whew!
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Very interesting …
Very interesting and informative. Thank you for the documentary. It answered some questions I`d been having.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
070388OG:
One of …
070388OG:
One of the largest [Jewish} Orthodox educational organizations in the world, is Aish HaTorah, and they can be found at: aish . com
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Jewish people are …
Jewish people are so amazazing!!
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
@MegaToyy lived…. …
@MegaToyy lived………and killed.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Great
Great
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
its too bad that …
its too bad that most secular israelis dont know their own history
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Excellent and very …
Excellent and very well documented film.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Good job, the …
Good job, the documentary has useful information that one must know. To understand the present one must understand the past.
Thank you for the clip.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
What are you trying …
What are you trying to say? That the expulsions were justified some way?
Think about what all these countries had in common and your question will be answered.
Great video, by the way!
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Hi, I am looking …
Hi, I am looking for good sources for the origin of the Jewish religion. Can you provide me with some good sources?
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
i mean why they …
i mean why they were expelled. all these countries that threw them out can’t all be just evil antisemites lol
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
i love this …
i love this movie.long live israel.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Great Film, thanks …
Great Film, thanks for posting!!!
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Maaan..I did not …
Maaan..I did not know that so many Jewish people lived in Russia…..weird
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
excellent movie!!
…
excellent movie!!
Thank you so much:)
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Wonderful.
Wonderful.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
there is no other …
there is no other answer but: mirical
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Great Movie!!! …
Great Movie!!! Found out many new things about my religion and my people!!!
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
a wonder that the …
a wonder that the jews survived. despite being expelled from countries all over the world 258 times since 250AD i really wonder why that is..
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
A great movie!!!
A great movie!!!
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Very informative!
Very informative!