Jewish Assimilation Essay

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Assimilation is the process by which a minority group adopts the customs, values, and practices of the dominant culture in a society. As a minority group, the issue of assimilation has been heavily contended over by the Jewish people for centuries. For Jews, assimilation has often been a popular choice, as a means of escaping discrimination, and helping them achieve greater economics and societal success. However, assimilation can also lead to a loss of cultural identity and valuable traditions which can be detrimental to both the individual and community as a whole. This essay will examine the pros and cons of assimilation for the Jewish people and explore historical and current attitudes towards assimilation within the Jewish community. One …show more content…

Jews also I need another example Jews also face many social challenges, due to observance of Jewish holidays and customs. Many Jews attend services on Friday evenings and Saturdays and follow the rules of Shabbat, and cannot attend any other social event. Additionally, several Jewish holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur, fall during school days, and Jewish students cannot attend school on those days, or find it very difficult to. In addition, these absences from school for religious reasons are often classified as unexcused absences, and may even result in consequences for the students observing their religion. However, while Assimilation looks good on paper, there are significant drawbacks to the Jewish community. One example would be prayer. Jewish congregations rely on a group of at least ten adults at each service in order to hold important prayers such as the mourner's Kaddish, a prayer for the dead. However, as many Jews are choosing to assimilate, Jewish communities across The United States of America are shrinking, and on some occasions, congregations are unable to procure a minyan. This is extremely detrimental to these Jewish communities, as one of the most important traditions of the Jewish community is being united and there for others in times of

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