Compare between Haredim and Secular Jews in middle east Essay

Compare between Haredim and Secular Jews in middle east - Essay Example Israel’s contemporary ultra-orthodox are free descendants of the Jews who moved and lived in Eastern Europe during the nineteenth century. At this time Jewish people sparsely populated the regions of the continent for centuries, but Eastern Europe was relatively densely populated by the Jews and was actually the largest area populated by Jews in the world. In spite of being a large population, the Jews did not assimilate within non-Jewish communities. They lived in isolated and legally independent communities which were distant from other non-Jewish population. These communities were known as shtetls. Their main occupation and lifestyle in the shtetls was studying the Law of Moses (Torah), living according to its word, and practicing the Jewish faith. At this time of history also there was a strong anti-Semitic sentiment throughout Europe, therefore, shtetls protected the Jewish religion and lifestyle in addition to protecting the Jews themselves. However, life in the shtetl w as very not very easy due to its poor economy and poor educational systems. The only thing holding the Jewish people together was their heritage and religion. Their survival in the shtetl was motivated by the belief that God was with them and would lead them. Beginning in the early nineteenth century a wave of modernization and industrialization went across all Europe. This wave opened social and economic opportunities that were new to the Jews in the shtetls. This wave of modernization mainly affected the Jews who lived in Germany and Austria, as this Jews were outside the shtetls and were therefore not protected from the rest of the world. When modernization’s first effects started being felt in Europe, Christian communities outside the shtetl started approaching Jews for their potential to contribute to European economic and social revitalization. Europeans therefore played a role in the converting the Jews