The
long and rich history of Judaism is so much more accessible to everyone
today, even to the storied people of Chelm. Members of our Me'ah and
adult education classes have studied this abundant past and wanted to
share what we have learned with others who might also enjoy it. So
this column was devised and each month there are three questions,
usually from different eras. Most are fairly difficult questions, and
you should be congratulated for trying to wrestle with any of them.
These three are from
this column several years ago. If
you don't know an answer, click on the Answers link. Please share your
new knowledge with your neighbors, fellow congregants, and especially
the people of Chelm.
2.
Russian repression of Jews has a long and dismal history. Long before the
Soviets, the Tsarist bureaucracy institutionalized discrimination against this
minority. The Imperial Russian statutes governing the treatment of Jews ran to
over 1000 pages. It is no wonder Jews fled Russia in such numbers after the
worst pogroms began in 1881.Over two
million immigrated just to the United States in the next few decades. But why
did they live in such a repressive, hostile country in the first place? Which
of these answers is most correct - 1) the earlier Tsars were more beneficent to
the native Jewish population, 2) the Jews were a concern to Russia only after
their numbers increased there after fleeing persecution in Germany, or 3) the
Jews became Russian charges only after the annexation of Polish territory?
3. Despite
the divisiveness of very recent history, we should remember that at a more
fundamental level there is much in common between Judaism and Islam. Like all
the world's great religions, these faiths profess respect and wonder for all
God's creations, a concern for social justice, and commitment to help the needy
and oppressed.With common Middle
Eastern origins, they also share a Semitic heritage. Both Arabic, in which the
Qur'an was first recorded, and Hebrew, the language of the Torah, are Semitic
languages.In these tongues, the basic
meaning of most words is derived from a particular arrangement of a few
consonants. For example, the group ShLM in Hebrew (Shin, Lamed, Mem) carries
the meaning of peace as in the Hebrew "shalom". Can you think of some common
Arabic-derived words where this same group, ShLM, appear?Going in the other direction, can you think
of any Hebrew words which share a common origin with the Arabic name for God,
Allah?
Questions from previous years are available for 2009 and 2008. For questions from 2007 back to 2000, please contact the author, Bob Ferrara, at rferrara (at) mit.edu.
