Wed. 12/16:
Happy Chanukah!
How appropriate that we discussed the history of the story of Chanukah today! The conflict over Hellenism boils over in Jerusalem when Antiochus ascends to the Seleucid throne. Onias (Chanan) the kohen gadol is replaced by his brother Jason, who bribes the Syrian king to attain the high priesthood.
Although Jason is open to some Hellenization in Jerusalem, he is soon replaced by Menelaus, an extreme Hellenizer who hopes to see Jerusalem as a true Greek city. Civil war breaks out and Antiochus marches his armies into Jerusalem. In an attempt to destroy Judaism once and for all, Antiochus enacts several laws that outlaw Jewish rituals and traditions. Matityahu and his sons, from the family of the Chashmonaim, create an army of those who are willing to stand up and fight for the values of Judaism. A battle ensues and the Maccabim emerge victorious, despite overwhelming odds. They enter the Beit Hamikdash (in approximately 165 BCE) and find that it has been defiled and looted. The miracle of the oil occurs at this point. The Book of the Maccabees is one of the important primary sources about the Chanuka story.
Wed. 12/9:
The Age of Hellenism begins with Alexander the Great's victory over the Persian Empire in 336 BCE. Judah (now called by its Greek name, Judea) is now under Greek rule. Alexander wants to unite all of his subjects through the spread of Greek culture. The Jews have different responses to Hellenization: Resistance, assimilation and adaptation. The conflict between the Hellenizers,those Jews who want to completely assimilate, and the "Chasidim", those Jews that want to remain separate from Greek culture continues to grow.
Upon Alexander's death in 329, his kingdom is divided amongst his generals. Ptolemy rules in Egypt and Judea while Seleucus rules in Syria. In an attempt to collect all the world's books in his royal library in Alexandria, Ptolemy asks the Jews to translate their Torah into Greek. Seventy scholars are gathered and this monumental project, "The Septuagint", is completed in 72 days.
When the Seleucid kings succeed in wresting control of Judea from the Ptolemies in 200 BCE, the conflict between Judaism and Hellenism reaches its boiling point! Stay tuned for the history of the story of Chanuka!!
Wed. 12/2:
Jewish History Quiz
Wed. 11/25:
All classes finished the smart board notes on this unit.
Brief review for upcoming quiz.
Don't forget: Jewish history quiz will be next Wednesday, Dec. 2!
Wed. 11/18:
We discussed the dilemma of the Babylonian Jews; to stay in Bavel or to return to their homeland. This dilemma is one that is familiar to us as American Jews in the 21st century! We were surprised to discover that only a minority of Jews return to Judah. They find very difficult conditions upon their return. The land is barren, the economy destroyed and many of the people living in the land are idol worshippers. Life is not easy for those who return. With the permission of the Persian king Darius, they begin to rebuild the second beit hamikdash. This task will prove very difficult for many reasons. Although "bayit sheni" will be more modest than "bayit rishon", it will continue to be the spiritual center of the Jewish people. When Ezra returns to Judah in 458 BCE with 1500 Jews, he finds many religious problems. He sets out to solve these issues. After Nechemiah is appointed governor of Judah, he attempts to solve political and economic problems facing the Jewish community.
Wed. 11/11:
"How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" These are the heart wrenching words of the Jews exiled to Babylon who couldn't imagine how they could worship G-d and maintain their traditions on foreign soil. Heeding the words of Yirmiahu, they begin to build communities as soon as they arrive in Bavel! We discussed the reasons why these Jews were able to maintain their Judaism while the Israelites exiled by Assyria (150 years prior) became the "ten lost tribes."
The Persian kingdom, led by Cyrus the Great, soon conquers the Babylonian empire. Maps of the Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian kingdoms allowed us to compare the extent of the lands conquered by each. The Persian Empire was vastly larger than the others. King Cyrus extended a policy of TOLERANCE toward those that he conquered. The "Cyrus Cylinder" , an important archeological discovery which we viewed on the Smart board, describes this policy. Sefer Ezra details the "Cyrus Proclamation", in which Cyrus announces his decision to allow the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild.
Wed. 11/4:
Musical workshop: Students listened to the words of perek 137 in Tehilim set to two beautiful melodies. Listening to this music helped us feel the emotion behind the tragedy of the Babylonian destruction, something that is otherwise difficult to comprehend so many years later. Our third musical selection was a surprise! We heard a Jamaican choral group sing the African spiritual "By the Rivers of Babylon". The class attempted to understand why the African slaves felt a profound connection to this psalm.
Primary source workshop: We split into small groups and analyzed three important primary sources:
1. Sefer Yirmiahu/Jeremiah chapter 29
2. Tehilim/Psalms 137
3. Tehilim/Psalms 126
How do these sources add to our understanding of the challenges facing the Jewish people after 586BCE?
Wed. 10/28:
Unfortunately for the Kingdom of Judah, another empire is gaining power in the East. By 620 BCE, the Assyrians fall to the Chaldean or Babylonian Empire! The Babylonians soon set their sights on little Judah. When the Judean king allies with Egypt and refuses to pay tribute to Babylon, King Nevuchadnezzar and his armies march on Jerusalem. The King of Judah and many other leaders are exiled and a new "puppet" king (Tzidkiahu) is put into power. The Babylonians hope to have better control over the Judeans by controlling the actions of the king. Against the advice of the prophet Jeremiah, King Tzidkiahu plans for rebellion with neighboring allies. Nevuchadnezzar and his armies will not tolerate another rebellion! In 586 BCE,one of the most tragic moments in Jewish history, Nevuchadnezzar and his armies destroy Jerusalem and the Beit hamikdash, the spiritual center of the Jewish people. Tzidkiahu and his sons are tortured and the majority of the citizens of Judah are sent into exile! We read from the haunting words of Yirmiahu, in megillat Eicha, describing the horror of this tragedy. Next week, we will try and understand how the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and the exile begin to transform Judaism and the Jewish people
Wed. 10/21:
Discussion of various theories of the "Ten Lost Tribes" that you researched in your homework assignments.
King Chizkiah of the Kingdom of Judah knows he must prepare Jerusalem to withstand an Assyrian siege. He must protect the city's water source! We were amazed at the amazing engineering feat of "Chizkiahu's Tunnel" which secretly diverted the Gichon spring into the Pool of Siloam. Many of us have walked through this tunnel on our visits to Israel. We looked at pictures of the tunnel, and the inscription found at its entrance. Although, Chizkiah agreed to pay a huge ransom to Assyria, Jerusalem survived the siege of 701 BCE. Two different perspectives on the outcome of this battle can be seen in the primary sources: 1. The Sanncheriv Prism
2. The biblical account in the Book of Kings II
Wed. 10/14:
The Assyrian kingdom grows increasingly stronger and sets its sights on Israel. King Sargon ascends to the Assyrian throne and makes the Shomron (the capital of the North) into an Assyrian province. We analyzed an important primary source, "The Annals of King Sargon" which describe the military tactics used by the Assyrians in conquering surrounding nations. By 722 BCE, the ten tribes of Israel cease to exist as an independent kingdom. Sadly, they become known as the "ten lost tribes" of Israel and are lost to the Jewish people.
What about the Kingdom of Judah? Tune in next week and you will discover the fate that awaits them!
Wed. 9/30:
Having spent the last couple weeks reviewing our knowledge of the Jewish history of the Tanach and the history of our individual families, we were finally ready to begin our journey in today's class! We discussed the tragic division of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the circumstances which caused it. Rechavam's angry response to the Northern delegation shocked us! We tried to understand the various threats that faced the Northern tribes and the relative stability of the Southern tribes. A map on the smartboard helped us envision the threats of various border nations. Next week we will find out how the menacing Assyrian Empire changed the course of Jewish history!
Wed. 9/23:
Each student had an opportunity to present his/her family history collage to the class. The collages were both creative and interesting. We compiled a list of all the countries from which our great grandparents/grandparents had immigrated. These included: Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Belgium, Germany, Austria, England, Ireland, Morocco, Palestine(pre-1948),Israel, Iran, Yemen, Cuba, and Canada. Many students had fascinating stories of relatives who had participated in important historical events including Operation Magic Carpet, the death marches to Auschwitz, both World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, Israel's War of Independence, the Iranian Revolution, and even one student whose ancestors arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1752!
Wed. 9/16:
Each class was split into three groups. Each group was asked to put the events of Jewish History that you have learned through your studies of Tanach in chronological order. We regrouped and place the individual events onto a very long timeline.
We were all impressed by how much Jewish History you already know!