Since Ancient Times
Judah was taken over by the Roman period. Jews would not return to their homeland for almost two thousand years. Settled in Egypt, Greece, France, Germany, England, Central Europe, Poland and Russia. Diaspora - living in exile Kept their religion strong by emphasizing home life and family ties.
They were generally left alone for hundred of years. Mingled freely with peoples of other faiths and backgrounds. Until the Crusades
The First Crusade 622 - Rival religion to Judaism and Christianity arose in Arabia. Islam was founded by Mohammed. Muslims were called to spread the new faith through holy wars. Jerusalem and the whole Fertile Crescent came under Arab control
For 400 years, Christians made pilgrimages to Jerusalem 1071 - the Turks conquered Jerusalem Made the holy city part of their Ottoman Empire. Made things difficult for Christian pilgrims Had to pay a high tax and were cruelly mistreated.
Pope Urban II called for a Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Many Christians blamed the Jews for the death of Christ. Christians considered the Jews to be infidels like the Muslims. Crusade gave the Christians the chance to wipe out Jewish populations.
1095 - First Crusade began Jewish communities situated on the Rhine and Danube Rivers were slaughtered by Christians Worms, Germany - 800 Jews were murdered in one day. Many others committed suicide. Cities of Mainz, Cologne, and Prague - Jews were massacred Jerusalem - Muslims and Jews were killed by the Christians
Crusades Video http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=x0zudtqelzi
Persecution, Ghettos, and Expulsion Long period of persecution began for Jews in Europe. Christians began to look at Jewish physical features, language, manners, diet, and rituals with a prejudicial eye. Jews were accuse of: kidnapping Christian children and sacrificing them. poisoning Christian wells being sorceresses
Legal restrictions and expulsion 1215 - Pope Innocent III ordered that Jews and to dress differently to distinguish them from Christians. yellow wheel or circle pointed hat ( Jew Hat) 1215 - England - had to wear yellow badges England, France and other countries expelled their Jewish populations (kicked them out)
Pope Innocent III Pointed Hat Jew Hat
Many Jews were killed in Pogroms (organized massacred of minority groups) 1243 - German town of Belitz - the entire Jewish population was burned alive Many Jews left and migrated to Poland and Lithuania. Some returned to Palestine to live under Islamic rule
Belitz, Germany Poland Lithuania
Ghettos - sections of cities where racial or minority groups are forced to live in dismal, overcrowded condition Jews were forced to live in the ghettos closed off by walls from other parts of the city. Forced into ghettos through the Second World War
Periods of Peace and Acceptance Spain was ruled by the Moors (Muslims) for some 800 years after Mohammed founded the Islamic religion in 622. Spain Jews lived in peace and prospered Wealthy landowners high positions in the government lived in comfort and security made contributions to Spanish life From 1000-1300 period: Golden Age of Spain
After 1300 Christians of Spain began to drive the Moors out. Turned to the Jews Spain became a unified nation under Ferdinand and Isabella and expelled the Jews from the country
Late 18th century American and French Revolutions Jews of Europe enjoyed a long period of peace and stability. Ideas of freedom and liberty European countries gave citizenship to Jews Tolerance continued through the 20th century except in Poland and Russia were pogroms continued
Repression and the Zionist Movement Poland anti-semitism (hatred of Jews) remained as entrenched as ever Thousands of innocent Jewish men, women, and children were murdered in Poland in the 19th century
Russia 1881 - the early 1900s - starting with the assassination of Czar Alexander II pogroms were frequent. Thousands of Russian Jews immigrated to the US Example is Golda Meir who in 1969 became the Prime Minister of Israel.
Russia Hundreds were killed in a pogrom that occurred in 1905. Russian Civil War 1918-1921 Bolsheviks (communist) came to power and created the Soviet Union 2,000 pogroms and more than 100,000 Jews were killed
Zionist Movement was started in the late 19th Century Goal was the formation of a Jewish nation in Palestine Founded in 1887 by Theodor Herzl Austrian Jewish lawyer and journalist Zionist - derived from Zion which was a hill in ancient Jerusalem.
Theodor Herzl
Palestine Thousands of Jews immigrated Palestine was part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire 1918 - The Turks, Germany, and Austria-Hungary were defeated in WWI British occupied Palestine 1922 - Britain had a mandate over the region. Would govern the area until the people were ready for self-government
Palestine tensions Tensions between the Jews and Arabs 1917 - Great Britain issued the Balfour Declaration Affirmed Britain s support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine British also promised the Arabs the land of Palestine as well England stopped allowing the immigrations of Jews to Palestine
The Holocaust Holocaust burnt whole Deliberate attempt of Nazi Germany to exterminate the entire Jewish population of Europe during WWII 6-8 million Jews were murdered (Gypsies, Slavic peoples, political prisoners)
Adolf Hitler Came to power in Germany because he blamed the Jews for all of the countries woes inferior race Jews needed to be eliminated for the good of all Germans 1933 - classified Jews as second-class citizens forced to wear yellow star barred from certain kinds of employment
Beatings Burning of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues Concentration camps Worked to death more camps Dachua and Buchenwald Germany took over Poland and other countries
Camps thousands of Jews were shot outright or killed Russia death squads of SS troops went into occupied territory and murdered more than a million Jews Final Solution 1942 Use of the gas chambers in special extermination camps.
Majority of the death camps were located in Poland Auschwitz, Treblinka and Sobibor symbols of horror Between 12,000 and 20,000 Jews were gassed and their bodies were burned.
Prior to the Holocaust After the Holocaust 9.5 million Jews lived in Europe 3 million remained alive
Holocaust video http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=as98man3xtg
The State of Israel November 1947 - United Nations decided that Palestine should be divided into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Jews accepted the proposals Arabs wanted the Jews out of Palestine
Israel was attacked by Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Transjordan (Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Iraq fighting lasted for seven months Arab-Israeli Wars 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973 Israelis won each war Israel was able to win against their invaders
Israeli-Arab Conflict http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ytcqeizxrpo