Knowra Jews Jews Jews are an ethnoreligious people whose identities are rooted in shared ancestry, history, culture, and Judaism. Jewish identity can be religious, cultural, ethnic, or a combination of these.
Judaism : The religious tradition of the Jewish people, encompassing beliefs, texts, practices, and communal life. It is a central tradition through which many Jews understand and practice Jewish identity.
Ancient Israelites : An ancient people of the southern Levant associated with the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the origins of Jewish tradition. Jewish historical accounts and scholarship trace the people’s ancient roots to Israelite societies.
Ashkenazi Jews : Jews whose historical communities developed in Central and Eastern Europe and surrounding regions. Ashkenazi history, religious customs, and Yiddish culture form one major strand of Jewish life.
Zionism : A movement supporting Jewish national self-determination, historically centered on establishing and sustaining a homeland in the Land of Israel. It became a major modern expression of Jewish national aspirations, though Jews hold diverse views about it.
Jewish peoplehood : The idea of Jews as a people connected by shared history, ancestry, culture, and collective belonging. It captures Jewish belonging that is not limited to religious observance.
Kingdom of Judah : An ancient Levantine kingdom centered on Jerusalem that existed after the division of the united monarchy. Its name and population are historically connected to the words Judah and Jew.
Mizrahi Jews : Jews whose communities have historical roots in the Middle East and North Africa. Mizrahi traditions illustrate Jewish histories rooted in societies outside Europe.
Holocaust : The Nazi-led genocide of six million Jews during World War II, alongside the persecution and murder of millions of other victims. The genocide profoundly affected Jewish communities, memory, and postwar political life.
Jewish diaspora : Jewish communities living outside the historical and modern land of Israel. Diaspora communities developed distinct local cultures while maintaining connections across Jewish life.
Babylonian exile : The deportation of Judean elites to Babylonia after Jerusalem’s destruction by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BCE. Exile and return became formative episodes in Jewish historical memory and religious life.
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