Jewish Assimilation

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When the Jews were exiled from their holy land in Israel, they became a diaspora nation looking for refuge all around the world. The constant migration of the Jews has raised questions among historians as to how the ancient civilization of the Jews were able to survive for centuries unlike other powerful empires like the Ottomans and Mongols. David N. Myers, Professor at UCLA, answers the question of how the Jews were able to survive for centuries in his book, Jewish History: A Very Short Introduction. Myers argues that the key to Jewish survival lies in the fact that they were able to balance between assimilation and anti-Semitism. In this essay, I will argue on behalf of David N. Myers side and explain that assimilation was key to Jewish …show more content…
This example of the Jewish assimilation into the Greek culture shows how the Greeks transformed the Jewish culture from its early monotheistic roots, which evolved their language and culture (Ibid 52). Myers also uses the example of when the Jews were exiled in Babylonia in the sixth century BCE the Jews acquired the language of the empire called Aramaic where they needed to adapt to the local language as they did in many other diaspora communities for social interactions, trade in the marketplace, and used it the Talmud (Ibid 50). The adopting of Aramaic by the Jews shows how the Jews assimilated into the local population by learning the local population’s native language, so they could live alongside their neighbours and interact with them. Myers gives several examples of Jewish assimilation to the local population one of which is how the Jews served as civil servants and taught Hebrew to the Christians, became moneylenders, tax collectors, and liquor purveyors for local rulers in order to receive protection and religious autonomy (Ibid, 14). The Jews opened their borders to new cultures and absorbed them, which can be seen in the architecture, pottery, and tools of the ancient Israelite culture (Ibid, …show more content…
In 762 CE Bagdad, the Muslim Caliph promised the Jews security, prosperity and honour which resulted in the Muslims and Jews joining together to create a vibrant cultural and economic life (Ibid, 31). During the 7th century, when Jews were under Muslim rule, there was an interreligious cultural exchange where Jewish and Muslim philosophy, science, and poetry flourished (Ibid, 14). The Jews adopted the Arabic language and participated in the cultural pursuits of the Islamic society where the Muslims recovered philosophy and there were numerous major works published by Jewish and Muslim authors that worked together (Myers, 58). The Muslims also allowed the Jews to assimilate into their culture by creating the Pact of Umar, which was to assure peaceful relations with the Jewish tribes in the Arabian Peninsula that gave them protection and religious autonomy (Ibid 83). The Jews adopted the Arabic language from the Muslims and participated in their cultural pursuits where they made astounding progress together in philosophy, art, and science (Ibid 59). Myers examines the Jews as a diaspora nation and finds that they were able to survive by assimilating with the Muslim population and became insiders where they got along with one another, but never lost their self-identity
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