Essay Sample on Cultural Diversity: Exploring Beliefs, Norms & Perspectives

Introduction

Cultural diversity is a group of persons ailing from various societies and cultures. Every cultural group has its own beliefs, norms, and behavior, which makes them unique from each other. Diversity encompasses the different perspectives and backgrounds, which includes political belief, ethnicity, geography, race, and sexual orientations. Through cultural diversity, people can evaluate every activity that happens around them, whether it is normal or abnormal, proper, or improper. I interviewed Jewish individuals who shared a lot concerning their culture. Due to the diverse ethnic groups in the country, this paper will describe the Jewish culture, which is among the majority in the state.

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The historical development of the Jewish people and their religions have set a remarkable continuity and adaptability. Due to their encounter with civilization, Jewish persons have adopted different elements and used them in their religious and social systems. This action made the Jewish people maintain their cultural and religious traditions. The periods of Jewish history left behind elements of Judaic heritage which influenced continuous developments to the accretions that have happened in the modern age. Currently, the teachings of Judaism are termed as specifications of the monotheism, where God has elected the Jewish individuals for a specific covenantal relationship (Glazer, 2019). The Jewish monotheism affirms that God created and rules the entire universe, and at long last, He will redeem every Israelites. Therefore, between redemption and creation, there exists a specific designation of the Jewish as the central focus of Gods activity to the world.

Jewish people tend to have internal specifications as they developed into various religious and ethnic identities. Jewish people are categorized into different religious groups which are the Levites, Priests or Kohanim, and Israelites. The Konahims' are descendants of Aarons' sons who served in the Jerusalem Temple as priests. Levites are the descendants of Levi who participated as singers, musicians, gatekeepers and guards in the temple. Israelites who are the last groups of Jewish people came from other eleven tribes in Israel. Jewish people from various part of the globe possess different customs and cultures. Both Jews from Eastern Europe, Germany, and America, are known to be of the Ashkenazi culture. When Jewish people from Spain were exiled, they fled to different parts of the world, thus introducing their traditions and Ladino language to places they settled (Glazer, 2019). Therefore, the Jewish people have led to changes in the areas they settle due to the introduction of their traditions and customs.

Consequently, Jews vary in their approach to the laws, traditions, and ritual observance. The major religious sects of Judaism in the United States are Conservativisms, Reformist, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox. The Orthodox population is divided into ultra-orthodox, modern, and central orthodox (Gurock, 2009). Jews refer to them as Trans denominational, non-denominational, just Jewish and post-denominational. Also, the Orthodox Jews tend to live according to Laws of Moses which were interpreted authoritatively by rabbinic traditions. The Jews believe that Moses received oral law which they believe was handed to him verbally and then transferred to other generations. The Babylonian Talmud led to halakha, which is a Jewish religious law that binds the individuals and society. Therefore, in Jewish education, children start by studying from the holy book or bible, and serious students progress to learn Talmud and commentators.

Reform Judaism is the main products of modernity. Reform Jews view the traditional ceremonial observances and beliefs as outdated. Some of the beliefs from ancient Jewish culture are adapted to the modern mindset of Jewish individuals. For example, the idea of the messiah being the peoples' leader who was chosen by God, is replaced by the concept of messianic age which was inaugurated by efforts of humans (Gurock, 2009). Also, among the reformed Jews, the resurrection of the dead was rejected due to the notion that a person lives in one's descendants and accomplishments. The modern age termed some prayer irrelevant, thus revising the synagogue services. Therefore, the synagogue services were included in the language of Hebrews hence borrowing particular customs from the church services.

In the United States, the population of Conservative Judaism has dropped due to emphases on Halakhah expectations without focusing on the expectations of their congregation. The Conservative Jewish people in the United States are a bit modern than those from Europe. Also, during the interview, the interviewee indicated that Reconstructionist Judaism was termed to be evolving. Reconstructionist Judaism is positive towards decision making and traditions despite having differences in beliefs and behavior. The movement participated in mainstreaming the small fellowship groups which functioned as alternatives for more developed Jewish institutions (Glazer, 2019). Therefore, the conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism play a significant role in determining the beliefs, norms, and behavior of Jewish people.

Conclusion

Therefore, the interview with some of the Jewish members helped to gain more knowledge concerning the history and religious aspects of the Jews. The Jewish people are among the majority in the country, thus leading to a diverse society. The Jewish people who are divided into Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform Judaism tend to have different traditions and beliefs. Reform Jews view the traditional ceremonial observances and beliefs as outdated. Some of the notions from ancient Jewish culture are adapted to the modern mindset of Jewish individuals.

References

Glazer, N. (2019). American Judaism. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism

Gurock, J. S. (2009). Orthodox Jews in America. Indiana University Press. Retrieved from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/types-of-jews/