Introduction
The Jews are considered an ethnoreligious group characterized by Judaism as the major conviction. The Jews believe in the existence of one God who speaks through prophets and punishes evil committed by the people. The Jewish identity has, however, changed to incorporate converts from other religions and geographical locations. Initially, only Israeli nationals were considered Jewish, but as new people joined the faith, they were also granted the identity.
However, as different people joined the trust, the Jewish customs were diluted and secular, and non-secular Jews emerged. Secular Jews believe that democracy should be practiced more than religious rules, while non-secular Jews believe in the superiority of religious laws to guide humanity. Due to the conflicting ideologies, the two groups sought dominance by explaining what it meant to be a Jew.
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” and “People Love Dead Jews” are thrilling stories that manifest the rich history of the Jews and the competition between the secular and non-secular Jews. Jewish identity is not determined by one’s place of origin, but rather by a strict adherence to the faith and its principles.
Englander’s Article
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” illustrates the story of couples who toured the holy land for pilgrimage. Their Jewish identity was, however, questioned, and stiff competition emerged over who was to be considered a real Jew. Lauren and Mark “went off to the Holy Land and went from Orthodox to ultra-Orthodox,” only to be confronted by Debbie that their son does not appear Jewish (Englander, 2012, p. 44).
Debbie and her husband argue that the Jews had passed through many hurdles to be relevant. They stated that “nobody ever wanted to believe what happened to the Jews” (Englander, 2012, p. 42). Mark supported his argument on religion, claiming that “it is hard to know what a person would and would not do in any specific instance” were it not for faith (Englander, 2012, p. 47). Mark’s argument is vindicated by actions in the city where sellers interact with Jewish convert buyers without discriminating against them. One seller “reads for the buyer, who has always believed” (Englander, 2012, p. 56). The buyer’s identity is considered Jewish not because of their origin, but because of their faith.
The struggles encountered by the Jews during the holocaust are manifested further in Ann Frank’s game. During the Second World War, the Nazi Germans were after the lives of the Jews, and any person identified as a Jew was murdered in cold blood. The Franks and the other four people lived in a secret building to hide from the German soldiers. The inhabitants of the house, who were hiding the fugitives, demonstrated their humanity by helping them.
Frank learned valuable life lessons, was content with minor things, and stopped dwelling on all the misery, instead focusing on the beauty that remained after the difficult time (Englander, 2012, p. 43). She further learned that “human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness” because even the Nazi soldiers hunting the Jews were not happy (Englander, 2012, p. 32). Instead, the soldiers lived in constant fear, and some ran away. Further, she understood that happiness is contagious and that whoever “Is happy will make others happy too” (Englander, 2012, p. 39). Jewish identity was a death sentence during the Second World War, but through resilience and strong faith, the ethnic group did not become extinct.
Horn’s Book
“People Love Dead Jews” is a profound and startling exploration of Jewish history and how it can be leveraged to give hope to the living. The story fits into the context of the Jewish struggle and how religion manifests resilience in the contemporary world, as they have suffered immense suffering and still survived the ordeal. The Jewish resilience is exhibited because, despite “the Soviet regime forcing them to participate in and internalize their own humiliation,” they overcame all the suffering and emerged victorious (Horn, 2022, p. 8). It dawned on the Jews that good must always triumph in the battle between good and evil.
In the end, “destruction and humiliation didn’t matter, but only memory and integrity did,” and the Jews were proud to have maintained their dignity (Horn, 2022, p. 8). Although the Nazis never admitted that they were wrong and appeared victorious, they failed to maintain their dignity. Jews became a ray of hope in the world because “in every place they have ever lived, they have represented the frightening prospect of freedom” and encouraged people to fight for justice (Horn, 2022, p. 17). Therefore, Jewish identity has been regarded as a symbol of success; many people tend to join the religion.
Conclusion
The Jews have been represented as a group symbolizing hope, resilience, and goodness. Despite the people’s suffering, they never gave up and emerged as a united and powerful group. As a result of the iconic achievements, many people worldwide aspire to be associated with the religion and the conversions it has experienced worldwide.
However, as many people converted to the Jewish religion, the strictness of the rules was affected as some Jews believed in democracy and abandoned the religious faith. Consequently, secular and non-secular Jews emerged. Although Jews have conflicting views on what it means to be a Jew, the non-secular Jews claim that only faith and obedience to it matter.
References
Englander, N. (2012). What We Talk about When We Talk about Anne Frank: Stories. Vintage.
Horn, D. (2022). People love dead Jews: Reports from a haunted present. National Geographic Books.