Every religion has diversity, yet some people are unaware that one of the most prominent religions in the world has a great diversity like Islam and that religion is Judaism. As you can see from the poster board behind me, when we think of a Jew, the stereotype shown in the picture pops into our heads and yet when you think of a Muslim, everyone knows that they are black, white, yellow, brown. The goal of this presentation is to first explain why people do not have much knowledge about the diversity within Judaism and to second explore the different types of Jewish ethnicities.

Honestly, without these interfaith classes, I would still have that stereotype in my head, but after our teacher told us that there are black Jews we were amazed. I couldn't really believe it because the only kinds of Jews I've seen are the ones that wear suits with curls. This made me wonder how come Jewish diversity is not well known amongst people. What causes this? Is it because of the assimilation phenomena? Are Jews not aware that there is diversity? Is it lost contact? Or is it that Jews of different ethnicities tend to disregard the existing Jews?

Assimilation into neighboring societies is one reason that causes unawareness of the diversity within Judaism. A current study shows how the Jews of Cochin and other towns of the region gradually adopted Hindu practices, without abandoning Judaism. The study calls their language a sort of Malabar Yiddish, in which Hebrew, Tamil, Spanish, Dutch and English basics were infused into Malayalam. The Cochin Jews social and religious customs and their small caste system portrayed the successful integration of the Cochin Jews, both white and black, into the surrounding society. Yet some important attachment to Jewishness appeared to remain.

Aside from the Cochin Jews, the European Jews tired to assimilate into western societies. They discarded unique Jewish clothing. They adopted French, German, Dutch, English or Hungarian as their first language and, in many cases, stopped using Jewish languages altogether. Even Hebrew as a language of ritual declined, considering it as a language of prayer by the more advanced reformers and is still hard to comprehend properly even by many of those who still used it in the synagogue. Jews moved out of formerly typical Jewish occupations such as tailoring, money lending, and horse dealing into the liberal professions. Some became property-owners, capitalists, and acquired titles of nobility. In Germany and Hungary in particular, large numbers gave up Judaism and wanted to join into Christian society.

Though not all succeeded, a certain spot of Jewishness seemed impossible to discard. In Berlin, for example, descendants of upper-class Jewish converts lived in a kind of social uncertainty outside the Jewish community but not yet fully integrated into German society — tending to mingle socially and to marry largely within their restricted ex-Jewish group.

Going on the same line of assimilation, we might ask ourselves if European Jews, better known as Ashkenazi Jews, are aware of the other non-European Jews. While researching this question online, I found various different answers. One side feels superior such as the Ashkenazi’s living in Israel- they feel more superior then the immigrant Jews of different descent. Some believe that Jews of different ethnicities aren’t really Jewish because they might be descendants of Christian converts. But on a positive note, some regions try to create multi-cultural societies. But these attempts disappear over time because of the concept of “Sabra.” Sabra was defined as a Jew born in the Land of Israel. In reality the concept represented an attempt to reshape Jewish ethnicity itself.

One possible cause is lost contact between Jewish nations. Some Jewish communities, for example that of Yemen, were completely cut off from contact with larger Jewish centers for many centuries, and others almost just blended in with the societies in which they dwelt — for example, the small Jewish settlement at Kai-feng in China. By the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries significant cultural and social differences, amounting to quasi-ethnic divisions, had developed among Jewish communities. Thus, the lost of contact among the nations may have suppressed the knowledge of their diversity.

Another possibility is to know that different Jews exist, but not including them in the same circle altogether. For example, the Jews of Germany and the Jews from Spain shared common religious traditions, observed customs and etc. Along with having so much in common, sometimes they even lived in the same place but ignored each others presence. For example in Amsterdam, each ethnic group had its own community structure and remained distant from one another.

These are just numerous possibilities about why Jewish diversity has remained unheard of. It’s up to you to decide which one you feel satisfies your curiosity. For me, I am just glad I took this class or else my thoughts would still be overruled by stereotypes.

“Oh never mind, it’s all politics” may be a commonly heard statement indicating the negative connotation that the term “politics” has acquired. However, there is nothing really negative in the term considering that it is a natural necessity. Politics is the natural need of a society to be governed and managed through a set of guidelines. It is such an innate element to society that it is present at all levels including academic, corporate, as well as religious.

Religion, once employed by a person, may also tend to govern the life of the individual through set guidelines and even preserve law and order in the society at large. However, religion itself has much more to it, taking into consideration that it is a comprehensive system of ideology that includes beliefs and practices and rules and regulations that may relate to any aspect of life.

Religion, comparatively, is given a higher rank in the fabric of society. Due to its spiritual nature, religion is respected and revered more than politics, of course, considering that politics is only a materialistic tool used by man for the purpose of managing and governing affairs. These two elements hold separate standards within society and due to that fact their combination culminates in an unnatural effect which corrupts both elements and leaves you with neither.
The plane where the institutions of religion and politics often collide in society is where the establishments of the church and the state are found. Ideologically, church and state are separate establishments, the church being an institution of religion and the state being a political institution. Their combination results in what may be known as a theocracy.
James Madison, the principal drafter of the United States Bill of Rights, often wrote of total separation of the church from the state. Madison wrote, “Practical distinction between Religion and Civil Government is essential to the purity of both, and as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.”

Interesting to note is Confucius' political thought which is based upon his ethical thought. He argues that the best government is one that rules through "rites" and people's natural morality, rather than by using bribery and coercion, thereby attempting to purify the institution of politics itself. He explained that in one of his important analects: "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good." This "sense of shame" is an internalization of duty, where the punishment precedes the evil action, instead of following it in the form of laws.

However virtuous this idea may be, the presence of corruption in every context of politics has proven to us time and again that purification of this institution would be, if possible, an ambitious endeavor. Separation of church and state is a political and legal doctrine that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from each other. The term most often refers to the combination of two principles: secularity of government together with the freedom of religious exercise.

In the letter written in 1802 to a group identifying themselves as the Danbury Baptists, referencing the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, Thomas Jefferson writes:
"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

The alliance of religion and politics has an effect on both elements, however the subsequent examples will explore the detrimental effect on religion. Israel is considered one of the “progressive” nations in that it promotes democratic ideals and freedoms and upholds them. Despite that, on May 6, 2008, the WSJ reported that “Between January 2003 and March 2008, tiny Israel – its population not half that of metropolitan Cairo's – was condemned (for human rights violations by UN resolutions, decisions, and reports) no fewer than 635 times. The runners-up were Sudan at 280, the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 209, and Burma at 183. North Korea was cited a mere 60 times, a third as many as the United States.”
Saudi Arabia is another rapidly growing economy. However, similar violations and infringements are still present. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly expressed concern about the state of human rights in Saudi Arabia. They claim that Saudi Arabia fails to provide minimum due process and criticize it’s legal system and its human rights record in various political, legal, and social areas, especially its severe limitations on the rights of women.

Considering that Israel is a secular state in that separation of church and state is upheld in the country and that Saudi Arabia may be considered theocratic in that it is run according to their interpretation of the Shari’a (Islamic legislation), we may easily conclude that it is the Political institution of the state that causes violations such as the afore mentioned ones and not religion. However, religion does become the victim in the case of Saudi Arabia because it is unnaturally enforced by the state and therefore perceived by the public to be responsible for the violations which are due only to politics.

Sarah Margles, Education Officer for American Jewish World Service ended the Guest Speaker Series for the 2007-08 Unity Program. She spoke about her work experiences for a Jewish agency which focuses on global issues and support in the developing world. Sarah also presented her personal experiences with individuals in both Jewish and Muslim communities abroad and locally relating it to her inner growth and mission.

Mark Rosenblum, History professor at Queens College and founder and political director of Americans for Peace Now visited Al-Iman to speak about his involvement in numerous Middle East conflict resolution initiatives. The students enjoyed hearing about the courses offered through his program in which Jewish, Muslim and Christian students act as the 'other' to develop peace making strategies.

Since biblical times, the land of Israel has belonged to various nations and has been the birthplace to the three main monotheistic religions. The debate over the ownership of the land has caused numerous conflicts between the three faiths and created problems that need to be resolved. Particularly, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has created spite and distrust between the Jewish and Muslim communities around the world. Although this divergence manifests differently in every community and varies from country to country, the issues of Muslim-Jewish coexistence has not been resolved. Many conflict-transformation programs, particularly the Unity course, attempt to bridge this gap and promote peaceful coexistence between Jews and Muslims in the United States and around the world. Finding creative solutions is the key to engaging both sides and working toward transforming the conflict. The purpose of this paper will be to examine the history of Jewish-Muslim relations in Morocco and to study the events that transformed this conflict into one of the greatest coexistence projects in the Arab world.

In a country of more then thirty million Muslims, the Jews of Morocco are indisputably a tiny minority. However, the tolerance and understanding practiced by both sides exemplify the potential of a successful transformation that has reversed centuries of detestation. In chapter one, lesson two, a conflict theorist and practitioner, John Paul Lederach provides a definition for conflict transformation, “Conflict transformation…does not suggest that we simply eliminate or control conflict, but rather recognize and work with its “dialectic nature.””1 According to his definition, a social conflict originates naturally from human interactions and then changes people’s perception of themselves and of the other, resulting in misunderstandings which fuel the disagreement. Thus, it is essential for both sides to have a dialogue and discuss the differences, address the origins of the conflict, and listen to the other group. King Hassan of Morocco has been a supporter of dialogue facilitation between the leaders of Jewish and Muslim communities for approximately forty years. A combination of friendly policies and dialogue has resulted in peaceful coexistence between the Jews and Muslims in Morocco.

Although there were periods of stability and peace for Jews in Morocco, since ancient times, Jews experienced discrimination and second class treatment. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, a group of Jews settled in the area in the northern region of Africa called Mauritania – present day Morocco. Under Roman leadership, the Jews were treated on the same basis as their neighbors and were allowed to prosper. After the advent of Islam, in the 7th century, Morocco came under the control of the Caliph of Baghdad. Under the Arabs, the Jews were given the dhimmi status and were subject to the Pact of Omar. The dhimmi status enabled the Jews to retain their Jewish identity, religious laws and practices in exchange for a poll-tax, jizya. This status granted protection to the Jews, but also forbid Jews from holding high administrative positions, displaying wealth, testifying in a Muslim court, erecting places of worship and other restrictions.2 Although the dhimmi status enabled the Jews and Muslims to exist next to each other, the various prohibitions for dhimmis formed a class breach between the two groups, resulting in the second-class treatment towards dhimmis. For this reason, the dhimmi status can not be considered as a successful solution to the Muslim-Jewish conflict.

In 1492, the North African region experienced an influx of Jews escaping the explosion from Spain and Portugal. Many Jews settled in Morocco because it had a strong Jewish presence. In the beginning, the Jews had a positive contribution to the society because many had previously been doctors, poets, scientists, and other intellectual careers. However, as Jews began to settle in big cities and take jobs away from Muslims, the Muslim neighbor began to resent their Jewish friends. It resulted in series of pogroms and anti-Semitic sentiment in order to thwart the growth of Jewish expasion in Morocco. Although there were brief periods of peace and non-violence in the history of Morocco, there was no real progress in the Jewish-Muslim relations until the mid-twentieth century. In 1940s, the Nazi Vichy government issued a series of anti-Semitic laws against the Jews, forcing the Jews to wear the yellow Star of David and excluding Jews from holding administrative positions. In 1948, when the Jewish State declared independence, many of the 265,000 Jews immigrated to Israel. However, when Morocco declared independence in 1956, the emigration to Israel was halted until 1963. In 1961, when the Sultan Muhammad V died, he was replaced by his son King Hassan. After many efforts by Zionist organization and political pressure from the United States and France, the government allowed Jews to leave Morocco. This was the turning point of the Moroccan Jewish-Muslim relations.

The friendly attitude of King Hassan towards the Jews of Morocco and the State of Israel began the transformation of a century old conflict between the Jews and Muslims. Hassan has been an avid supporter of the Arab-Israeli peace process. He has passed various policies to preserve the Jewish community in Morocco and has facilitated interfaith dialogues between leaders of both communities. According to the Report on International Religious Freedom, “The Government continued to encourage tolerance, respect, and dialogue among the religious groups [in 2007].”3 There are two sets of laws and courts pertaining to marriage, inheritance, and family matters--one for Muslims and another for Jews. This report also revealed that over the course of past 13 years, the government organized the annual “Fez Festival of Sacred Music,” which gathers musicians from Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist spiritual traditions. Also, during the holy month of Ramadan, the King hosts a conference of Muslim religious scholars who discuss ways to promote tolerance and mutual respect between Islam and other religions. The success of Moroccan leaders, in transforming a thousand old conflict, is self-evident. In fact, Morocco is the only Arab nation with a Jewish museum.

The evolution of the Muslim-Jewish conflict in Morocco is a great milestone to the Muslim-Jewish relations around the world. It showed that with the proper desire and attitude, even a conflict as difficult as this can be resolved. The case of Morocco is extraordinary because in the country of over 30 million Muslims, a small religious group of approximately five thousand members enjoys the religious freedom to practice its traditions and worship their God. The conflict transformation groups can now study the successful tactics employed in the management of this conflict and help resolve religious conflicts around the world. The tools such as facilitation of dialogue, conflict transformation and creative communication, as introduced by the Unity course packets, have incredible potential to transform the mindsets of the conflicting groups and to resolve their disagreements. The success of Moroccan coexistence project showed that if those techniques are conducted properly, the possibilities for peaceful coexistence are infinite.