Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Judaism - Essay Example This paper will examine Judaism and argue that it may be largely defined as a communal behaviour that is rooted in knowledge of the reality. To begin with, one should note that just like Islam Judaism also has a legal dimension to it. In other worlds, there is a legal system that is based on the sacred text of Judaism, namely Torah (Solomon 1996, 56). Indeed, this means that the latter should not be considered to be merely a spiritual text, but a set of rules and regulations that might be used to resolve different issues. What is more important is that the very name might be interpreted as teaching which implies the practical application of knowledge that is stored in it. That is why it is not surprising that the Jews also applied the text that contained the religious dogma to daily affairs. One should also note that this application is recognized on the state level. For example, according to the tradition of Judaism, on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday, the Jews should not do any work, but only rest. While this might seem as a peculiar religious tradition; nevertheless, on every Saturday trains do not run in Israel, planes do not fly and the majority of the stores are closed. All this shows how religious principles are able to modify communal behaviour. Moreover, while some rules might have some theological support, they still impose severe restriction that other people, regardless of their involvement into the spiritual practice have to face. The next point that should be noted while considering the nature of Judaism and its communal dimension is the way the above mentioned sacred text is regarded. Thus, there is no doubt in the fact that Torah is the corner stone of this religious tradition (Harvey 2005, p. 74). However, it must be noted that Judaism recognizes two kinds of Torah – Written one and Oral one. As a result, what people tend to mostly

Hispanic American Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Hispanic American Diversity - Essay Example This essay stresses that usually, Cuban Americans have higher living standards than other ethnic minorities because of tight socio-economic support and family relations. Cuban Miamian community significantly affects socio-cultural and political background of the region; for example, it reflects on holidays celebration, carnivals, numerous soccer fields, menu in local cafes and restaurants. It impacts their relations with other Hispanic minorities, because â€Å"Cuban Miamians are slowly adjusting to sharing their influence with the growing diversity of Hispanics.† Life within community implies multigenerational families, respect of the elderly and steady family values. Dominican American females have more freedom in independent living, earning money and making career than the other Latinas. This paper makes a conclusion that younger generation prefers lifestyle and family model of White Americans. Approximately 30 – 35% of Puerto Ricans graduated from colleges and universities; this ethnic group has the highest percentage of skilled labor force in the USA. Puerto Rican American students are participated into ESL programs, but many of them know English perfectly. Large national communities promote socio-cultural support in the form of linguistic courses, professional advanced training etc.