What are Jews like?

Answer 1

From a social level, Jews are people and subject to all the same human conditions as others. That a person follows the Jewish religion means that they believe in one God and may have very regimented practices as befits orthodox followers of almost any Deistic religion. That their practices are different from, let's say Roman Catholics, is not so much different from saying that Muslims have different practices from Roman Catholics. In Judaism, these religious practices come from the assiduous following of the Torah, the Holy Book written by God and given to the people at Mount Sinai. Included in this description of how to live, as the Torah is characterised, are 613 Mitzvot, the rules Jews are commanded to follow in the process of attaining a truly spiritual relationship with their God.

The largest difference between Jews and Christians is that Jews pray to God, where Christians believe they must relate to Jesus Christ as their conduit to God. The concept of a personal God who is with them all the time, everywhere, is what has made Judaism a lasting religion and a lasting culture. Consider the many world-conquering civilisations since 3500 years ago that have risen and gone, yet Judaism has survived and prospered. Judaism has survived many attempts to isolate and separate its people - and while other cultures and religions have been subsumed under the conquerors' culture, not so with Judaism. The ultimate goal of Jewish spirituality is to come to a higher spiritual level in order to understand and relate to the ways of God over and above the coarse reality of our physical life. Of course there are significant issues related to your soul and the afterlife, but it is often stressed that what you can do in this life to "purify" and enlighten yourself is the goal of this life experience. In short, bringing your physical behaviour to the least antagonistic posture relative to your spiritual soul and its connection with God is the essence of your work in this life. So, what are Jews like? Well, some are highly devoted to the directions given by God and the Torah. Others are not as assiduous. And, still, there are others who, for the lack of a better term, are "Jews in name only", practising few if any of the Mitzvot commanded by God in His Torah. Even though Jews believe they are God's chosen people and the only religion able to accurately report His direct appearance before them at Sinai, they are much like everyone else. Therefore, the short answer to the question is pretty much like everyone else, just generally with a much longer, dangerous, miraculous, and more colourful cultural history.

Answer 2

very hard working but they had a very hard life

Answer 2

Judaism is today generally divided between Religious or Orthodox Jews on the one-hand and Liberal or Secular Jews on the other hand. Their families are somewhat different.

Religious Jews

Religious Jews tend to get married relatively young (early twenties) and have large families - six to ten children is commonplace - and family life is paramount in importance, with the parents deeply involved in the education of their children. The parents foot the bill for private-school education for the children because of this importance.

The typical religious Jewish father - probably the majority of them - tends to be a white-collar worker who, in addition to a regular job, attends synagogue services morning and evening each day. Many of them also attend a daily "Daf Yomi" class in which one page of the Talmud is taught each day.

Daily life in the home is replete with mitzvah-observances; blessings are said over all foods and drinks, Torah-festivals and Sabbath are observed in the home, and the children are taught portions from the Torah on a daily or weekly basis.

Though conversation is typically in English, it is seasoned with hundreds of Hebrew and Yiddish expressions, many of them expressing religious concepts. The kosher diet is adhered to. Clothing will be more or less Western (modern) in style (depending on the particular Jewish community), but it is always modest in style.

Religious Jewish women have a tightly-knit community of their own; each woman has a close circle of friends who constantly share and help each other. Many women attend weekly classes in various subects of Torah or outlook.

Liberal Jews

Liberal Jewish families are not that different from other typical Western-style families. Parents generally marry at common marriageable ages (late twenties to early forties) and they typically have between 1-3 children. While they do take a vested interest in their children's education, they, unlike the Orthodox, do not feel the need to necessarily send the children to a Jewish religious day school. There is often some degree of Jewish education, but it comes secondary to a secular education.

In Liberal Jewish families, both fathers and mothers typically work. They are also more inclined to watch television and read books than engage in Jewish religious studies. Most Liberal Jews have a minimal command of Hebrew and probably only know a few prayers. They often are not stringent in terms of eating kosher or dress style. Most of their friends are typically other Liberal Jews, but they may have a significant number of non-Jewish friends.