The Book of Genesis
8 narrative.
A
moment's thought should show the incorrectJewish history is more than the chronfew events, all embraced in one short epoch, and
ness of this belief. of a
icle all
recorded
in
during
years,
one book. which its
It
extends over several thousand
fortunes
were
most
varied
and
complex.
Jewish history
may
be divided into seven ])eriods, (I) the
(586 B. C),
early Biblical period, to the Babylonian Exile
(II) the late Biblical period, to the destruction of the ple by the
Romans (70
C. E.),
(HI)
decadence of the Jewish schools
to the
Tem-
the Palestinian period, in
Palestine
(about
(IV) the Eastern period, when the center of Jewnsh life was in Babylon (until about 1000 C. E.), (V) the early European period, wdien the center of Jewish life had shifted, across Egypt and northern Africa, to southern and western Europe (until the expulsion from Spain, 1492 C. E.), (VI) the late European or Ghetto period, w^ien the center of Jewish life had once more shifted, this time to 375 C. E.),
Europe, a period characterized largely by enforced
central
peculiar and far-reaching influences
Ghetto existence with
its
(approximately to the
first
quarter of the 19th century), and
(VII) the modern period.
In
each of these vast periods
Judaism was developing, expanding, adapting itself to new life and thought, contributing its share, and more than its share, to the spiritual progress of mankind. To know Judaism aright w^e must know something of its history in each of these periods. ^'et
proves that
we can that
it is
not teach
Judaism
is
for adults, too,
all
this in the religions school.
This merely
more than a religion for children alone, and must be studied by them as well as by
Our present Jewish religious school, reaching children The time can not complete the task of teaching Judaism. must come when our men and women will seek knowledge of Judaism, not only for their little ones, but for themselves as well. Heretofore our schools have dealt with but little more than the
children. alone,
early
Biblical
period.
I'ut,
as
has
been
said,
it
is
impossible
to
