Book Report Essays - The Chosen, Tzadik, Zionism, The Promise

Book Report Essays - The Chosen, Tzadik, Zionism, The Promise Book Report The Chosen, Chaim Potok The Chosen is about two Jewish boys, one a Orthodox Jew and one a Hasidic Jew, and how different and yet the same their lives are. The orthodox Jew, Reuven, is the main character of the story. He lives with his father and his mother is dead. Reuven is a very nice boy who is fourteen years old and aspires to be a Rabbi when he grows up. Daniel the other boy, is the son of a Hasidic Tzadik (which is like a Rabbi) and so when his father dies he will have to take his place even though he wants to be a psychiatrist. Reuven, like I said before lives alone with his father in their Brooklyn apartment. His father is a teacher of Jewish law, the Talmud, and teaches at Reuven?s Yeshiva(school). Reuven gets along very well with his father and talks with him very often. Daniel, on the other hand , lives with his mother ,father, sister and little brother. Daniel?s father is Tzadik which to Hasidic Jews is like a messen! ger to god. Daniel?s father never talks with him except when teaching him the Talmud. this behavior makes both Daniel and Reuven uncomfortable when they are with him. Daniel is a very bright student and has an almost photographic memory. He also has a craving to learn more which turns him against his religious faith because he wants to know how man really came to be and how man thinks. I admire Daniel because he was brave to stand up to his father and the entire community and tell them that he would not become a Tzadik but that he wanted to become a psychiatrist. I loathe Daniel?s father because he is mean and not understanding at all. Reuven and Daniel met while playing an interschool baseball game . Reuven was pitching and Daniel hit the ball into his which shattered Reuven?s glasses and sent Reuven to the hospital for immediate eye surgery. After Reuven?s eye heals Daniel went to Reuven to beg his forgiveness and the two boys became fast friends. The stor! y takes place during world war two and when the war ends the people of America find out about all the horrible things that happened because of the Natzis. This naturally upsets all the Jews and forced them to take side s about having Palestine turn into a Jewish homeland(this is called Zionism). this made Daniel?s father forbid him to speak to Reuven because Reuven?s father believes in Zionism and Hasidic?s believe it violates the laws of the Torah. But after a mass murder of Jews in Europe after the war because they still hated the Jews. So the Hasidic stopped hating the Zionists because they decided that making Palestine a Jewish homeland was the only way to preserve the Jewish culture. One of the last conflicts in the book is when Daniel decides to tell his father that he wants to become a psychiatrist not a Rabbi like he?s supposed to become. And this causes a conflict because he wants Reuven to be there when he tells his father. I believe that this book is w! orthy of being named a classic because it is extremely interesting and well written. I t was fascinatingly real and the ending is extremely real and spell-binding. The characters seemed so real that I felt like I was there. The story was extremely moving because it helped show how people interact.

Female Genital Mutilation Essay

Female Genital Mutilation Essay Female Genital Mutilation Essay The World Health Organization defines Female Genital Mutilation as a practice that involves the alteration of female genitalia in a manner that does not relay any medical benefits to the victim. According to Oleinick (1998), around 87% of Egyptian Islamic women support the practice. The extent of this support is attributable to various factors. These may be cultural, religious or social. The purpose of this study was to find out the current state of FGM as a cultural practice in Egypt. Secondly, the study wanted to probe useful strategies in eliminating FGM. Finally, the study was to highlight the impacts of FGM on the global healthcare system. The research uses a longitudinal approach. Various factors make the Egyptian people susceptible to the practise of FGM. Firstly are the socio-demographic characteristics. These include factors such as age, income, religion, marital status and level of income. Islam considers FGM as ‘makruma’. This implies that it is not a mandatory, but honourable act. According to National Geographic Statistics, the country’s literacy level stands at 58%. There is limited knowledge on the implications of the practice. In Egypt, communities enforce FGM through various actions. For instance, women who do not participate are often ostracised from the community. The fact that it is a societal norm also permits the practice. Eighty-two percent of Egyptian women recommend FGM for their daughters. Various factors in the Egyptian society reinforce this practice. Circumcised women consider themselves ‘clean’. Egyptians credit FGM as a tool for reducing a woman’s libido, alongside other psychosexual effects, in limiting adultery. These factors prompt a majority of women to seek or participate in FGM. Consequently, over 90% of Egyptian women have participated. This is indiscriminate to religious factors. For instance, 78% of Christian women have participated. This prevalence is attributable to various factors. The most important are religion and Egyptian culture. From the study, FGM is more of a cultural practice. The Quran has vague support for the practice. The existence of FGM preceded Islam. There is little correlation between the two phenomena. FGM is non-existent in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, where religion is highly regarded (Oleinick, 1998). According to the Toubia, Izzett WHO (1998), the practice is a violation of human and gender rights. However, campaigners have made various mistakes in the effort against FGM. To correct this, various strategies need implementation during intervention. For instance, the approach taken should be multi-sectoral. Participants may be from the health or legal communities. Community groups should be able to work hand-in-hand with NGOs. The process of behaviour change is a slow one. To eradicate FGM, the efforts have to be sustainable. The enlisting of support by leaders from various fields is crucial. For instance, religious leaders such as Imams are influential in discrediting the practice. Many people immigrate to Western countries, such as the United Kingdom (UK) to avoid this ill practice. Consequently, the study discovered that immigrants who have undergone FGM experience complications. These may be haemorrhages and other effects. This becomes a problem for the healthcare systems of the resident countries. There are many barriers to the elimination of FGM. Firstly, Egypt is a vast country. The country has many sparsely populated regions, whose inhabitants participate in FGM. Accessing such areas is difficult. Secondly, the country has poor educational standards. Around 60% of participants were ignorant of FGM’s implications. The Egyptian social attitude has been against Western ideals since the 1940s. Therefore, ideas promoted by bodies such as the WHO are often rejected. Finally, Egyptians are afraid of cultural repercussions such as shunning and curses, by failing to participate in FGM (Olenick, 1998). According to Celenko (1996), there is evidence of a Greek papyrus that describes the practice in the Ancient Egyptian context. Egypt is a predominantly Muslim state. Therefore, religion intertwines with culture. It is important to note that Egypt has a paternal culture. Consequently, they carry out FGM as an act of submitting women to men. Secondly, FGM has a close relation to marriage. The study discovered that circumcised women have better prospects of getting married. Religious and political influences are the main barriers towards the complete elimination of FGM. Here, the international community comes to focus. Campaigners should not impose their ideologies on the Egyptians. Instead, they should take a subjective approach. Do you need professionally written custom essays for money? can provide you with professional essay writing help online.