What is the Diaspora and how does this affect the Jewish people?

The diaspora is the spread/departure of Jewish people from Israel. In other words, it's
Jewish people habitating outside of Israel. The word “Diaspora” solely refers to the
physical spread of Jewish people, but it also has a religious meaning. This is as, Jews
have a special relationship with the land of Israel. The diaspora impacts Jewish people in
an emotional manner. This is as, in the religion Judaism Israel is considered the Holy
Land. Israel is the land where the faith of Judaism began. A city in Israel, called
Jerusalem which is the capital of Israel, is the core of their religion, their world, and is
the Holy City. Jerusalem is where all the creation began, according to Judaism. This
importance of Israel, and Jerusalem in Jews, may potentially impact their emotions
when departing away from Israel. It is common for an individual to miss their homeland,
and where they originate from, but for Jews this is a deeper matter, as not only is Israel
their homeland but it also is where their religion was created, which is able to make the
diaspora really emotionally difficult for Jews. Another reason that may potentially
affect the emotions of Jews regarding the diaspora, is the key events of Judaism that
took place in Israel, which also make the land of Israel incredibly significant for Jews. For
example, it is believed that Abraham demonstrated that he was prepared to sacrifice his
son, in Israel, at Mount Moriah. This is a key event in Judaism, which works towards
making Israel important and valuable for Jews, can also emotionally impact Jewish
people regarding the diaspora, as Jews are distanced from a place considered holy in
their faith. As stated before, it is common for individuals to miss their homeland, and
this is a deeper issue for Jews, the fact that Israel has such places that relate to the
Judaism faith so deeply, makes it a bigger factor of distress for Jews. It used to be a ritual
for Jewish people to go to Jerusalem three times a year. These three visits are supposed
to happen at three important Jewish festivals, which are Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
Being outside of Israel, may make it if not impossible but immensely difficult for Jews to
fulfill their duty of visiting Jerusalem, which can also affect Jews emotionally. This is as
some Jews are already far from their homeland, and holy places, so the fact that they
cannot participate in their holy rituals will be a greater saddening factor. The diaspora
can impact certain Jews as the land of Israel, and especially Jerusalem holds a lot of
importance for them, so distance from them can affect their emotions, as they may miss
their holy land, feel lost religion wise or feel distant from their religion. Often many
individuals feel lost when they are distanced from their religion, which is something
certain Jewish people that are away from Israel may feel like, as they are away from
their holy land, where their religion originated. Being away from Israel can also impacts
Jews in the way that they feel a lack of their religion in their life, as in other countries in
which they may live in, there may not be many Jews around them, and many places to
worship and celebrate their religion. Not being in Israel, and surrounded by other Jews
may affect Jewish people, as they would not be able to learn about their faith from
individuals around them. For instance, we as humans are always learning from those
around us, whether that is religion wise, or basic life styles. Jews not being surrounded
by people of their kind may impact how they learn about their religion from those
around them.

“Diaspora.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/topic/Diaspora-Judaism.

“The Importance of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel for Judaism - the Formative
History of Judaism - CCEA - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - CCEA - BBC
Bitesize.” BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zrs7y9q/revision/4.