Diaspora is known as the disintegration or exodus of the members of a community who must leave their land of origin. Dispersion of a town or human community in various parts of the world; especially that of the Jews after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel (6th century BC).
In ancient times, Jews were divided into two groups: those who lived in Jerusalem and practiced their religion according to traditional criteria and those who were integrated into other cultures. The latter generally spoke several languages and were educated people engaged in trade or a recognized professional activity. Diaspora Jews maintained their religious rituals in synagogues.
On the other hand, they helped their Jewish brothers who lived in Jerusalem financially. At that time, the Romans maintained a certain tolerance towards the beliefs and culture of the Jews of the diaspora. In this sense, the Roman Senate authorized the different Jewish communities so that they could maintain their internal organizational structure in the different synagogues. Therefore, Diaspora Jews could practice their rites without coming into conflict with Roman authority.
Jews are the only people who have been born with a divine duty to inhabit a region of the world: Canaan (Israel). However, throughout their 4,000-year history, they have become the most cosmopolitan nation in the world. Jewish communities spread to more than 100 countries: from Mexico to England, from Kazakhstan to South Africa, from Cuba to Japan. With the exception of Israel, Jews have lived as minorities in all those places. "Jewish history is marked by dispersions and successive diasporas within the diaspora," says Luis S. Krausz, professor of Hebrew and Jewish literature at the University of Sao Paulo (USP). “This story begins with the destruction of Solomon's Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century BC, when the Jews were taken to Babylon. It continues until the 20th century, with the dispersal and genocide of the Jews of Europe ”. crosses produce a diversity of Jewish groups that crystallized customs, languages and foods of the places where they lived. And it also contributed to enriching local cultures.
The Cuban diaspora, on the other hand, began to develop in 1959 with the triumph of the Revolution. Thousands of Cubans, dissatisfied with the communist regime, decided to emigrate and settle in different nations.
Currently, the Venezuelan diaspora is often used to refer to those who made the decision to leave their homeland due to Chávez's policies. This is interpreted in a growing Venezuelan immigration in countries like Spain, the United States, Colombia and Argentina.
The African diaspora, the Chinese diaspora, the Turkish diaspora and the Basque diaspora are other migratory movements that led to the dispersal of communities.
Currently the state of Israel has a ministry of Diaspora Affairs, this institution promotes Hebrew traditions in all Jewish communities throughout the world. This initiative aims to strengthen the identity of the Jewish people.
