The Coming of the Greeks
History Series / Part 1

Historically, the Jewish people assimilate whenever two conditions exist: 1) their host country grants them peace and freedom 2) the culture of that country appeals to them. Ancient Greece was therefore the paradigm of Jewish assimilation. Because of the relationship between Alexander the Great and Shimon Ha Tzaddik, the Jews were spared from violent conquest, and because of the attractiveness of Greek philosophy, sports, and theater, masses of Jews became Hellenists. With military history and cultural detail, Rabbi Wein shows how the stage was set for the war-torn years of the Chanukah miracle.

• Greek culture: why the "classics" hold such appeal
• Alexander's first encounter with Shimon Ha Tzaddik
• the minyan shtarot, calendar for Jewish legal documents
• a devastating analysis of Jewish assimilation through the ages