Should Ukraine adopt Judaism as it's state religion?

If Ukraine were to adopt Judaism as its state religion maybe it could mark a return to the glorious era 1,000 years ago as the Khazar Empire Mark 2 (Kiev was a part of this jewish empire). Now that Jewish ppl have real tangible military clout they can rebuild this forgotten dream.

As Ukraine writhes in crisis with sovereignty over Crimea hanging in the balance, it's an apt time to revisit a time when the region was a Jewish kingdom. Not that this is a call to Israel to throw its hat in the race for control of Crimea.

The Crimean Peninsula has changed hands and rulers time and again. One such occasion was some time in the 4th to 5th century, when a Turkic horde invaded from Mongolia-Siberia and settled the western steppe, mainly the north shores of the Caspian and Black seas.

The invaders were a loose confederation of semi-nomadic pagan tribes, who gradually assumed control over the variegated local population. It took time, but by the mid-7th century, a state had taken shape: the Khazar Kingdom.

This kingdom grew in power and wealth, mostly from taxing the Silk Route to China and other important trading routes between the Arabian and Persian kingdoms and Europe.

The people of Khazar constituted numerous ethnic backgrounds and spoke many languages. They also practiced different religions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But the ruling elite was a Turkic aristocracy speaking a Turkic language and practicing a Turkic form of paganism called Tengriism, which focused on a sun deity called Tengri.

That is - until at some point in the 8th or 9th centuries, the ruling elite converted to Judaism.

An angel drops by

This conversion is confirmed by Jewish, Persian, Arab and Byzantine sources. Khazar sources do not exist and no archaeological evidence has been found. One interpretation is that only a thin, elite segment of the population converted while the bulk of the populace remained religiously diverse.

Legend, and letters from a Khazar monarch preserved in Jewish sources, relate that King Bulan decided to convert after a series of angelic visions told him to seek the one true religion.

In his most famous book "The Khuzari," Judah Halevi provides a slightly different version: Bulan had invited Christian and Muslim philosophers to explain their beliefs, when a rabbi came in and argued the case for Judaism. The king was convinced and converted together with the aristocracy.

Some scholars have suggested that the real reason the Khazar elite decided on Judaism was to take up an Abrahamic religion that would ingratiate them with their Christian and Muslim neighbors on the one hand, while not take either side and thus raise the ire of the members of the religion not chosen. Whatever the reason, the Jewish kingdom didn’t survive for long.

Incessant wars with Islamic kingdoms in the 9th century and then the rise of the Rus in the north during the 10th century precipitated the decline of the Khazar kingdom, until its ultimate destruction by the Rus in the second half of the 10th century.


http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-features/.premium-1.580550

 

Yes, brilliant plan! The ukrainians, who have nothing in common with the turkic jewish khazars, should all convert to judaism, and while they're at it, change their official language to chuvash, which is the closest surviving relative to the khazar language. And while we're at it, have Iran become tengri and mongol because the mongols once had an empire there. and yes, same for china.

 

The Khazaria website is linked to a lot of archeological evidence.

 

There are only maybe 200,000 Jews in Ukraine.

not even near 2% of the population.

 

The Ukrainians and Russians who emigrated to Israel.

Maybe these could be the backbone of the New Ukraine's (Khazaria Mark II) military, having already served their apprentice in Israel, they would be well trained in the finer arts of warfare by then.

 

So how about the rest of the ukrainians? They want to become jewish because?...

 

Who are the turkic jewish khazars and what do you even know about 'them'?

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..they dont want to be crushed by the russians???

 

Well jonah, the khazars were a turkic tribe, and they converted to judaism, hence they are turkic and jewish. Except that I don't really know much more about them in particular.

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As if being jewish ever helped anyone from getting crushed..

edit: quite to opposite actually!

 

there is no evidence that the Khazars converted to Judaism in large numbers.

 

A country that is 0.1% Jewish adopting Judaism as its State Religion? That's some logic you have there.

 

not even 1% of Ukraine are Jews.

 

Times change, its the 21st century and jewish ppl [ practically ] have their own state, which is arguably one of the most powerful war machines in the world, thanks to U.S investment and back up [ which isnt ending any time soon ].

Now, what were you saying about jewish ppl being pushovers?

Idont see any Muslims or Christians pushing them into the see these days

 

why would the Jews want to make their religion incharge of Ukraine?

 

Yes, that is very arguable indeed!

Granted, they're pretty good nowadays. I was referring to the other three thousand years of their history.

 

As far back as Peter the Great many, many Russians were living in Poland, Odessa, the Ukraine.. and had ambitions in Finland and Sweden.

 

From wikipedia, a bit of general information;

As Ukraine is rich with Jewish history, it plays a major part in Israeli education for young generation of Jews. In addition, Ukraine is also rich in religious history and contains the grave of Rabbi Nahman of Breslev, which is a pilgrimage site to many religious Jews. As Israel and the West Bank contain rich Christian history, Ukrainians come to Israel as religious pilgrims. This is especially true regarding Jerusalem, with its Russian Orthodox holy sites.

For Jews worldwide, Ukraine also holds many memories regarding the Holocaust, as the site of Babi Yar is in its territory.

As Ukraine is a newly independent state, this serves to create a common sense of identity of Ukraine and Israel as nations who gained their independence in the 20th century.

The Israeli government claims that their failure to vote in support of Ukraine against Russian aggression was due to a public workers strike

 

Thats the general point. Its like jump on the bandwagon already! before it passes.

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What do you mean?

 

Read some Russian history.. You can start anywhere but I would suggest starting with Peter the Great up thru the life of Catherine the Second.

 

Oh yes they did, those damned ryssjävlar! Never took Sweden though they didn't, nope.

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Bah, Sweden is better. In fact, we're soo good that were Hitler's talk of ubermenschen true, it really ought to have been us. seriously.

 

I know... but some of these posters just blather and have NEVER bothered with any research.

 

what are you on about?

 

What has swede's got to do with the topic?

 

Your ignorance is a handicap in your posting life.

 

What are you on about woman?

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Man, iwish ppl would stick to the topic!

 

Not comparable situations.

Ukraine adopting Judaism as its national religion would be like Syria adopting Christianity.

In fact, the very idea of Ukraine having a national religion is absurd, since 63% of the population is unaffiliated.