Since its very beginnings, the ancestors of the Jewish people interacted with other cultures. Influence was mutual. Jews profoundly influenced world culture but also, had to deal with the ongoing influence of their neighbors. They responded in three ways:

• Attempted rejection (circling the wagons)
• Enthusiastic accommodation or assimilation
• Acculturation, partial accommodation, maintenance of tradition

Those responses continue in our own time. The reality of any minority forces it to confront the challenge of living in two cultures. We will look at some examples of where Judaism was affected by contact with other cultures but managed to maintain its own integrity, by modifying outside influences and selectively adapting external ideas and practices.