Strong nationalism The Jews were always proud of their nationality which they held as divine ordained through the promises Yahweh had given their patriarchs Abraham,Isaac and Jacob. This sense of divine significance maintained their spirit of nationality that has survived and spanned three millenniums.
The Jews remained a distinct nation with no country, power, territory, or shared culture. They were dispersed and almost always a minority. For the most part they refused active efforts to convert them, and resisted attempts at destruction. No other people have kept their identity intact for so long under such circumstances.
The secret of the Jews in maintaining their identity was that no other people devoted their energies to continuity. The focal point of Jewish life is the transmission of a legacy through the generations. To be Jewish is to be a link in the chain of generations. It is to be a son and then a father, to receive a legacy and pass it on. For this reason, the Jewish people see as an obligation, passed by their parents, the act of maintaining and passing on to future generations a strong national identity.
