From the outset, the lecture stressed that tracing the
Jewish component is indispensable in studying and
understanding contemporary culture, which is basically
Western. The Jews of the Diaspora, whether those who
assimilated into the cultures and societies to which they
have migrated over a long period of time or those who
maintained their character, played an important role in
Western culture. In both cases, they constitute part of a
Jewish heritage that has shaped their culture in varying
degrees.
This Jewish component was examined in a bid to
understand Western culture, which currently dominates
the globe, especially since we are living now in the age
of globalization. The Jews have contributed to different
aspects of this dominant culture, including economic
ideologies such as communism, scientific disciplines
such as psychoanalysis, or creative works such as the
literature, theater and cinema.