evidence to their inherent ability to broaden our search for the absolute.
             Despite these great influences on the history of man, Jews have been persecuted and oppressed by the gentiles throughout history. To search the reason for this trend would mean to dive into the very basis of the Jewish mind, its inherent tragedy and glory, and the very constant of its millennial saga. Apart from all other peoples, and for the greatest part of their history, the Jews have remained a highly united social and religious community, highly immune to any external influences. It is in this very element that one can find the reason for their oppression, for the antipathy engendered inside the gentile individual constantly coerced to give his allegiance to the ever fleeting political, religious and social constructions of the past centuries.
             However united the Jewish have been throughout their existence, the trend has only been applied towards the community and spiritual levels. It is only in a relatively recent timeframe that one can point out an actual move towards socio-political unity. In effect, it was only through the French Revolution that the Hebrews, as well as other nations in Europe, became effectively aware of a need for a national polity, a nation state. It is important to note, however, that this idea did not simply materialize at the end of the 18th century. It would be more correct to assume this concept to the whole of Europe, with the Jewish people as a unique study case, taking into account their spread throughout the continent. More or less, the other nations in Europe which were united by common histories and cultures were obviously centralized around those very same centers of common lineage. Not so the Jews, whose epic odyssey had transformed them into minorities living around all other nations, with different citizenship and legal rights.
             The idea of nationalism grew during the 19th century in close contact with Jewish sen...