Haskalah

Haskalah is a big word that means "the Jewish Enlightenment". It started a long time ago, over 200 years ago, when Jewish people living in Europe started to think about things in a new way. They wanted to be more like the people around them and not just stick to old traditions.

Think of it like playing with toys - sometimes you might play the same game over and over again because it's fun and you're used to it. But sometimes you might get curious and want to try a new game or play in a different way. That's what the Jewish people who started the Haskalah were doing - trying new ways of thinking and acting.

Some of the things that the Haskalah group did were to learn new languages like German or French, read books about science and philosophy, and learn about the world around them. They also tried to make Judaism more modern and relevant to the changing times.

Imagine you are having a birthday party and want to decorate the room with balloons and streamers to make it look nice. The Haskalah people were like that - they wanted to make Judaism look and feel more modern and fun, like a party. They wanted to make it easy for people to follow the rules and traditions, but also keep up with new ideas and ways of thinking.

So, Haskalah is all about Jewish people trying to learn new things, be more like the people around them, and make Judaism more modern and relevant. It's like changing up the toys you play with so you can have more fun and learn new things.