Jewish identity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jewish identity is complex. For some Jewish people Jewish identity involves primarily a liking for Jewish cultural items such as Yiddish phrases, Challah, gefilte fish and Matzah balls. It can involve ties to the Jewish community and donations to Jewish Charities. For others it involves primarily observance of the Laws of Judaism known as Halakha. For yet others it involves both. Jewish identity can include Jews seeing themselves as a Chosen People. Atheists from a Jewish background may still have some Jewish identity as may people born from a mixed Jewish and non-Jewish background.
See:- "Half-Jewish"
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[edit] Census data
In the United States, about 51% of the people identifying themselves as Jews actively practice Judaism. Another 43% of self-identified Jews consider themselves secular, but have Jewish parents. Of the remaining 6%, 2% have been brought up as Jews without Jewish parents and 4% are self-identified Jews without Jewish parents and without a Jewish upbringing. (Survey doesn't clear that whether 2% by upbringing believe in Judaism or not). For example according to American Jewish Identity Survey 2001
[edit] Anti-Semitism affected Jewish identity
Modern Jewish communities and the modern Jewish identity are still influenced by the effects of Anti-Semitism according to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. [1] Part of Jewish identity is that Jews see themselves as hated by Gentiles. For 2000 years Jews have been traumatized. The Jewish diaspora in most places suffered persecution by Church or Mosque. They were landless and suffered periodic massacres, expulsions and other abuses. Despite increased security in modern times psychological responses to previous insecurity are still present. This involves self-blame and self-hatred, see Self-hating Jew. It also involves identification with abusers and attempts to appease them. There are also fantasies of a future earthly paradise. These responses are found even in the more free societies like America and Israel.[2]
[edit] Israel
Jewish identity can involve a strong sense of kinship with Israel. Jews in the Jewish diaspora frequently see Israel as the homeland of their people. Furthermore in many parts of the world a high proportion of Jews have relatives living in Israel.
[edit] A Cultural Concept
Jewish cultural identity is partly about, "Who is a Jew?". It is also about, "Who feels Jewish?" and, "What makes a person feel Jewish?" The Jews are sometimes seen as a tribe with a tribal identity, though Jews are neither non-Western nor Indigenous peoples.
Additionally, Jewish identity can be separated into three separate, independent parts: (1) religious Judaism (those who follow the tenets of the Jewish religion), (2) ethnic Judaism (those of Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi or other Jewish ancestry), and (3) cultural Judaism (those who celebrate Jewish holidays and were "raised in a Jewish home"). With conversion and deconversion and adoptions, you can have Jews who are any combination of the three above.
This causes much confusion for Christians in the United States, where ethnicity is much less well-defined due to intermarriage. Most American Christians perceive their "Christian-ness" as a religious concept, and so project that frame of reference onto "Jewish-ness". Jews, on the other hand, are much more cognizant of the ethnic and cultural factor of their identity, and (especially among Reform and Conservative Jews) often accept secular or atheist Jews as being members of the Jewish community.
[edit] See also
- Jewish population
- Jews for Judaism
- Basic Laws of Israel
- Halakha
- Knesset
- Law of Return
- Matrilineality
- Patrilineality
- Politics of Israel
- Ashkenazi Jews
- Jewish diaspora
- Sephardi Jews
- Mizrahi Jews
- Jewish cuisine
- Secular Jewish culture
- Cultural diversity
- Identity politics
- Self-concept
- Social identity
