Some Thoughts on Jewish Culture

By Rabbi Ed Romm
Director, Center on Campus
Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism in Israel

We are an ancient people, an ethnic group with our own distinctive religion. This synthesis of religion and ethnicity, which was known in the ancient world, is practically non-existent today outside of the Jewish People.  The religion of the Jewish People is exclusively the Jewish religion. But can each component stand by itself?  What about a Jew who does not observe or rejects the Jewish religion?  He is still Jewish, but the religion that he does not observe is the Jewish religion. However, if he becomes a believer of another religion, he forfeits his connection to the Jewish People; in this way a religious choice also becomes a cultural one. This is not a halakhic definition but rather sociological, reflecting the broad consensus of the Jewish community.

Sometimes it is difficult to separate the impact and influence of the Jewish religion on Jewish ethnicity and culture.  A story is told of a Diaspora Jew who visits Israel and encounters a "secular" Israeli Jew. He asks the Israeli to explain what a secular Jewish family does. The Israeli explains that they live, talk and dream in Hebrew. Friday night they light candles, have a Shabbat meal with traditional ethnic Jewish food including wine and challah and then perhaps watch television or visit friends. Saturday is a break from work and a day for relaxation and family outings.  On Sukkot, they build a Sukkah on the lawn as a fun activity for the family. Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of a Hanukkah Menorah. Trees are planted on Tu Bishvat.  The children dress up in costumes for Purim, and matzah is eaten on Pesach. So why does he define himself as secular? He defines himself as secular because these practices are woven into the fabric of the Jewish culture and not done for religious reasons or from belief.  

Medinat Yisrael has provided the Jewish People with the opportunity to return home after two thousand years of exile and once again become whole in our own land where it all started.

[Posted 4/5/11]