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| (JTA illustration by Mollie Suss) |
“What does the ‘American’ signify to us?” he asked. “What does the ‘Jewish’ signify and what is the nature of the relationship between the two? Is it a synthesis? Is it a tension, or a contradiction, or is it a blurring of the boundaries such that you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins?”
I have long ago answered these questions for myself. I identify as a Jewish-American. And that is neither a synthesis, a tension, nor a contradiction. Neither does it blur any lines.
It might sound counter intuitive to use my religion as the modifier to my national identity. One might think that since I am an Orthodox Jew I should reverse that description and call myself an American Jew. Would that not be a more accurate description of my priorities? Placing my Americanism second to my Judaism?
Indeed. I recall reading an article by a moderate Charedi Rav not ago (no longer recall who it was) who discussed this seemingly benign question. He said that when your Jewish identity is used as an adjective, that makes it secondary to the American identity it is modifying. For that reason he insisted we call ourselves American Jews.
Well, I am here to tell you that despite calling myself a Jewish-American, it is absolutely not the case that I consider my Judaism secondary. On the contrary. In any conflict between the two, my Judaism comes first. My relationship with God comes first, last, and always. The obvious question then is, ‘Why do I not simply make my Americanism the modifier and my Judaism the main identity?
That’s because of my sense of brotherhood with all of my fellow Americans, hyphenated or not. Just like there are Irish-Americans, and Italian-Americans. African-Americans and Asian-Americans - there are Jewish-Americans. We are all Americans regardless of our ethnic origins or our personal belief systems. An Irish-American would never say he was an American Irishman. A black American would never say he was an American Black. No matter how much their Irish or black heritage might mean to them.
One might counter that there is a significant difference between identifying ones ethnicity or country of origin - and their religious identity. Our religious identity reflects our core beliefs. Shouldn’t that always take precedence over one’s national identity?
Well, I’m sure that devout Christians feel the same way about their religious beliefs as we do about ours. But the vast majority of Christians in this country simply refer to themselves as Americans. That does not diminish the importance they attach to their belief system. The same should be true for devout Jews who identify as Americans or Jewish-Americans.
This is how I see it. I recall a Charedi friend of mine that made Aliyah a few years ago describing herself as an American in the context of where she wanted to live. She said that she wanted to live in an area where the culture was as American as possible. None of that diluted her devout attachment to her beliefs.
If one’s Judaism comes first, why not just switch it around and refer to myself as an American Jew – and remove all doubt? That’s because I am secure in my beliefs and my priorities. How I describe myself has no bearing on that.
Furthermore, I don’t like the sound of the phrase‘American Jew’. It implies not having sufficient loyalty to this country. Although my Judaism comes first, it does not negate the fact that I am fully American and as patriotic as the rest of my fellow Americans. Hyphenated or not.
Not to mention the fact that the word ‘Jew’ itself has antisemitic overtones. Or to put it the way Silow-Carrol does: ‘There is an argument that “American Jew” smacks of disloyalty’. Which is the furthest thing from the truth. In my view we ought not identify ourselves in any way that can be used as antisemitic fodder.
That I am proud of my Jewish identity does not negate the fact that I am proud of my American identity. That is not contradictory. I can walk and chew gum. And in the context of a Jew living in America, I am proud to call myself a Jewish-American.