Project leader: Yaakov Katz
The October 7 Hamas attack has had a significant impact on Jewish identity, especially in the Diaspora. Some of this impact has been structural and some of it has been quantitative. On the structural side, it exposed the two components of what we generally call “Jewish identity”:
The feeling of “being Jewish” or being a member of the Jewish people;
Identifying with the agendas of the organized Jewish community and the State of Israel.
The latter meaning refers to activities such as supporting Israel (e.g. taking part in the Salute to Israel Parade), participating in major religious events (Passover seder, attending synagogue on Yom Kippur) and providing Jewish education (in one form or another) to one’s children.
Until recently, it was assumed that if one felt “Jewish” one identified with the agenda of the organized Jewish community and Israel. Since October 7, with the visible presence of self-identifying Jewish groups in anti-Israel demonstrations, people realize that one can feel Jewish while actively opposing the agenda of Israel and the official Jewish community. Thus, Jewish identity is taking on a new dynamic.
The second structural impact concerns the social, interactive, and negotiated character of Jewish identity.
In American culture, each individual has the right and opportunity to fashion themselves according to their autonomous decisions and choices. If I choose to be Jewish, then I have the right and opportunity to “be Jewish.” If I choose not to be Jewish, then I don’t have to.
The demonstrations on college campuses against Israel (and Jews) and the accompanying intimidation and harassment, illustrated that this is not entirely correct. One can assign Jewish or Zionist identity to another, even if they haven’t chosen it.
It is hard to know at this stage how this will affect individual Jews but what seems clear already is that this imposition of Jewish identity elicits diametrically opposed reactions, especially among young Jews.
In the wake of such outside imposition of identity and association (effected through forms of harassment and intimidation), some Jewish students flaunt their identity and its symbols, while others redouble their efforts to evade it.
It appears that October 7 and the ensuing war, strengthened the feeling that one is Jewish and part of the Jewish people and strengthened identification with Israel, at least in the short term. It should be noted that the structural changes that this past year revealed could have unforeseen consequences in the long run.
As a result of the above analysis, the Identity Gauge needle was moved in a positive direction.