What does it mean to be Jewish today? Judaism can be conceived as a shared ancestry, a religion, an ethnicity, a culture, an organized community, a social group, a complex of collective and personal historical memories, and more. From a historical perspective, before the emancipation of Jews in Europe, an individual identified as Jewish on the basis of religion was usually also identified as such through ethnicity or language, place of residence, occupation, and other personal characteristics. This reinforced the separation between Jews and non-Jews. Today, however, the situation has changed and continues to do so: religion plays an important but not predominant role in shaping contemporary Jewish identity, especially in Israel. Moreover, young millennials, especially in the United States, increasingly question the Israeli government’s actions. The author delves into the heart of a timely issue and helps us truly understand the turbulent times we live in.

Sergio Della Pergola is professor emeritus and the former head of the Hebrew University’s Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry in Jerusalem.