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Jewish atheism[1] is the atheism of people who are ethnically and (at least to some extent) culturally Jewish.
"Jewish atheism" is not a contradiction[2] because Jewish identity encompasses not only religious components but also ethnic and cultural ones. The Jewish atheist embraces a deep, almost paradoxical love for Jewish tradition—not from belief in God, but from a profound attachment to justice, cultural heritage, and community, making this devotion neither reducible to faith nor entirely separate from it.[3] Jewish law's emphasis on descent through the mother means that even religiously conservative Orthodox Jewish authorities would accept an atheist born to a Jewish mother as fully Jewish.[4]
Jewish secularism, which describes Jews who do not explicitly reject God's existence but also do not believe it is an important part of their Jewishness, has a long tradition in the United States.[5] A 2013 study by the Pew Research Center found that 62% of self-described American Jews say being Jewish is mainly a matter of ancestry and culture, while just 15% say it is mainly a matter of religion. Even among Jews by religion, 55% say being Jewish is mainly a matter of ancestry and culture, while 66% say it is not necessary to believe in God to be Jewish.[6]
- ^ de Lange, Nicholas Robert Michael (2000). An Introduction to Judaism (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 79–. ISBN 0521466245.
- ^ Мадорский, Лев (April 23, 2022). "Евреи-атеисты(Jewish-atheists)" (in Russian). Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Newberger Goldstein, Rebecca. "Why Is a Jewish Atheist Different from All Other Atheists?" Sapir Journal. 12 August 2024. 5 November 2024.
- ^ "What Makes a Jew "Jewish"?". Chabad.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^ Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought. David Biale. Princeton University Press, 2015, p. xii.
- ^ "A Portrait of Jewish Americans". Pew Research Center. October 1, 2013.