What is the Jewish Identity in Germany, Israel, and America? And how does it contribute to the evolution of anti-Semitism?

     The Jewish Identity today is defined through the development of Israel and the legacy of the Holocaust, because it is a question of the future and the past. After the Holocaust, it was difficult to establish a Jewish identity anywhere in Europe. Many European Jews were more inclined to abandon their Jewish identity because it was easier and safer. However, in today's modern world, the establishment of Israel has a large influence on the development of the European, Israeli, and American Jewish identity as well as the evolution of anti-Semitism. We have already seen how anti-Semitism has evolved as a "new anti-Semitism" in Germany and as a goal of Neo-Nazi Skinhead groups in America, but now we will see what role Israel plays in the progression of a Jewish Identity and the fight against anti-Semitism.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the significance of Israel, and why it is so important for Jewish people to have a homeland, you can watch this short video which will give you a rough idea about Israel 

The Perception of Jewish Identity in Germany is driven largely by the development of the diverse European Union. After the Holocaust, there was no existing authentic Jewish culture because most European Jews were either gassed, incarcerated, in exile, or not practicing. Even today, the European Jewry is a melting pot of different nationalities practicing the same religion in their own unique way. However, because the European Union is uniting the countries of Europe, it is also uniting the Jews of Europe. Unlike in America and Israel, the German Jews perceive their Jewish Identity as a choice, because even if they are of Jewish decent, they can make a choice, whether or not to accept and embrace their identity. This choice is also based upon exactly where in Europe they are living as well as the nature of their surroundings. The Jewish Identity in Germany and Europe as a whole is truly shaped from the outside and the inside. The book that I have been using throughout all of my blog entries is called Being Jewish in the New Germany, by Jeffrey Peck, and has a lot to say about the European Jewish identity such as: 

"While being a "Jew" may only be defined through Jewish law and Judaism by religious belief or observance, "Jewishness" is more of an ethnicity or cultural definition, a sociological and anthropological category that is fluid, socially constructed, and open to interpretation (Peck 120)."

I think this is a very true statement, and to add to it I would say that Jews are culturally defined in Germany as a symbol for tolerance and diversity. They represent the defeat of Hitler's Final Solution, a new Jewish life in Germany, and the hope for acceptance and diversity.

This video from Jewish News One shows the current state of the development of Jewish Identity in Germany, Frankfurt (where I happened to grow up!) in particular. 

     The story is a little bit different in America, because here in the US, the Jewish Identity is proclaimed through identification with the Holocaust, as I have mentioned in previous blog posts. This identification manifests itself into current prejudices against Germany because some of the American Jews still view Germany in light of Nazi and Third Reich horrors. I can relate to this because it is hard for a person like myself who is German, Jewish and American to identify with either one of them without considering the ethnic and social history of these three groups within the definition of myself. On the other hand, my experience is different, since as you know, I didn't have an open Jewish identity until I moved from Germany to the US. Nevertheless, the thing about Jewish identity that only exists in America is centered around humor with Jewish actors/actresses, singers and comedians, who embrace their Jewish identity through laughter. 

                                                              

     In Israel is where the central issue of Jewish identity really unfolds. Not a lot of people in the world understand that Israel and Israeli Jews are much different from Jews all around the world. The Jewish Identity in Israel seems to be far removed from religion and places more emphasis of a "strength in the family" concept. This concept means that some of the Jews in Israel are only united because of their nationality and obviously the conflict with Palestine (I won't even get started on that one), instead of uniting through our religious history. The Jewish identity is perceived as shooting up Palestine through a militant way of life.
The following video will show how disconnected the everyday citizens of Israel are to Judaism, and what is being done to improve that situation.

     A "new anti-Semitism" has developed out of the status of Jewish identity in these three nations, which are by the way the three nations with the highest Jewish populations in the world. The "new anti-Semitism" has spread against Israel and is manifested in American and even more so in German society. This dates back to the 1960s/70s having to do with the American affiliation with Israel and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Since during this time, America was occupying west Germany, and the Germans were protesting against the Israel-Palestine conflict, this quickly turned into anti-Americanism. Some even compared the acts of the Israelis on the Palestinians to the acts of the Nazis (ironic right?).  However, we have seen that anti-Semitism is always in evolution and will always prevail around the world. All that people like myself can hope for is that we will never be persecuted for our nationality or religion, and that the terrible history will never repeat itself. 

Thank you for reading! :)