– A religious reality? Aside from the fact that Judaism encompasses a wide variety of traditions, it is clear that many Jews are not observant and many are non-believers.
– A historical and cultural reality? Historical experiences, a culture—that is, a blend of linguistic (Yiddish, Judeo-Spanish), philosophical, literary, musical, and culinary traditions… Without a doubt.
The lack of a specific term, which results in the word “Jew” being used to refer to two different concepts (religion and ethnic-cultural identity), perpetuates confusion between religious affiliation and ethnic origin. Thus, for many, “atheist Jew” remains a contradiction in terms.
Jewishness: membership in the “community” of Jews
Judaism: the Jewish religion
References:
Martine Cerf & Marc Horwicz (2011), *Dictionary of Secularism*, Armand Colin (revised ed., 2016).
