Jewish American Identity in the 21st Century: An In-Depth Look - Essay Sample

Introduction

Being a Jew in America today encompasses a wide range of aspects. The Jews are a renowned ethnic group owing to their vast history, and the impact of various significant events, such as the Holocaust. Traditionally, Jews were seen as reserved, religious, and held together by their community's identity (Lipset 73). However, several elements have changed over the years; hence the being Jewish in the contemporary American setting has drastically changed. Kampea's article presents an ideal picture of modern Jewish life, mainly focusing on how different Jewish people interpret their identity.

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Jews identify themselves as whites but have little information about their specific origins. In the census conducted in the US, Jews have always recognized themselves as white as it offers a straightforward way of expressing identity. However, the recent poll required one to include their origin (Kampeas). For most of the Jews, their ancestors hailed from different areas or countries that are no longer existent. Their history is often complicated, and they cannot trace their origins to a particular country (Kampeas). Subsequently, when asked about their ancestral roots, most Jews either select Sephardic or Ashkenazi as default choices. This answer offers the most straightforward way for them to express their identity.

Some Jews consider themselves to be of American origin. Such an identity is convenient since a significant part of them, particularly Russian Jews, do not keep family records. As such, their families came to the US a long time ago and kept no records (Kampeas). Some Jews hailed from countries such as Lithuania that have since ceased to exist. As such, it would be more appropriate and accurate to categorize as an American. The last reason for adopting American identity is that Jews have an emotionally tough history. For example, the Holocaust is a significant part of Jewish history that many would not wish to relate to (Lipset 82). They thus opt to identify as of American origin to avoid such associations.

Jews take much pride in their identity and often go lengths to confirm it. The article presents an example of a lady who performed a DNA to confirm her origin since the papers she had stated otherwise (Kampeas). Such a step shows how much one is willing to go to verify their cherished identity. Besides, the Jews love the distinctiveness that comes with being of the status (Lipset 71). They appreciate the unique history associated with this ethnic group. As such, they have something special that sets them apart from other whites and which serves as the source of their pride.

Identification as Jewish seems an excellent way for Jews to celebrate their origins and distinguish themselves. Jews use this identity to smash the sense of privilege that comes with being white. The stance to recognize oneself as a Jew implies going more in-depth to show they do not belong to the same category as other whites, although they hail from the same race (Kampeas). Besides, some Jews see themselves as an entirely different race owing to their distinct history and culture. Thus in modern America, a Jew is either a special kind of white person or someone from a different race that only recognizes itself as a Jew.

Nevertheless, being a Jew is often seen as a source of prejudice. Some Jews feel that the information collected about their ethnic background could be used for ill purposes. As a result, they are wary in recognizing themselves as Jews and simply opt to identify as whites of the US origin (Kampeas). Such people have doubts about the confidentiality with which census data is handled. Besides, some people identify themselves as being from some other race as they feel that Jews are not recognized as whites. For a long time in history, Jews always had a different experience in America compared to how they were treated in other European countries (Lipset 69). Subsequently, some of them feel uneasy about stating that they are Jews in the US in fear of receiving unequal treatment to other whites in society.

Another essential aspect of Jewish life in the contemporary US is the assumption of different roles. The article presented views of Jewish people who held important positions in their workplaces. Some of the functions highlighted include a program manager, a lawyer, and a healthcare consultant (Kampeas). As such, Jewish life is not tied to the cultural and religious aspects of the ethnic group and has extended to other noteworthy positions in society. Jews have integrated into the US community to take essential jobs and mark their place in society.

Conclusion

Overall, the contemporary American Jewish life encompasses vast dimensions. The article offered a glimpse of how modern Jews perceive identity and the various roles they have taken in the working sector. Some Jews are proud of their status as it distinguishes them from typical whites. Besides, a large part of them have little or no information about their exact origin and therefore take the simplest form of identification. Others do not like the history of the Jews or fear prejudice and thus simply identify as whites. Furthermore, Jews have taken up notable positions in the employment industry, which shows how they have progressed over time. Therefore, while being identified as Jewish in the past often aroused uneasiness, the contemporary Jewish life is often associated with pride because of the uniqueness of this ethnic group.

Works Cited

Kampeas, Ron. "A Census Question Poses a Dilemma for American Jews - Are You White, and if So, What Are Your 'origins'? - Jewish Telegraphic Agency." Jewish Telegraphic Agency, JTA, 2020, www.jta.org/2020/04/08/united-states/a-census-question-poses-a-dilemma-for-american-jews-are-you-white-and-if-so-what-are-your-origins.

Lipset, Seymour Martin, and Earl Raab. Jews and the new American scene. Harvard University Press, 2013, Pp67-99.