Assumption #1: My Jewish friend might not readily identify as Jewish. 

Because of factors like rising antisemitism and intermarriage, not every Jewish person is quick to identify themselves as Jewish. 

 

Assumption #2: My Jewish friend is religious. 

Many Christians make the mistake of assuming all Jewish people have a deep connection to the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish religious observance. The truth is that around 85-90% of the world’s Jews (America is no exception) have little to no religious expression in their lives. Your Jewish friend might be ethnically Jewish, but probably doesn’t faithfully adhere to Judaism.

 

Assumption #3: My Jewish friend identifies as Jewish in the same way that Jewish people did in the Bible. 

The ancient Jews of the Bible had a national and cultural identity, and therefore a lifestyle that revolved around Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Torah. Today, Jewish life has been influenced by 2000 years of dispersion into the nations, resultant persecution, and subsequent efforts to assimilate and self-preserve. Every Jewish person has their own story of how their Jewish family fought to maintain Jewish identity, and how they learned to exist in the gentile world. 

 

Assumption #4: My Jewish friend shares my biblical/conservative values. 

Because of the aforementioned factors, many Jewish people have adopted values that we would consider liberal and non-Biblical. Most American Jews vote democratic and the Hebrew Scriptures have little to no influence on their values or world-view. The exception to this is the religious Jewish community. 

 

Assumption #5: My Jewish friend loves the nation of Israel. 

There is a growing number of Jewish people around the world who are critical of Israel as a nation. Some religious Jews see the current state of the nation as a far cry from its biblical prescription, and don’t recognize its existence as being from God. A growing number of secular Jews condemn Israel in light of the Palestinian conflict, and decry its actions and decisions. 

 

Assumption #6: My Jewish friend won’t feel comfortable talking about antisemitism. 

Antisemitism has been a common experience of the Jewish people for thousands of years, becoming part of their collective mindset. Where it may seem that Jewish people would not want to talk about this topic, many are touched by a sincere and empathetic desire to understand how antisemitism has and does affect them.