Religion and ethnicity

Judaism in the ethnic consciousness of contemporary Russian Jews

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2145895
AutoresValeriy Chervyakov (Russian Academy of Sciences), Zvi Gitelman (University of Michigan), Vladimir Shapiro, V M Shapiro (Russian Academy of Sciences)
Ano1997
Volume20
Fascículo2
Páginas280-305
Data de publicação1997-04-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoEthnic and Racial Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0141-9870 • E-ISSN: 1466-4356
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01419870.1997.9993962
OpenAlexW2085721717
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas20
Referências citadas17

Jews have debated whether they are a racial, religious, ethnic or cultural group. Historically, Judaism (religion) and Jewish ethnicity have been fused. The Soviet regime suppressed traditional Jewish identities and substituted a secular, socialist Jewishness based on Yiddish which proved unpopular. Now that they are free to reconstruct Jewish life, we interviewed 1,300 Jews in three Russian cities to ascertain what they think being Jewish means. Judaism plays a very small role in their conceptions of Jewishness. To the extent that religious rituals are observed, they are manifestations of 'symbolic ethnicity'. Many do not 'feel' Jewish because their culture and consciousness are largely Russian. Nevertheless, they are interested in learning more about Jewish traditions and culture. A Jewish 'civil religion' may emerge in Russia. Jewish identities have varied over space and time, and a uniquely Russian Jewish identity may evolve in the coming years

Aesthetics · Anti-Zionism · Consciousness · Ethnic group · Haskalah · Identity (music · Jewish American literature · Jewish identity · Jewish studies · Judaism · Sociology · Zionism · Anthropology · Gender Studies · History · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Jewish Identity and Society · Philosophy · Religious studies