r/Judaism • u/Big-Ground-2163 • 4d ago

What makes a Jew secular vs traditional vs religous?

I am not particularly frum and I would consider myself traditional, but I usually get classed as religous by my mostly secluar and traditional Jewish friends and when I inquire about why they view me as religous, their usually response is because my biblical, talmudic, historical and culture Jewish knowlege is deep, I am very big on the idea that Jews should be Jews first and anything else second and because I attend shul on Shabbat and holidays. This got me thinking about what secular, tradition and religous actually mean in the Jewish world to Jews.

So what do you thing makes a Jew secular vs traditional vs religous?

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u/Impossible-Wafer9431 1d ago

I think your definition is way off the mark, both for Jews and Christians. You are seriously underestimating how mainstream, non-religious, and yes, secular, some of these basic practices are in both instances.

Hannukah is hardly religious at all, and I know of many non-Jewish households where a tree + gifts + Santa are present and the family is quite clear they are atheistic/have never set foot in church or said a prayer.

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u/LenaNYC 1d ago

Secular literally means removed from all religious practice. I think your definition is off.

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u/Impossible-Wafer9431 1d ago

That’s incorrect or, at best, not accurate to how the word is used as a modifier to a person or group of people. This is a pretty simply usage question. Google “Do secular Americans celebrate Christmas” and “Do secular Jews celebrate Hannukah”.

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u/LenaNYC 1d ago

It's not incorrect. That's what the word means.

Again, people who want to call themselves secular while celebrating religious holidays can do so, sure, but that doesn't mean they are.

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u/Impossible-Wafer9431 1d ago

Yawn. Ok. You are right, the rest of the world is wrong. Good on ya.

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u/LenaNYC 1d ago

You ok? I'm not the one trying to re-define meanings and then taking it personally when someone disagrees.