Jews are not only a people who believe in the same religion, but a religious-ethnological society, as well. Judaism is both a religion and a way of life, as it guides its followers in both practices and beliefs. This element makes it difficult to distinguish between the culture of Judaism and the cultural work of Jews
Throughout history, Jewish communities have existed in many different places, from Ancient Greece to Medieval Europe, Muslim Spain and Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East, India and China, and today's United States and Israel. Over time, they witnessed the development of cultural phenomena that had a Jewish character even though they had nothing to do with religion. Some of these features stemmed from religion, and more stemmed from Judaism itself, its interaction with other societies, and the social and cultural vitality within the society itself. This feature led to the formation of many different societies, each with their own unique cultures, as authentic and unique Jewish societies.
Jews did not have a common culture for at least two thousand years. At this time, Jews were spread all over the world. In the 19th century, Ashkenazim lived mostly in the east of Europe, Sephardim in northern Africa, Ottoman Empire and other small communities, Mizrachis (Middle Easterners) in Arab lands, and smaller communities in places such as Ethiopia, the Caucasus and India.
Although there was communication and movement between these communities (e.g., during the Inquisition, many Sephardim settled north among Ashkenazim, some Ashkenazim moved to the Middle East, Iraqi traders established a Jewish community in India), most of the population lived in other countries because of ghettos, "dhimmi" laws, and other reasons. They had almost no connection with host cultures.
Distinct cultural characteristics developed over the centuries in the Jewish societies of Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages. Despite the ecumenical tendencies of the Enlightenment (Renaissance and Reformation), many Yiddish-speaking eastern European Jews continued to see themselves as a distinct group. Nevertheless, inspired by the Enlightenment Period, they adopted the concept of an ethnic group whose characteristics were not limited to religion,.
A distinct but non-discriminatory Jewish spirit in the culture of Yiddish-speaking Jews was prevalent. This situation increased even more as the Romanticism movement highlighted the nationalist personality in Europe. For example, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the members of the Jewish Workers' Union had no interest in religion, and one of the leaders in this organization was not a Christian himself, even though he was the child of parents who had converted to Christianity.
The Jewish Liberation movement in central and western Europe provided an opportunity for them to gain equal rights and enter secular society. At the same time, as many as 2 million Jews immigrated to the United States between 1880 and 1920 because of pogroms in eastern Europe. In the 1940s, the Holocaust resulted in the deportation and extermination of a large portion of European Jews. This phenomenon and the mass migration of Jews from Arab countries to the newly established State of Israel brought about the geographical change of the Jewish community.
It is difficult to separate secular culture among traditional Jews because the culture is so thoroughly mixed with religious traditions. Gary Tobin, President of the Judaism and Society Research Institute, says; "In fact, there is no dichotomy between religion and culture. Every religious element is full of culture, every cultural event is full of religion. Synagogues themselves are Jewish cultural centers. In the end, what is life? Food, relationships and spiritual wealth; just like the life of the Jews. Civilization and culture "It's an essential part of our tradition, too. Look at the Passover seder - it's pure theatre. Jewish learning and piety would be very ordinary without the element of culture."
