Default Jew

A Default Jew or Jew-by-Default is a person who displays the following characteristics:

1. An American who possesses a Jewish ethnic identity based upon the presence of at least one Jewish parent

2. Does not identify with the religion or religious community of Judaism. This is not the same as a Jew who converts to another religion or denies his heritage, but still thinks of himself, internally, as a Jew. That person is an Amerano (American Marano), not a Default Jew.

3. Thinks of being Jewish as primarily an interesting tidbit of ethnic trivia, similar to having one French parent

4. Identifies more strongly with the majority culture

5. Does not display much "Yiddishkeit" (the paralanguage, social, and other external identifiers common to many American Jews)

6. The Default Jew feels his identity is primarily defined by the bigotry of others rather than being a free-standing entity of its own. When in mixed Jewish and non-Jewish groups, and around Jews, the Default Jew often feels/identifies as non-Jewish.

7. The Default Jew may have ambivalence toward himself or herself.

A Default Jew will often not at all ever mention their Jewish heritage, except when the following occur:

1. They are accused of being "not really Jewish"
2. They are confronted with anti-Semitism
3. They are faced with the necessity of emigrating to Israel or obtaining political asylum, usually due to #2.

At which point, the Default Jew suddenly becomes VERY Jewish.

Jews of all kinds (Default and non-Default alike) tend to think of the Default Jew as Jewish. Additionally, anti-Semites also usually think of the Default Jew as Jewish.

It's everyone in between to whom the Default Jew's identity tends to be in question.

Interestingly, Default Jews generally see OTHER Default Jews as Jewish, but often do not see themselves this way.