The sources and signs of Jewish identity

In order to resolve some of the complexities and paradoxes involved in the concept of Jewish identity, the author suggests making a distinction between a core identity and a manifest identity. The former is established early in childhood and is shaped by the specifically Jewish experiences of the young child. The latter represents the outcome of modifications, whether diluting or reinforcing, induced by subsequent experience. The essay includes a list of some of the more common "givers" of core Jewish identity, and some of the expressions of manifest identity. Usually the parents' expressions of manifest identity function as "givers" of the child's identity. The provision of identity cues in early childhood facilitates but does not guarantee subsequent Jewish identification. Many other personality and fortuitous features, internal or external or both, influence the ultimate outcome.