Implicit Judaism: Culture and Boundary Keeping

Henry Bial, in Acting Jewish, describes “double coding” as “the specific means and mechanisms by which a performance can communicate one message to Jewish audiences while simultaneously communicating another, often contradictory message to gentile audiences.” Such double coding is in play with what these panelists term “Implicit Judaism,” referring to the subtle ways in which Jewish identity, culture, and practices are embedded within various aspects of everyday life, often without explicit religious markers. These aspects include food choices, popular culture references, and the presentation of American Jews in post-WWII popular literature. This roundtable aims to challenge religious/secular divisions by exploring the ways in which implicit Judaism operates as a form of gatekeeping around Jewish identity. This gatekeeping not only creates its own particular cultural identity—it also alienates those on the margins of the Jewish community who might not know the codes.