B"H
Theodor Herzl once said that anti - Semitism turned us into Jews !
As we all know, the Torah turned us into a real Jewish nation but someone can agree with Herzl or not, his statement does include reality. Just look back to the Middle Ages and all those centuries after. Jews suffered and the more they suffered, the more they stuck to their religion. Not always in a frum sense but at least a national sense. Jews intermarrying with Gentiles was almost unheard of.
I admit that there have been always Jews running away from Judaism, converting to Christianity or becoming atheists; nevertheless, the problems with secularism and intermarriage we are facing today have never ever been that vital before. With the beginning of the Haskalah in the 19th century, Jews enjoyed a better life and seem to have forgotten about the hatred of the world constantly reminding us who we really are. You may be as secular as you can but there is no way to escape the Gentile world reminding you of your Jewishness.
to be honest the only people who are in my face about being Jewish are other Jews. I have faced more discrimination as a female than as a Jew.
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