Since I just needed to write this in replies to someone, FYI:

Jewish atheists are a thing. In fact, there’s a long and proud secular Jewish tradition that stretches back at least to the 18th c., and possibly into the 17th.

Historian David Biale, re: 17th/18th c. Jews: "in transcending Judaism, the heretic finds himself or herself in a different Jewish tradition no less Jewish for being antitraditional. Secular universalism for these heretics paradoxically became a kind of Jewish identity"

The haskalah, the Jewish enlightenment, was a major turning point, which on the one hand led to a more modernizing influence on Judaism, religion, theology (see: birth of the Reform movement, revival of Hebrew, etc) and on the other, a move towards secularism.

See also: Yiddish secular culture, American Jewish culture, secular Zionism (right now not interested in debating the Occupation, merely stating that secular Zionism is a Jewish secular movement about which you can learn more or not or etc), etc.

And yes, great Jewish theology never stopped. Yes, I believe in God. Yes, I can link to threads about that. Yes, lots of people doing amazing theology today and God is still at the heart of Judaism. AND that doesn’t invalidate people who hold a secular Jewish identity.

The idea that Judaism is a “religion” or a “faith” only which hinges on “belief” is such a profoundly Christian concept I don’t even know where to start. We’re a religion, sure, and/though we’re also a people. Peoplehood is tricky to understand for a lot of folks because it is...

Not a Christian concept. You’ll never understand Judiaism, Jewishness if you keep imposing Christian paradigms where they don’t belong.

Also you can perform mitzvot whether or not you “believe in God,” so there’s that.

OK yes, atheists who now think I've given you permission to shit-talk theists: I used to be an atheist. I am not anymore. I wrote a book about that (SURPRISED BY GOD) if you would like to learn more. Check your assumptions.

And, as always: Be respectful or get blocked.

Oh yeah also Israel, as in “the people Israel” (long before the nation-state) literally means “wrestles with God”; we all Jews are God-wrestlers, a people who struggle with God...

so even those of us who fall solidly on the theistic side of things expect to be wrestling w/God & our understandings of God pretty much forever.

It’s just how we roll.