But since we were not practising Jews, all these things, although we recognized their importance, did not mean that much to us. But that answer works only on the individual level. Seen as a group, regardless of their individual choices, Jewish writers display more similarities than differences. In most cases it does define a national literature, but Jews have always spoken many languages. Besides, for writers their holy language is the one they use to write their poems or stories.
Ethnicity is also problematic.
Jewish writers often resist being classified as ethnic writers. Innumerable historical instances of persecutions and pogroms have confirmed this fear. So critics and literary theoreticians could come to only one definition, namely, that a Jewish writer is a writer of Jewish origin and that Jewish literature is written by writers of Jewish origin. It is not a highly clarifying conclusion, but given all the differences, divisions and denials inside the Jewish community itself, it seems to be the only possible one. The doubts surrounding Jewish identity might account for an disproportionally high number of writers among secular Jews.