The quest for viable Jewish identity in post-World War II America hinged on a critical choice: religious community or national minority? Historical evidence from medieval through modern Europe demonstrates that Jewish communities achieved lasting integration only when accepted primarily as religious groups rather than national entities. Through comparative analysis across European contexts-particularly examining the French Revolution's impact on Jewish emancipation-three distinct minority classifications emerge in the American context: religious, national, and racial. While "cultural pluralism" gained theoretical traction, it failed to address fundamental popular sentiments about national belonging, as groups maintaining strong national characteristics continued to be perceived as foreign. Religious status, however, offered sustainable integration without requiring abandonment of traditional Jewish elements or exclusion of non-observant Jews. This framework also illuminates American Jewish relationships with Zionism, where support for Palestine stemmed from moral and spiritual interests rather than claims of national rights, suggesting a "pro-Zionist" rather than Zionist ideology better suited to American circumstances. America's civic rather than ethnic nationalism ultimately provided unique opportunities for Jewish integration as a religious community while maintaining meaningful connections to world Jewry.