The quest to define authentic Jewish identity has sparked intense debate across religious, cultural and political spheres, particularly in modern Israel where traditional and secular forces increasingly collide. Through critical analysis of scholarly articles from academic and religious publications, three interconnected themes emerge in contemporary Jewish discourse. At the heart of Israeli controversy stands the philosophical divide between David Ben-Gurion's vision of separate religious and national Jewish identities and J.L. Maimon's insistence on religious criteria as fundamental - a tension that challenges Edwin Samuel's calls for greater church-state separation. Rather than institutional separation, the core challenge involves reimagining Judaism to permeate all aspects of life while preserving interpretive freedom. This theological tension manifests in the declining influence of neo-Orthodox prioritization of commitment over intelligence, visible in the competing frameworks of Tillich's ontological-religious method versus Tennant's cosmological-scientific approach. These theoretical debates find practical expression in American public life, particularly surrounding Christmas observances in schools. Meaningful resolution of Jewish identity questions requires nuanced theological approaches that avoid superficial solutions to church-state separation while preserving religious authenticity within modern secular frameworks. The findings reveal the intricate balance required to navigate contemporary theological and cultural challenges while maintaining Jewish religious continuity.