Let My People Know

"Borrowing from other cultures must be done consciously and with a critical eye"

 
One must remember that there is, in fact, a Jewish culture, different from all others. 

That is not to say that it must be sealed off from all contact with the outside world. 

Much has been borrowed from other cultures: vocabulary, scientific and technical achievements, etc. 

But such borrowing must be done consciously and with a critical eye. 

Many of the social and familial difficulties, and even more of the spiritual problems confronted by the contemporary Jew, can be traced to the considerable influence alien culture has upon his thinking. 

When the underlying values of that culture are at odds with those of the Jewish culture he carries within him, and when such contradictions are not recognized, they can lead to a whole chain of conflicts, distortions, and falsifications. 

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

From "Jews and Non-Jews" in Teshuva by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz