KFAR NAHUM — Here in Israel, nobody talks about the “separation of church and state.” The national flag is decorated with the Star of David. The national emblem is a menorah. This is a Jewish state, which can be discombobulating to even a religious American.

Israel’s Nov. 1 election caused consternation among secular Israelis and progressive Reform Jews. At a Shabbos dinner in Jerusalem and at a local park in Tel Aviv, strangers expressed their anxiety about the gains made by the religious parties.