Is Jew an ethnicity?

Question

The word Jew gets thrown around so losely. I'm not talking about calling someone cheap either. I hear it a lot in the context of people blaiming the jews for all the problems in the world today. How they rule hollywood, control the economy or are resposible for 9/11 and stuff like that. (I don't believe those things, they're just some examples that I've heard. Please don't call me a bigot.) Sometimes I don't knwo if people are talking about people who's religion is jewish or what. It's thrown around as though jews were a race or nationality. But anyone from any country could be of the jewish faith, right? Does jew mean an israeli? Is there a such thing as an American-Jew? That shouldn't be hyphenated, it's apples and oranges. How about when someone is half jewish because only one of their parents is jewish? How does that work? You can't honestly believe in 2 different religions, because that would mean that you didn't believe in either of those religions. Ugh p.s. I'm not a jew
help?

Answer 1

I'm glad at least someone online understands you can't believe in 2 religions, so many people here think you should believe in them all, which shows they don't understand anything at all.

A Jew is someone belonging to the Jewish faith or heritage. You can convert to Judaism or be born into it (via the mother), so it is more than just what you believe but also what you are, a baby born from a Jewish woman has no choice - he is a Jew (and must keep Judaism regardless of what he wants; whether he will or not is regardless. Think of this like being born in the USA, you can't decide you don't like American laws).

There is no half Jew. If the mother is Jewish then he is Jewish (a simple explanation I may suggest could be because it shouldn't have to do with the father as you might not know who it is and why should you require both, you still have the "transfer").

Lots of people lived in Israel and still do and are not Jews. Israel is a special part of Jewish heritage and divine inheritance and that is the tie in. An American Jew is Jew who lives in the US, think of it like an American Christian. It makes perfect sense.

Answer 2

I think this was a good question, and that you recieved some valuable answers. I am an American Jew, meaning I was born and raised in America and I am a part of the Jewish religion; it is a religion not a race and because I am not a legal citizen I am not an Israeli. It works like any other religion and country.

I just have to answer the person who wrote all the anti-semitic crap. And YES it was anti-semitic. Saying that an entire group of people treat others worse than animals is a disgusting ly bigoted thing to say. I am Jewish and don't think I'm better than anyone. There are good Jews and bad Jews, good Christians and bad Christians, etc. for every race and religion there is. Whoever wrote that comment clearly thinks him/herself better than Jews and is therefore unbearably hypocritical. And there is tons and tons of documented evidence that the holocaust happened. Thousands of photos, eye-witnesses of every faith and nationality. Read "The Good Old Days" which is copies of testimonies, diary entries, and documents written BY NAZIS in which they describe their pride in killing the Jews. The propaganda is that people don't want to believe that the holocaust existed because that would mean that they would feel empathy for a group that they so deeply despise.

And the Romans killed Jesus, first of all. If Jews had anything to do with it we are not proud. We are never proud of the deaths of anyone. And if we killed him it was not us killing our own Messiah, beacuse we do not believe him to be the Messiah.

Good luck with your life and I hope your hatred does not cause you to do anything that will get you into trouble.

Answer 3

Jew refers to people who identify with Judaism as their religion.
Traditionally, if the mother is a jew then her offspring is considered one too although it is possible to convert to Judaism even if neither one of your parents is Jewish.

The confusion about "Jews" used in terms of nationality or race comes from the fact that over thousands of years, jews have had to spread out all over the world (diaspora) to avoid persecution but sometimes identify with their religious roots more than the country they end up in. This lead to their need to create a homeland (Zion) which eventually became what we know today as Israel (reclaimed straight out of the desert)...

But even with Jewish people all over Europe and North America moving to Israel in the past 50 or so years, there are still Jews who chose not to move to Israel.

Btw, back in the late 70s...an african tribe was discovered who seemed to have similar customs as Jews. They were believed to be descendants of one of the twelve tribes of Israel (the man not the country).

Hope that clarifies things a little... I'm not Jewish, btw I'd welcome a better explanation from a Rabbi or something...

Mazel tov.

Answer 4

http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Judism

click on the Wikipedia and Hutchinson tabs for more.

Most enlightened people differentiate between Judism (a religion) and Zionism (political). Isreal is a political state. Like other major western religions, the lines between the religious beliefs, the politics, and the national interests get fuzzy. If you like, start your reading with an understanding of the Crusades, the first time the west organized armies to invade the Middle East.

Answer 5

it depends, the short answer is yes. most people (gentile) look at it that way, people from Israel are called Israeli's. more than half of Israel is Arab. there are Jews in America. Jews are no different than Christians, except for the New Testament. Jesus was a Jew, so how far off could the two beliefs be?

Answer 6

It is a religion, it's been around for so long that many people think and some believe it's a ethnicity. However, anyone can convert to Judaism so that makes it a religion.

Answer 7

A Jew is someone whose mom (or direct maternal line) is Jewish, or someone who has switched over to Judaism. that's why your pal "with no drop of Jewish blood" (if there is the form of ingredient) now has one hundred% Jewish blood: they switched over to Judaism. in case your mom, or maternal grandmother, or maternal tremendous-grandmother (and so on) grow to be Jewish, then you definately are Jewish from beginning. when you're in actual actuality attracted to Judaism, you're literally not "perverting Judaism" or "infiltrating the Jewish human beings". in case you do not have an ancestor from an unbroken maternal line who grow to be Jewish, then your in uncomplicated words motel is to rework to Judaism, as you're literally not Jewish from beginning.

Answer 8

jew, with the history more than 2000 years, is indeed a group of people who have their own way of life. they think that they are more superior than other people, and treat other human beings worst than animals.
history clearly stated that the kills their own prophet. and they are proud of that.
they will deny this fact and called you anti semitic, but y europe hate them so much? history will tell you that nazi killed them but the holocoust? do you believe that over 6 milliions jews died during nazis era? i do believe this is their propaganda because they control the media.
as for your question, they have their own set of way of life. nor as a religion or as a clan. they have their own entrepetation to deny both.:):)