Do Jewish people think about who is Jewish a lot?

Question

When I go to visit my older sister at NYU, all of the girls in her dorm ask me if I am Jewish. I'm actually not any religion at all, and I'm ethnically Italian and English.

There is this common room on her floor at the dorm., and when I was cooking dinner all of the girls were in there listing which celebrities were Jewish and who "looked it."

please answer if you are Jewish, do you often think about if another person is Jewish when you meet them? Are you really eager to know? if so, why?

I'm sorry if I'm being ignorant but my family is Catholic but when I meet someone I never think about their religion, I just want to know them as a person.
Also, I've never asked anyone what their religion is, certainly not when I first meet them. I have never cared about the religion of any celebrities . I'm not saying it is wrong, maybe it's a cultural difference?


ps the Jewish girls were very friendly but I just found it intrusive, I guess because I'm not used to it.

Answer 1

In my unprofessional and purely experiencial opinion, the Jewish community is very tight. Rabbis know everyone that is jewish in a particular region and most people know each other. I think they are much tighter than catholisism and christianity, maybe because their history is that of struggle and unification.

Answer 2

I am Jewish, and yes, actually I DO wonder either the person that I talk to is Jewish or not (I never ask, though, simply because it is embarrassing), and I DO feel more interested about Jewish celebrities.

I have no idea why.

Maybe because we're a very small nation and religion; maybe because we've been through a lot and we feel closer to other Jewish people. Dunno.
But I think it's only natural; I think that black people like to talk about black celebrities more than white celebrities, for example. We're not so different in this matter.

Answer 3

I'm not Jewish, but I thought your question was interesting. I can understand them wanting to know who is, but there are more subtle ways of finding out. It kind of makes someone feel as if they are being catagorized or labled, to be bluntly asked that. I have always wanted to be known for my character, which comes out after getting to know someone. Any questions which threaten to separate based on differences are discomforting. I don't think it's a big cultural difference, I just think some people have tact with others and some don't.

Answer 4

they are trying to see if your dateable, many jewish people will only date jewish people, they are taught that by there parents, they are seeing if you are "one of them"

Answer 5

I'm willing to bet they don't think about it as much as non-Jews worry about if the person next to them is.