Ok, I've heard it time and time again, Jewish is a race. I've searched other answers and they don't exactly tell me what I want to hear. Listen up, how is Jewish a race if one can be converted to a Jew? Another thing that counters it being a race is the whole 'your mother has to be a jew' thing. What characteristics does it have that makes it a race, where did all jews decend from? I just don't understand, it seems more of a culture/religion than a race.
2006-12-05 07:09:51 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Ok, you can be a Jew without being Jewish. If you are a Jew, that means you are a a descendant from the tribe of Judah. But to be Jewish, you have to be a believer in the Jewish faith.
If you live in the Jewish community and say that you are a Christian, the other Jews will disown you and tell you that you are not Jewish anymore. But that can't stop you from being a Jew because you are still a descendent of the tribe of Judah. So you can see that if you are not a Jew you can still be of the Jewish faith, but I would not call you jewish.
All of the Jews on earth today are desendents from the Hebrew tribe of Judah. I believe there were once 12 tribes but I may have the number wrond. Anyways, all the Hebrew tribes were wiped out and destroyed except fot one, the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Judah later came to be called the Jews. I hope this clarified things for you.
2006-12-05 07:19:44 · answer #1 · answered by Michael 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jewish is not a race, it's an ethnicity. The term race ia based on biblical interpretation. each "race" is supposed to be a descendent of either Sem (the "Semites') Cham (the "blacks/africans") and Jafeth (the Caucasions.) Hitler had a field day with all this and tried to turn this (race) into a science.
It kinda leaves out the various East Asians, and native Americans.
The Jews are supposed to be Semites, just like the Arabs. That's why an Arab anti-Semite would be an oxymoron.
I remember reading about a study that was done (I think in the 50s) where people were give a series of pictures, and asked to identify each person by race. Most of the pictures were identified incorrectly! perhaps someday all this will be relegated to the dustbin of history.
2006-12-05 08:06:15 · answer #2 · answered by bata4689 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jewish is both an ethnicity and a religion. You can be an "ethnic Jew" and not a religious Jew, or vice versa. Jews are from Israel, by the way. And yes, according to their tradition, the ancestry follows the maternal line - if your mother is Jewish, you are considered Jewish.
2006-12-05 07:13:45 · answer #3 · answered by Heidi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Judiasim is a faith Jews refers to a collection of human beings that follow Judaism. Calling Jews a race is like calling Muslims a race-- it would not make experience. Now, in the experience that they are what some might want to call "ethnic Jews" and ethnic Jews are those who're Hebrew. Being Hebrew is an ethnicity and being Jewish is a faith. Many Jews are Hebrew, yet many are also not. purely 0.222% of the international's inhabitants practices Judaism. even if the possibilities you understand an "ethnic Jew" are VERYVERY slender to none. perhaps in the experience that they stay in Israel/Palestine or lived contained in the middle East. yet except that, no.
2016-11-23 18:30:51 · answer #4 · answered by zabel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have a Strong JEWISH back ground then you would know what is in relation to your question. True Jews pass down inherent Genes. Just as Africans do as Indians do as Asians do. As Whites we pass on genes the other people of different Continental backgrounds do not. So there are definitely differences in our as one human race.
2006-12-05 07:21:49 · answer #5 · answered by afishmaan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An Irish guy is from Ireland and a Jewish guy is from Jerusalem(Isreal).. But you can also be a Jew if you choose to be Jewish... but you can't drink to become Irish.
2006-12-05 07:14:38 · answer #6 · answered by Joe_shmoe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK my step grandmother is back ground there middle eastern blood and European mixed. She is Jewish and her dad was etc/etc for hundreds for years+ My step grandmother Nicest lady! But some others are the same example Romain's, Turks they've got some middle Eastern blood in them too but different religion like Geek orthodontics. Thanks Michael, I was starting to confuse myself
2006-12-05 07:15:54 · answer #7 · answered by Monet 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all three, a race a culture and a religion.
2006-12-05 07:11:33 · answer #8 · answered by rchlbsxy2 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's a culture/religion
2006-12-05 07:13:31 · answer #9 · answered by Teresa P 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are confusing the race with the religion.
2006-12-05 07:17:14 · answer #10 · answered by BAnne 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋