Masorti Judaism!!!!?

Question

My mom and dad raised me Jewish (even though they are a christian and Atheist)

They Had my Foreskin Removed when i was a baby!!!!!


And Now someone Tells me I cant be Jewish Becase it is an Ethnic Thing!! (BTW that was my Aunt, you know the one that is Married to a Pentacostal Preacher)
How Dare She insult me! I have jumped from religion to religion over the past 3 years and now she tells me that i cant practice My ORIGINAL religion because of my Ethnicity?????
And here i thought that CHRISTIANS (Believe they) worship the same god as Jews?!?!?!?!?!?

do you think that you can only practice the Jewish faith if you are a jew (in ethnicity)?
Because i know that the sons of Abraham are the chosen people of God but we aer all brothers in this world, we all share a Common ancestor (Adam/Noah)

Answer 1

"Jews are a people,"writes Julius Lester, a convert to Judaism. " They are of many nationalities and tongues-atheists, agnostic, and some who practice Zen meditation and chant Buddhist mantras and sing Hindu hymns. Yet they are Jews That is what is so confusing to others about being Jewish. It is not a belief system or even subscribing to a particular religious practice. It is belonging to a people, not only those living but also those who are not"....In terms of ethnicity, Irish-American Jews, African-American Jews, Italian-American Jews, and Japanese-American Jews are redefining the Jewish nose, the Jewish menu, the Jewish name.... An authentic sense of being Jewish-of Jewishness-is available only to those who live as Jews, who do Jewish. "Whether we are born Jewish or have converted to Judaism, we are all Jews-by-choice."

I hope that answers your question. Jews come in all shapes, colors, and sizes around the world. God Bless and Keep you shalom.

Answer 2

Judaism is a RELIGION NOT an ethnicity or a race. People can convert to Judaism- you cannot convert to an ethnicity or race!

If you really want to be Jewish, it doesn't matter whether you have been circumcised or not, or how many laws you know and follow- you have to go through a formal conversion. Knowing Jewish laws will cut down the necessary study time to convert- but the conversion is still necessary. Without a formal conversion, unless you were born to a Jewish mother you are NOT considered Jewish.

From the Orthodox viewpoint (and Masorti does most of this, but is not as strict on the study or on keeping some of the rules Orthodox Judaism)
1) You need to study in a formal programme in which you get taught what you need to know about Judaism- including the prayers, laws and customs. If you already know this, you can do this a lot faster than normal or even have it completely waived if your knowledge is good enough. (I know of one case where somebody who had been brought up believing he was a Jew discovered that he wasn't shortly before he finished studying to be a Rabbi- he was not required to do any studying at all, after all, it was obvious he was committed and knew the laws, and could move straight on to points 2 and 3)
2) For a man- if uncircumcised, get circumcised. If already circumcised a symbolic drop of blood is drawn and the blessing for the circumcision recited.
3) Immerse in a mikveh (a ritual bath)
The process has to be overseen by a Rabbinical court of at least 3 members- if they are satisfied with the process they will issue a document formalising your conversion. Without that- no one is going to accept you as jewish no matter how much you claim to be one.

Answer 3

OK, I'm Jewish and let me give you the truth:

1) Judaism is not an ethnicity, it's not a race, it's not a nation---***it's a religion***. Your ethnicity has nothing to do with it, and you can tell your Aunt she doesn't have the faintest idea of what she's talking about.

2) On the other hand, just being circumcised isnt' enough. Depending upon the branch of Judaism one is talking about, unless at least one parent is Jewish then neither are you, unless you convert. Judaism welcomes converts--if you're interested, then please talk to a local rabbi who can most definitely help you through the process. Once you have converted, by the way, it is forbiddent to mention the fact that you **did** convert--you are considered as Jewish as someone who is born Jewish.

Answer 4

you CAN be jewish, you're just not jewish RIGHT NOW. if you want to be jewish, just convert.

now, i'm having a hard time believing you could possibly be raised "jewishly" by two non-jews. especially since you clearly didn't even know how judaism defines a jew, which is very basic knowledge of judaism.

Answer 5

Why would two people rase their kid to be Jewish if they were not Jewish themselves?

This sounds like BS