What makes a person jewish? Would you consider an ethnic person jewish?

Answer 1

There are French Jews, Moroccan Jews, Ethiopian jews, Chinese jews, American Indian Jews, Yeminite Jews, Italian Jews, German jews, Polish jews, Russian Jews, Israeli Jews, British Jews, Spanish Jews, Iraqui Jews, Egyptian Jews- in fact Jews of every ethnicity and population group. Jews are followers of a religion called Judaism.

You are Jewish if you were born to a Jewish mother or convert to the Jewish religion. Last time I checked, you couldn't convert to an ethnicity or race!

Answer 2

A person is Jewish if they are born to a Jewish mother, or if they convert.
Generally speaking, if a person's mother thinks she's Jewish, we can assume she's Jewish. (Although nowadays, things are bit more complicated).
In order to convert, they'd have to study Judaism for a year or two, prove that they have no ulterior motives for converting, immerse in a mikva (ritual bath), and, if male, get circumcised. (Orthodox Jews insist on all of the above, Conservative Jews are less stringent, and Reform Jews have pretty much done away with the requirments. So a convert could be considered Jewish by some people, and not Jewish by others. That's what I meant before when I said things were more complicated nowadays).
What exactly do you mean by "ethinic Jewish"? If you mean a Jew who doesn't keep the Torah, then yes. A person who was born Jewish is always considered Jewish, even if s/he is secular. Even if s/he converts to another religion, for that matter.
If you mean a born gentile who loves gefilte fish and synagogue services, and decides on that basis that he "feels Jewish", the answer is no.

Answer 3

By Jewish law, a person is Jewish if their mother was Jewish, and her mother before her, etc.

Being Jewish is passed down by the mother, only.

Tribal Affiliation is passed down by the father, only.

It is impossible to be 1/2 Jewish or 1/4 Jewish, or whatever, by Jewish law. Either your mother was Jewish, so you are Jewish, or she wasn't, and you aren't. There are no in between or partial stages of it. Either you are Jewish or you aren't.

For those who are not born Jewish, anyone can convert to Judaism, as long as they do it according to Jewish law.

Any children born before a female convert finishes the process of conversion, will not be considered as Jewish. They will have to convert later, if they so desire.

Judaism frowns on converting children not old enough to make up their own minds about it, because Jews are subject to so much hate and murder over the centuries we do not feel that we can just convert anyone without their full understanding of what it means to be a Jew.

Any children born after a woman converts, however, are Jewish.

I don't know what you mean by "would you consider an ethnic person Jewish." I'll try to see if I can get what you mean though.

If you mean, can other than white people convert to Judaism, of course they can, and do.

If you mean, is there anyone other than white people Jews by birth, yes of course. There are Ethiopian Jews by birth, for instance, and Jews from India by birth. There are Yemenites who are Jews by birth, and Pashtans, and all kinds of non-white peoples.

Hope this helped answer your questions. Be well.

Answer 4

To be Jewish is in fact two different things. There are Jewish people as it relates to ethnicity and then there are Jews as if refers to Judaism/Religion. They are not always the same thing... since there are people of other nationalities and ethnic groups that convert to the Jewish Religion of Judaism and call themselves Jews. There are also "secular" Jewish people that do not practice religion.

This is the only "label" that is used both to describe an ethnic/nationality group and a religion.

Answer 5

An ethnic person can join the Jewish religion and call themselves a Jew but there's more to being a Jew than the religion.It's also a cultural thing. You have to be an Israelite or a descendant of them to be jewish all the way through.
Sammy Davis Junior was a black Jew..

Answer 6

Ethnicity has nothing to do with it. You are either born Jewish by virtue of your mother and/or father (depending on the branch of Judaism) being Jewish, or if you convert. Period.

Answer 7

Judaism is a religion, has nada to do with ethnicity. If you mom is Jewish, you are considered to be Jewish also.

Answer 8

What makes a person Jewish is not a matter of ethnicity but belief. Sammy Davis Jr. was Jewish and was a black person.

Answer 9

Judaism is an ethnicity!

Pronunciation: 'eth-nik
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin ethnicus, from Greek ethnikos national, gentile, from ethnos nation, people; akin to Greek Ethos custom -- more at SIB
1 : HEATHEN
2 a : of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background b : being a member of a specified ethnic group c : of, relating to, or characteristic of ethnics
Function: noun
: a member of an ethnic group; especially : a member of a minority group who retains the customs, language, or social views of the group

Main Entry: Jew·ish
Pronunciation: 'jü-ish
Function: adjective
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews; also : being a Jew
- Jew·ish·ly adverb
- Jew·ish·ness noun
Main Entry: Jew
Pronunciation: 'jü
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French ju, jeu, from Latin Judaeus, from Greek Ioudaios, from Hebrew YehudhI, from YehudhAh Judah, Jewish kingdom
1 a : a member of the tribe of Judah b : ISRAELITE
2 : a member of a nation existing in Palestine from the sixth century B.C. to the first century A.D.
3 : a person belonging to a continuation through descent or conversion of the ancient Jewish people
4 : one whose religion is Judaism

Answer 10

You have to be born of a Jewish mother..