Jewish ancestry???

Question

My ancestors were Jewish from my dad's side, and were forced to convert to Christianity during the spanish inquistion. I have always had a special interest in the Jewsih culture and religion. Not so long ago I found out about my ancestors [not to mention all the crap and persecution they had to put up with ever since they were slaves in Sicily] and I felt even more interested in the Jewsih culture, I really like it and might someday convert to Judaism but could I identify myself as jewish? I know in orthodox judaism you are only jewish if your mother is jewish but jews are decendents of Abraham and since my ancestors were jewish aren't I a decendent of Abraham? And then I have heard I am jewish but not by religion [or yet anyway] so I'm confused, It's very sad that because of anti-semitism I'm not jewish. And most of my family is Christian so they had told me about Jesus and what not but that never made sence to me [though perhaps that has nothing to do with the jewish ancestry].

toda raba for your answers =]

Answer 1

You are not Jewish, but you are welcome to convert. Go and learn, and you will know what you want.

Your Jewish ancestry can be a deeply meaningful thing to you, and you can explore it, feel good about it, and never convert. And that's fine too.

To me, the fact that you have always had a special interest in Jewish culture and religion, even before you knew about your background, speaks volumes. Maybe somehow you always knew.

Edit:

Aynsof is mistaken on two points:

1. There are no Jewish communities that will consider you Jewish at this point. However, you should certainly learn about various streams of Judaism to help you understand what you want. It is true, however, that only an Orthodox conversion will be universally accepted by the other movements.

2. Also, this is NOT between you and God. It is between you and the community. You are talking about joining a community. It is the rules of that community that determine whether or not you are a member. This is true for how to join the Y!A community, how to join a tennis club, and how to get citizenship in a new country. It is also true for how to join the Jewish community.

Answer 2

Just so you know, a Jew being someone from a Jewish mother (or someone who converts in accordance with Jewish law) is not "orthodox Judaism's" definition, it's the Torah's definition. The reason it gets associated with orthodoxy and not with reform is because orthodoxy is based on following the Torah, while reform is not. To understand where "orthodox" and "reform" and "conservative" come from, and what they mean, check out this essay: http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/ReformConservativeOrthodox.htm

If your father's side is Jewish, and your mother's side is not, then you are not a Jew, and that's the bottom line. I know a guy in that same situation, who was considered a Jew by the reform movement, but as he grew, intellectually and spiritually, he realized that he wanted to be a Jew by G-d's definition, not just by the reform movement's definition. So he converted. Now, he's one of the most scrupulously observant Jews I know.

So, to re-cap, if your Mom is Jewish, then you're Jewish, regardless of what religion you practice or don't practice. If you are not born Jewish, but convert to Judaism according to Torah law, then you become a Jew - a spiritual descendant of Avraham and Sarah, a "graft" onto our family tree, as it were. And a Jew-by-choice is absolutely, 100% Jewish.

Some people refer to those with patralineal Jewish heritage as "half-Jewish." It's essntially a meaningless term, with no correlation to Judaism. I do believe there may be one distinction between a person with a Jewish father, however, and no Jewish parents at all. I believe someone whose father is Jewish, if they express a wish to convert, they are accepted and begin the conversion process immediately. One with no Jewish ancestry is discouraged repeatedly in order to ensure their sincerity.

So, forgive me for being blunt here but I just want to be absolutely clear on the matter, no, you can't call yourself Jewish. I mean, you can call yourself whatever you want - but if you call yourself Jewish, it wouldn't be true. If and when you convert to Judaism, again, using the Torah as a guide, under the auspices of a reputable beis din (rabbinical court), you absolutely can identify yourself is Jewish, because that is what you would be.

I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Answer 3

You are not considered Jewish. A person is Jewish if: 1) She/he has a Jewish mother, or: 2) She/he converted to Judaism according to Jewish law, which nowadays means an Orthodox conversion. Reform Jews will consider you Jewish.

Answer 4

you will be suprised at how many people are in your same situation. if you talk to a rabbi, they will most likely seem not nice, they will straight up tell you that you are not jewish, but dont listen to them honey. the matriarchal decent of judaism has been around for a while now, and even if your moms side isnt jewish, you have the heart of israel in you. your ancestors are a big part of who you are no matter what anyone says, i suggest you find out everything you can about your family, if you believe in god then talk to a rabbi about conversion, i know it is unfair that children of jewish fathers and not mothers are considered the bastard children of judaism, but dont let that get you down, be proud of who you are, even if you never convert you can still live with the satisfaction of knowing where you came from and be proud of a people that you rightly belong to.

Answer 5

You'll many people like yourself with Jewish Iberian ancestry, now trying to reconnect with their Jewish heritage.

Conversion to Judaism is an option but it's not a necessity.

Your ancestors followed the Torah, and so can you:
http://www.highcouncilofbneinoah.org/Home.aspx

Answer 6

To answer your question say you have Jewish ancestry, that would be the truth would it not?

Its better to avoid classifying yourself as Jewish or not until the point you formally convert or decide not to.

I would suggest in the mean time that you explore your ancestors history, culture, and religion and find out for yourself it you want to embrace it or not.

Best of luck on whatever path you chose to take.

Answer 7

The female line is how the ancestry is counted in Judaism because it cannot be faked.We did not know about DNA back then.As your ancestry was Jewish in Spain you might try to find out how many others of your Spanish relatives intermarried with other converts to find out how jewish you are.Find a rabbi and see if they know of any way to help you on your quest to find your roots. good luck!!!

Answer 8

It sounds like you've already done research about Conversos or Crypto Jews. You have a rich heritage! I hope you pursue it with a rabbi. If you think you can be observant of the laws (kashrut, keeping the Sabbath), then start with an Orthodox rabbi. Conservative and Reform congregations are less observant -- or not observant at all.

If you want to become a Jew, do it!

Reform Jew-by-choice
.
.

Answer 9

While the ultra orthodox Jews in Israel have taken it upon themselves to decide who is Jewish and who isn't, modern Judaism does not think in such absolute terms. If you decide to convert to Judaism, there are many Jewish communities who will accept you as legitimate. Ultimately, this is a question to be resolved between you and God.

Answer 10

Once you get past your own 'jewishness' and the trials thereof, you may notice we are all the descendants of Abraham.
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed; because thou has obeyed my voice. -Genesis 22:17-18.
We are all a blessed family of God.