Fellow Red Sea Pedestrians aka Jews?

Question

If you're asked by non Jews to define being Jewish, what is your answer? I've heard and read Jews describe themselves as part of:

a) a religion

b) a nation

c) a people

d) a race

e) an ethnic group

With which do you agree? A combination of these or just one? Please explain your choice, thank you.

Kindly note: anyone who uses this post to bash Israel or Judaism or zionism, will be blocked; I hate having to block anyone but I will if I have to :)

comment to Ultra: yes, I know, I was just curious about what people here thought because my own Jewish friends don't agree on exactly 'what' we are!

Answer 1

Interesting question, and one that has helped me learn a lot.

A) Clearly, there is a religion called Judaism, a set of ideas, and the way we should live our lives that is called "Judaism." and it is studied in Religious Studies. HOWEVER, many people who call themselves Jews do not believe in that religion at all! More than half of Jews in Israel today call themselves "secular," and don't believe in G-d.
Clearly, then, there is more to being Jewish than just a religion.

B) The traditional explanation, and the one given in the Torah, is that the Jews are a nation. This means in the ancient sense a group of people with a common history, a common destiny, and a sense that we are all connected to each other. Unfortunately, in modern times, the term "nation" has become too contaminated by ugly, jingoistic notions of a country obsessed with its own superiority and bent on world domination.
Because of the inaccurate connotations that have attached itself to the term "nation," it can no longer be used to accurately describe the Jewish people.

D) In the 1980s, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Jews are a race. Their reasoning: at the time these laws were passed, people spoke of the "the "Italian race" as well as the "Negro race," so that is what the legislators intended to protect. BUT, Jews are clearly not a race.
Race is a genetic distinction, and refers to people with shared ancestry and shared genetic traits. You can't change your race; it's in your DNA. I could never become black or Asian no matter how much I might want to. Many Jews worldwide share common ancestry, as shown by genetic research; however, you can be a Jew without sharing this common ancestry, for example, by converting. Thus, although I could never become black or Asian, blacks and Asians have become Jews.

E) Most secular American Jews think of their Jewishness as a matter of culture or ethnicity. But, what is the culture of Ashkenazic Jews (latkes, gefilte fish, matzah balls, etc.), is not the culture of Sephardic Jews (bourekas, spinach, etc.).
There are certainly cultural traits and behaviors that are shared by many Jews, that make us feel more comfortable with other Jews, however, that culture is not shared by all Jews all over the world, and people who do not share it are no less Jews because of it. Thus, Judaism must be something more than an ethnic group.

And so, we reach the conclusion that the Jews are a People (C), and that the Jewish People are a family. it is certainly not a new concept: throughout the Bible, the Jewish people are referred to as "the Children of Israel," a reference to the fact that we are all the physical or spiritual descendants of the Patriarch Jacob, later called Israel. In other words, we are part of his extended family.

Like a family, we don't always agree with each other. We often argue and criticize each other. We hold each other to the very highest standards, knowing that the shortcomings of any member of the family will be held against all of us. But when someone outside of the family unfairly criticizes a family member or the family as a whole, we are quick to join together in opposition to that unfair criticism. And when a member of our "family" accomplishes something significant, we all feel proud.

Thanks for the thought-provoking question. Take care, my fellow family member.......

Answer 2

Great question! Jews are not a race. The races are Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negroid. Some say the aborigines of Australia are a distince race as well. Jews come from many different places and so Jews can be any one of the races (well, probably except for the Australian aborigines! ;>) Judaism is a monotheistic religion. Jews are a people which I believe means "a culture." Jews are a nation in Israel. I'm not sure about the ethnic group category; If ethnicity means country of origin, then I'd have to say no to that one. Thanks, paperback_writer!

Answer 3

According to Jewish law, anyone whose mother is Jewish is also Jewish, but a person whose father is Jewish, and whose mother is not Jewish, is not Jewish unless he or she converts to Judaism. In other words, what makes a person Jewish is their mitochondria. (For those of you who do not know this, mitochondrial DNA comes only from one's mother, unlike regular DNA, which comes from both parents.)

Therefore, a is false, in that not every person whose mother is Jewish practices the religion. Also, b, c, d, and e are false in that these are determined equally by maternal and paternal lineage. Also, d is false in that persons of many different races have converted to become Jews.

Answer 4

All of the above are valid, if you know the Torah, history, and you have common sense.
Fact remains that Jews are the most closely tight-knit, unified ancient people in the world, so that's saying a lot there.

Answer 5

No he would retire an extremely rich guy And his Marine Salvaging organisation would be booming.. He would amplify his organisation hobbies to the North Sea, Atlantic, Channel ...hmmm ask your self whether there's a Mrs Moses? * rubs chin contemplatively *

Answer 6

I would say a and b.

We are a nation that is defined by its religion, whether it is actively practiced or not. This definition is a timeless one, relevant today, 3000 years ago, and far into the future.

Answer 7

c)

Chosen by God, promised the Holy Land Israel, persecuted world wide...