when asked "what is your ethnicity?"... why do Jewish people say, "I'm Jewish" or....?

Question

Or they'll say, "I'm half Jewish, half Italian(for example)".... isn't being Jewish about religion, and not an "ethnicity"??????

Answer 1

Well, traditionally, the Jewish are the Hebrew people, one group of people. Their ancestors were Jewish, and their children will be Jewish, because it's their history. So many do consider it to be an ethnicity.

Answer 2

LaurenLo I have to say you are a little wrong in your answer. When someone asks me ethnicity, I answer Russian and American, when they ask my race, I tell them Black and when they ask my religion I tell them Jewish. Your ethnicity has nothing to do with your race. Your race is just a color, your ethnicity is your family's country of origin. I'm a mixture of tons of stuff but I make sure I say all of what I am. Some Jewish people do consider their ethnicity to be Jewish, and its because they view their family's country of origin being Israel. Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity. You can be ethnically Jewish and not religiously Jewish, or you can be ethnically French and religiously Jewish.

Answer 3

I don't believe I'm the only person who'd answer "I'm Jewish".
It is as much an ethnicity, aka a culture, as any other. As well as *also* being a religion. You can be a cultural Jew but not a religiously-observant Jew. You can also convert to the religion without having been brought up in the culture. Yes, it's no wonder other people get confused.
And, no, it is *not* synonymous with being Israeli!
Actually, Jews have several cultures--Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Mizrachi, etc. We share our venerable religion, but the other aspects of a culture (traditions of foodways, clothing, everyday language, etc) vary. I'm an Ashkenazic Jew. And proud to say so!

Answer 4

Many Jews consider Judaism to be more of a cultural heritage than a religion. (I for one). Judaism is not really about -belief- in the way that Christianity is, it's more about principles and ethics, and also traditions.

For centuries in Europe, Jews were a people apart. They spoke a different language, wore different clothes, ate different foods, celebrated different holidays from the others in the same countries. Most of the Jews in the US, when their grandparents came here they wanted to blend in, to be Americans, but to hold onto their Jewish roots. So while my grandparents came from Ukraine and Hungary, I don't think of my heritage as Ukrainian or Hungarian, but as Jewish.

The word 'ethnicity' can sometimes mean race and sometimes culture. If a blonde, blue-eyed person is born and raised in El Salvador, then moves to the US, is that person a Hispanic? Or do you have to be dark and have black hair to be Hispanic?

Answer 5

Being Jewish is a non secular perception. Being a Semite is general the race that Jewish human beings are. yet no longer all Jewish human beings are Semites. no longer all Semites are Jewish. Being a Semite is likewise the race maximum Arabs are. Being Aryan is being Northern German and Iranian. sure the Iranians are no longer Arabic. they do no longer communicate Arabic, they communicate Farsi. i'm a Jewish Semite. I call myself an American without hyphen or fractions. only as i'm pleased with my Jewish faith, i'm proud to be an American.

Answer 6

although many Jewish people who can trace their hertiaage back to Bible days may not all look the same, it is a unique culture with unique practices. Besides white european looking jews, there are asian jews, south african jews and Ethopian jews, all of which share common ancentors (proven thru DNA). so being Jewish isn't about a 'race' its about the practices and culture they share.

Answer 7

Jewish is just the "old" word for Israeli...it means the same. It doesn't have anything to do with religion.

Answer 8

If you are asked your ethnicity you will answer with your race such as Caucasian or African American. The only time someone would have to answer Jewish is if they were asked for their religious beliefs.

Answer 9

it is both
but without Jesus the Messiah one cant truely be Jewish spiritually, as predicted in Isaiah 53 that he will be despised and rejected and we would hide our faces from him, and he would die to make atonement for our sins
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Answer 10

Don't get bothered too much, the ones who said such thing are just fanatic persons.
You're right about that, it's not an ethnicity!