How do you be Jewish?

Answer 1

Jewish tradition states that a Jew is any person whose mother was Jewish (Talmud, Kidushin 68b), or any person who has gone through a proper conversion to Judaism (Talmud, Yevamot 47a).

The word "Jew" (in Hebrew, "Yehudi") is derived from the name of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and one of the Twelve Tribes of the Israelites. The Jewish people are descendants of Abraham, whose Semitic ancestors lived in the Fertile Crescent and who lived most of his life in the Middle Eastern country of Israel (Canaan) 3800 years ago.

Jews themselves express their Judaism by keeping the Torah. See the attached Related Question.

Answer 2

If you are not born Jewish, it is possible to become Jewish through conversion. First, you have to convince a Rabbi to assist you with your conversion, tradition (based on the story of Ruth's conversion) holds that a potential convert is turned away three times. An Orthodox conversion requires 1-6 years of study. After this, the potential convert goes before a beit din (religious court) then goes to mikvah (ritual bath). Male converts also have to be circumcised.

Once a person goes through a valid conversion, they are seen as a Jew in every sense as if they were born one.

Answer 3

Becoming a Jew takes study. The amount of study depends on the synagogue or local community. After a period of study, The potential convert must undergo a beit din (interview process with 3 rabbis), mikveh (ritual immersion in a special bath), and if the person is a male, he must be circumsized or undergo hatafat dam brit if he is already circumcized.

Answer 4

The Jewish bloodline is passed from the mother, so if your mother is Jewish you are. That's why Isla Fisher (Confessions of a shopaholic) converted to Judaism so her daugther with Sasha Baren Cohen could be Jewish.

Ask your parents.

Answer 5

According to the laws of Judaism, any child born to a Jewish woman is a Jew. The father plays no role in determining if the child is Jewish (some Reform groups allow for the father or mother to determine if the child is Jewish).

Judaism is considered to have an ethno-religious clan structure as opposed to Christianity or Islam which have a purely theological structure. What this means in laymen's terms is that somebody can be ethnically Jewish without being religiously Jewish. This is similar to many less widespread religions like the Druze, Yazidi, Bahai'i, and many Native American Shamanist Traditions. If a child is born to a Christian or Moslem, by contrast, the child has to make the conscious choice to engage in that religion's theology to be considered a Christian or a Moslem.

Answer 6

Judaism does not proselytize or seek converts, but it does accept sincere converts.

Conversion is a life-changing and very serious undertaking and a potential convert should think it over carefully. It must not be done on a whim or because of temporary circumstances. One who converts is expected (from then on) to live as a Jew.

The first step would be, without outside help or influence, to get to know about Judaism. The person who felt interested should hang around a Jewish community in order to get a sense of whether Jews and Judaism as it is actually lived appeal to him/her. Also to do some reading. English-language books on Jewish thought and life can be found in Hebrew bookstores.

After that, the interested person would approach a Rabbi and ask about enrolling in a relevant formal course of study. This can last for several years and is an integral part of the process, since he/she will have to actually practice the religion.

Once that is completed, the convert immerses in a mikveh (ritual immersion); and, for uncircumcised males, undergoes circumcision.

Answer 7

1. You have to find and convince a Rabbi who will teach you about Judaism and help you with the conversion process. They're supposed to turn a potential convert away three times.
2. You have to study, anywhere from 1-6 years.
3. Once you have reached a certain point in your studies you have to go before a beit din (religious court) and convince the Rabbis that you are ready to become a Jew.
4. Both men and women go to mikvah (not together) which is a ritual bath, NOT the same as a baptism.
5. Men have to be circumcised. If they're already circumcised a symbolic circumcision is done.

Answer 8

Judaism does not proselytize or seek converts, but it does accept sincere converts.
The interested person would approach a Rabbi and ask about enrolling in a relevant formal course of study. This can last for several years and is an integral part of the process, since he/she will have to actually practice the religion.
Once that is completed, the convert immerses in a mikveh (ritual immersion); and, for uncircumcised males, undergoes circumcision.

Answer 9

Most Jews are "born Jewish" which is to say that they have a Jewish mother and are therefore born into the tradition. Only a minority are the result of conversions, almost exclusively initiated by the convert as Judaism opposes proselytization. See the answer from my colleague Dan Galilee for more specifics on conversion.

Answer 10

Jewish tradition states that a Jew is any person whose mother was Jewish (Talmud, Kidushin 68b), or any person who has gone through a proper conversion to Judaism (Talmud, Yevamot 47a).

• Link: About conversion
  

The word "Jew" (in Hebrew, "Yehudi") is derived from the name of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and one of the Twelve Tribes of the Israelites.

The Jewish people are descendants of Abraham, whose Semitic ancestors lived in the Fertile Crescent and who lived most of his life in the Middle Eastern country of Israel (Canaan) 3800 years ago.

Link: Abraham's biography