What makes a person Jewish?

Answer 1

There are a combination of things that makes Jews Jewish. One of the most obvious is that they practice Judaism. Just like a Muslim practices Islam and Christians practice Christianity, the Jew practices Judaism.

There is also a Semitic race called Hebrews, whose Jewish descendants are Jews by definition.

So you can be ethnically Jewish and/or you can practice Judaism. Judaism is the oldest continuously practiced religion in the world. It contains many unique practices. Also, many of the laws that are practiced in the Western countries are directly attributable to the Jewish social laws.

Answer 2

A person is a Jew if they have a Jewish mother or have converted, whether or not they are practicing Jews religiously.

Answer 3

Someone who is a Jew is obligated by Jewish Law to keep the Mitzvot (Commandments). This is the meaning of "the chosen nation" - a nation chosen by God to keep his Torah. Though it may have an associated culture and one or more associated languages, the traditional definition of Judaism is the observance of the Torah, which is why dictionaries define Judaism as "the religion of Moses."

Answer 2

Different movements have different methods for determining Jewish identity.

Hasidic and Modern Orthodox Jews accept only matrilineal Jewish descent or Orthodox converts. Conservative/Masorti Jews also only accept matrilineal Jewish descent or Conservative or Orthodox Converts. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews accept both matrilineal and patrilineal descent, but patrilineal descent is only accepted if the child was raised Jewish. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews also accept converts from all the movements within mainstream Rabbinical Judaism.

Answer 2

If your mother is Jewish, or if you convert to Judaism following the laws of conversion specified by Judaism.

Answer 3

The only way to accurately determine a person's religious affiliation is to ask him.

If he prefers not to answer your question, then you still don't know; but there's

no other sure method.

Answer 4

A person becomes Jewish by either being born to a Jewish woman or converting according to Jewish law. If a person wants their conversion to be recognised by all Jewish groups they would need to undergo orthodox conversion which can take anywhere from 1-6 years of study.

Answer 5

Jews are different because they keep the 613commandments given to them from Gcd via Moses at Sinai about 3,000 years ago. As a results there are many popular foods they cannot eat and they may not marry non-Jews.

Answer 6

Answer 1

Because we are the descendants of the first Jews (whose history you can read about in the book of Genesis, from ch.11 onwards).

Answer 2

Jews are an ethno-religious group. Technically, a Jew is anyone either born of a Jewish mom or converted of his own free will and effort. A person's place of birth, or the level of their practice of Jewish law and tradition, are entirely irrelevant.

Note: Most Reform communities will accept a child born to a non-Jewish mother and Jewish father as Jewish if, and only if, the child is raised as a Jew. However, individuals raised in such a manner are not accepted as Jews by other groups.

Answer 3

Most Karaite Jews, a minor sect of Judaism, consider only Patrilineal Jews to be Jews. Karaite scholar Nehemia Gordon notes:

Most Karaites believe in patrilineal descent, meaning that if your father is Jewish than you are Jewish. This is based primarily on the fact that all descent in The Bible goes according to the male line. Some Karaites believe that both parents must be Jewish. However, anyone who 1) is circumcised [males only], 2) accepts the God of Israel [YHWH] as their own God, and 3) accepts the People of Israel as their own people is a full-fledged Jew [Israelite], see Exodus 12,43-49 and Ruth 1,16.

Answer 7

According to Jewish law, a person who is born to a Jewish woman or who halachicly (following Jewish law) converts to Judaism is a Jew.

The Reform movement considers children who are born to a Jewish man and non-Jewish woman, who are raised as Jews, to be Jews.

Answer 8

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.

Hebrews, Israelites, Jews - the same people in successive eras:

• Hebrews
  

Abraham is called a Hebrew (Genesis ch.14) because "Hebrews" (Ivrim) means descendants of Eber (Ever). Ever was a Western Semite and an ancestor of Abraham (Genesis ch.10-11), and the early Hebrews were Abraham's uncles and cousins for several generations back. They lived in the Fertile Crescent, in northern Mesopotamia, west of the Euphrates river. Abraham was born in the city of Ur (in Mesopotamia; now Iraq).In 1934-39, excavations were conducted at ancient Mari on the Euphrates River. They found that ancient towns were named after the ancestors (Genesis ch.11) of Abraham:
The "city of Nahor" was found near the city of Haran which exists to this day. Equally clear signs of early Hebrew residence appear in the names of other towns nearby: Serug (Assyrian Sarugi), Terah (Til Turakhi, "Mound of Terah"), and Peleg (Paliga, on the Euphrates near the mouth of the Habur). All these names are found in Genesis ch.11.

In Ur, Abraham first repudiated idolatry. He then sojourned in Harran (Syria) for several years, and then lived most of his life in Canaan (Israel). It was in Canaan that Abraham lived most of his life, made a covenant with God (Genesis ch.15), and raised a family to be the center of carrying on his traditions (Genesis 18:19).

• Israelites
  

Abraham's chosen son was Isaac (Genesis ch.21). Isaac's son Jacob was blessed by God, who renamed him, calling him Israel (Genesis ch.35), which is why Jews are also called Israelites.

Abraham's family carried on his teachings voluntarily. Judaism as a binding, permanent entity, was set forth between God and the Israelite nation descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at Mount Sinai in the time of Moses (Exodus ch.19, ch.24, and 34:27).All of the above places are in the ancient Fertile Crescent.

Link: Abraham's biography

• Jews
  

Jacob had 12 sons, who fathered the 12 Israelite tribes. The Israelites worshiped One God.

One thousand years after Jacob, ten of the tribes were exiled by the Assyrians, to points unknown. The only complete tribes left were Judah and Benjamin; plus part of Levi. The few thousands who remained from the other tribes joined the Tribe of Judah; and modern Jews are mostly descendants of Judah (hence the word "Jew").

This tradition has been substantiated by DNA analysis of Jewish communities all over the world, showing them to be inter-related and of Middle Eastern origin. The Cohanim, a family of the tribe of Levi, also share common genetics.

We possess the names and dates of our ancestors and leaders in an unbroken chain for 3800 years.

In 2000, Nicholas Wade concluded that his DNA study "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

Abraham was a historical person, as recorded in the Book of Genesis; and his gravesite is known to this day, in the Machpelah at Hebron, Israel. He is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, comprising over three billion people. The Jewish people have attested to his existence for 3800 years, and his name is mentioned by several ancient non-Jewish historians as far back as 2,300 years ago.

See also the other Related Links.

Link: What race were the Israelites?

Link: Jewish ancestry

Link: Archaeology

Answer 9

What Makes a Jew a Jew
Jews are Jews primarily because they are either (1) born to Jews, (2) raised in Jewish household, or (3) convert to Judaism at some point in their lives. Jews are an ethno-religious group, which means that it has some aspects of a religion, such as particular supernatural beliefs, and some aspects of an ethnicity, such as a unique culture and distinctiveness.

Why Would a Jew Continue to Choose to Be a Jew
There is a common saying among Jews that having two Jews yields three opinions, since Jews rarely agree on anything. As a result, I will put my views below and the fourteen million others of us may be free to join in on what they value about being Jews.

Firstly, being Jewish means being granted a front-row seat to a tradition that has existed for over three thousand years, its festivals and its feasts, its celebrations and its calamities. It means being a part of civilization that witnessed numerous proud and noble empires rise and fall, outliving all of them, as well as building its own states subject to the same laws. It means being part of a select group that has inordinately contributed to the strength and vitality of the human endeavor. It means being part of a community that values both reason and faith as pillars of wisdom and direction. It is being among people who seek to determine ways in which we can benefit the world, rebuilding it by the strength of our hands, the love in our hearts, and faith in our Creator. Jews are the perpetual Others, gifted with the unique ability to comment on the rest of the world and serving as a litmus test of decency or travesty, critiquing the successes and failures of other civilizations in their greatest heights and lowest improprieties. I also see a community that encourages dissent and disagreement without supporting discord or chaos, enshrining religious disagreements along with its sacred texts. Being Jewish means being a member of a group that values dissent as a way of reaching a better and more developed truth, rather than a form of insubordination.

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.

Hebrews, Israelites, Jews - the same people in successive eras:

• Hebrews
  

Abraham is called a Hebrew (Genesis ch.14) because "Hebrews" (Ivrim) means descendants of Eber (Ever). Ever was a Western Semite and an ancestor of Abraham (Genesis ch.10-11), and the early Hebrews were Abraham's uncles and cousins for several generations back. They lived in the Fertile Crescent, in northern Mesopotamia, west of the Euphrates river. Abraham was born in the city of Ur (in Mesopotamia; now Iraq).In 1934-39, excavations were conducted at ancient Mari on the Euphrates River. They found that ancient towns were named after the ancestors (Genesis ch.11) of Abraham:
The "city of Nahor" was found near the city of Haran which exists to this day. Equally clear signs of early Hebrew residence appear in the names of other towns nearby: Serug (Assyrian Sarugi), Terah (Til Turakhi, "Mound of Terah"), and Peleg (Paliga, on the Euphrates near the mouth of the Habur). All these names are found in Genesis ch.11.

In Ur, Abraham first repudiated idolatry. He then sojourned in Harran (Syria) for several years, and then lived most of his life in Canaan (Israel). It was in Canaan that Abraham lived most of his life, made a covenant with God (Genesis ch.15), and raised a family to be the center of carrying on his traditions (Genesis 18:19).

• Israelites
  

Abraham's chosen son was Isaac (Genesis ch.21). Isaac's son Jacob was blessed by God, who renamed him, calling him Israel (Genesis ch.35), which is why Jews are also called Israelites.

Abraham's family carried on his teachings voluntarily. Judaism as a binding, permanent entity, was set forth between God and the Israelite nation descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at Mount Sinai in the time of Moses (Exodus ch.19, ch.24, and 34:27).All of the above places are in the ancient Fertile Crescent.

Link: Abraham's biography

• Jews
  

Jacob had 12 sons, who fathered the 12 Israelite tribes. The Israelites worshiped One God.

One thousand years after Jacob, ten of the tribes were exiled by the Assyrians, to points unknown. The only complete tribes left were Judah and Benjamin; plus part of Levi. The few thousands who remained from the other tribes joined the Tribe of Judah; and modern Jews are mostly descendants of Judah (hence the word "Jew").

This tradition has been substantiated by DNA analysis of Jewish communities all over the world, showing them to be inter-related and of Middle Eastern origin. The Cohanim, a family of the tribe of Levi, also share common genetics.

We possess the names and dates of our ancestors and leaders in an unbroken chain for 3800 years.

In 2000, Nicholas Wade concluded that his DNA study "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

Abraham was a historical person, as recorded in the Book of Genesis; and his gravesite is known to this day, in the Machpelah at Hebron, Israel. He is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, comprising over three billion people. The Jewish people have attested to his existence for 3800 years, and his name is mentioned by several ancient non-Jewish historians as far back as 2,300 years ago.

See also the other Related Links.

Link: What race were the Israelites?

Link: Jewish ancestry

Link: Archaeology