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Jewish law dictates that you are Jewish only if the woman who gave birth to you is, because when a baby is witnessed being born, you can't argue about who the mother is! However, without "100% absolute proof", there's no telling who the father could be. The law helps to ensure that regardless of the father's bloodline, since the mother is definitely Jewish, the Jewish race will continue. Judaism is one of the only religions that's also a race, so this is an important point. And since for thousands of years, someone, somewhere, is always trying to annihilate the entire Jewish population of the world, it's important to Jews that they're race, religion, & culture never be wiped off the face of the earth by anti-Semitic bigots.

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Q: Why are you only considered Jewish if your mother is?
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Can males be Jewish?

Of course, otherwise there'd be none of us around anymore. I think the question might be a little confused. Perhaps you've heard that according to Jewish law, a child is only considered Jewish if the child's mother is Jewish. But children of either gender born to a Jewish mother would be considered Jewish.


Why is a son whose mother only is Jewish is not considered Jewish?

If you are asking about the child of a Jewish parent and a non-Jewish parent, there are three possibilities:1. In traditional Judaism: a son or daughter is considered Jewish only if the mother is Jewish. The religion of the father does not matter. If the mother is not Jewish, then the child is not Jewish.2. In Reform Judaism (North America) and Liberal Judaism (U.K.): a child is considered Jewish if either parent is Jewish and the child is raised Jewish.3. In the Torah, in ancient times, a child was only considered Jewish if the father was Jewish. This practice ceased by the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, and is not followed today by any branch of Judaism.


Are Jews called Jews because of there religion or because of were they were born?

People are considered to be Jews if they convert to Judaism, or because their mother is Jewish. (In the Reform movement a person is considered Jewish if they have a Jewish father and are raised Jewish but don't have a Jewish mother.)


Is Barbara Hershey Jewish?

Her father was Jewish and her mother was a Presbyterian of Irish lineage. In Judaism, one is Jewish ONLY if one's birth mother is Jewish. The only other way to be Jewish is to convert. Since Barbara's mother was not Jewish and she never converted, that means Barbara Hershey is not Jewish. There is no such thing as "half-Jewish."


Was Victoria DiGiorgio Gotti Jewish?

Jewish law follows the mother . If the mother is Jewish so is the children. But this doe not mean the children practice the religion or even considered themselves to be Jewish. u


Why is it more important to most Jews that your mother is Jewish rather than if your father is Jewish?

According to Jewish law, a person is considered jewish only if he is born to a jewish mother. A jewish father alone does not make one jewish. The underlying rationale is that it is patently clear who the mother is; she is the one giving birth, but it may contentious who the father is.


Is it my mother or father that makes me Jewish?

According to Orthodox and Conservative law, you are only Jewish if your mother is Jewish. Reform Judaism recognizes you as Jewish if either parent is Jewish AND you were raised Jewish or have a Jewish identity.


If a dad is Jewish and the mother is Christian what are their children's religion?

Under Orthodox and Conservative belief, the child is a Christian. Under Reform belief, the child may be considered a Jew if and only if that child is raised Jewish.


How do you check if you are Jewish?

If your mother is Jewish so are you. If only your father is, you are not. As for your mother, she is only Jewish if at least her mother is Jewish and so on and so on. There is no such thing as half Jewish or 1/4 or 1/8 or 1/512.... You're either Jewish or not. And if you are Jewish I'll tell you this - Judaism isn't just your religion it is the wonderful life that you can live and it is a major privilege to be one. Blessings always.


Are you Jewish if only 1 set of great grandparents were Jewish?

According to Jewish law, you are only Jewish if you have a Jewish-born mother, or if you convert.So if your great great grandmother was Jewish, and she had a daughter (who was your great grandmother), and she had a daughter (who was your grandmother) and she had a daughter (who was your mother) then you would be Jewish. But your great great grandfather has nothing to do with it.Even under Reform Jewish law, which recognizes you as Jewish if your father is Jewish, they would not recognize "patrilineal descent" past one generation (in other words, you're not Jewish if your father's father was Jewish).


Was Sandra Bullock raised in the Jewish faith?

I read her mother was Jewish so she is half Jewish only.


By Torah law is a child half Jewish when the father is Jewish and the mother is not?

No. He (or she) is not Jewish at all according to the Orthodox definition. Only if the mother is Jewish are the children Jewish. There is no concept of "half Jewish" in Judaism. You're either Jewish or you're not.In Reform Judaism, however, a child born of a Jewish father is considered Jewish. The Conservative movement is considering changing its rules similarly.