Re: Jews/Religion or Ethnic

[Audrey Glick <aglick@COLUMBUS.RR.COM>]

> Would someone who has dropped the Jewish religion still consider
themselves
> a Jew?
>

I'm sure the answer to this varies with the individual, but my hunch is that
non-observant Jews still consider themselves to be Jews, which they are.
The law says if your mother was Jewish, you are Jewish.  I know some people
who were born and/or brought up Jewish who no longer practice the religion
(mother re-married out of the faith, spouse is not Jewish) but in my mind,
they still seem Jewish.  I don't think I can explain that beyond it being a
cultural identity. I have no idea if those two people consider themselves
Jewish.

> How about someone not an ethnic Jew but who converts to Judaism?  Would
they
> still be considered Jews?

Gentile people who convert to Judaism are Jewish.  An Orthodox Jew might not
consider a convert to be Jewish unless he or she converted into Orthodox
Judaism.

Audrey Glick
LMS at Home
aglick@columbus.rr.com

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