MACS
  • MACS
  • Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter
3 years ago
So... was talking with a guy who converted to Judaism. He's a black guy, and he was insisting that Jewish people are a "race". I thought I recalled a conversation we had here before, but I was not 100% sure.

I said, "Nah, man, Judaism is a religion". Anyone can convert to Judaism, sure, but I don't believe Jews are a race of people.

I know you descend from 12 tribes, so maybe I am wrong on this one? I dunno... I submit the question to my Jewish brothers.

Race? Religion? Both?
Huzza3045
3 years ago
When people ask if I am Jewish, I usually specify which of the two. I think Jew is commonly considered both a race and a religion, but I might be wrong. I’m not too involved with Judaism
Stogie1020
3 years ago
I will toss my .02 in here.

It is commonly referred to as a race AND a religion, although a likely more accurate response would be that it is a religion shared by some (but not all) people of a Semitic descent. Obviously, there are non-Jews of semitic descent (Druze, Arab, Zoastrans, etc.) and the Jewish Semites are further categorized as Ashkenazi or Sephardic, depending on the region of the world they went to in ancient times and then came back to Israel (or didn't) from...

The legal scholars can chime in here, but I think generally in the US if you commit a hate crime against a Jewish person, any civil rights infraction is related to the person's religion, not their race.

Also, some Semite came up with gefilte fish, so don't take any of this too seriously.

Also, I occasionally enjoy gefilte fish with a little horseraddish, so don't take that last statement too seriously.
frankj1
3 years ago
hard to say definitively if we are a race, especially since a "Lost Tribe" of Jews has turned up in the mountains of Africa (Ethiopia, I believe) and spoke an ancient language similar to ancient Hebrew and even had what may have been an original Torah and Ark...
they were airlifted to Israel where they were immediately treated as second class citizens but that's for another forum!

I can say with more certainty that yes, religion for sure, but instead of being a race consider the Jewish people a bloodline, specifically a maternal bloodline, if your mother is Jewish, so are you. Remember that until recent history no one could say for sure who fathered the child.

Shawn, though true that anyone can convert to Judaism, we do not recruit EVAH and in fact it is intentionally difficult to do and is discouraged quite often. The Rabbi needs to be convinced of the sincere desire to join as opposed to a convenience to shut up judgmental in-laws in order to marry their son/daughter.
frankj1
3 years ago
and I like gefilte fish
Stogie1020
3 years ago

hard to say definitively if we are a race, especially since a "Lost Tribe" of Jews has turned up in the mountains of Africa (Ethiopia, I believe) and spoke an ancient language similar to ancient Hebrew and even had what may have been an original Torah and Ark...
they were airlifted to Israel where they were immediately treated as second class citizens but that's for another forum!

frankj1 wrote:


Come on Frank.... They didn't write, they didn't call...
MACS
  • MACS
  • Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter
3 years ago
Thank you, gentlemen. I knew I could count on you'ze to make me smahtah!
ZRX1200
3 years ago
My mother’s grandmother was Jewish.

I’m only Jewish when I fill out questionnaires for HR. I also write in “Greatest of All Time” in after my job title…..nobody messes with me.

But I’ll defer to Frank, he’s been around the block a time or two.
Stogie1020
3 years ago

My mother’s grandmother was Jewish.

I’m only Jewish when I fill out questionnaires for HR. I also write in “Greatest of All Time” in after my job title…..nobody messes with me.

But I’ll defer to Frank, he’s been around the block a time or two.

ZRX1200 wrote:


Welcome to the tribe, Z.

When in a restaurant, you are now officially barred from ordering an item from a menu "as is" and must make numerous changes, generlaly until the server rolls his/her/they's eyes.
HockeyDad
3 years ago

When in a restaurant, you are now officially barred from ordering an item from a menu "as is" and must make numerous changes, generally until the server rolls his/her/they's eyes.

Stogie1020 wrote:



Based on that I think my daughter is Jewish.





frankj1
3 years ago

Welcome to the tribe, Z.

When in a restaurant, you are now officially barred from ordering an item from a menu "as is" and must make numerous changes, generlaly until the server rolls his/her/they's eyes.

Stogie1020 wrote:


and expect the server to check on your party by asking "is ANYthing alright?"
frankj1
3 years ago

Come on Frank.... They didn't write, they didn't call...

Stogie1020 wrote:


excellent!
frankj1
3 years ago
the wife of the people across the street converted to Judaism and they raised their 3 boys as Jews.
She tells people who ask that she's "Jewish by injection".
tonygraz
3 years ago
I've heard that one before. A black girl that works at a grocery store I frequent wears a Yamaka/yarmulke at work, but I hesitate to ask why. Does one wearing a Yamaka riding a Yamaha have a special designation ?
ZRX1200
3 years ago
Frank is she hot? I could offer her one.
ZRX1200
3 years ago
And it’s kosher
tailgater
3 years ago

the wife of the people across the street converted to Judaism and they raised their 3 boys as Jews.
She tells people who ask that she's "Jewish by injection".

frankj1 wrote:



You reached all the way across the street?

Of course you did.

tailgater
3 years ago

and expect the server to check on your party by asking "is ANYthing alright?"

frankj1 wrote:



Hey!
tailgater
3 years ago

My mother’s grandmother was Jewish.

I’m only Jewish when I fill out questionnaires for HR. I also write in “Greatest of All Time” in after my job title…..nobody messes with me.

But I’ll defer to Frank, he’s been around the block a time or two.

ZRX1200 wrote:




"Always go for Native American on the HR forms."
-E. Warren

tailgater
3 years ago
And is it wrong that I thought MACS was going to ask a tax question?


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