Who is Jewish?

Answer 1

Jews are members of one of the oldest religions, the religion of Moses. The line between being a member of the religion and being of the Jewish "race" seems to be difficult even for Jews to define; however most Jews consider Judaism a religion, rather than a race.
The Torah is a partial history of the Jewish people. Today, Judaism is effectively divided into three sub-sects but some claim that the number is higher. Mostly, the three groups differ on how strictly they follow ancient Jewish tradition. (If you ever saw the movie "Fiddler on the Roof" you have seen an example of a traditional Jewish family, although Jewish parents today do not necessarily pick a husband for their daughter.)
A few Jewish laws include:
They do not eat pork or shellfish.
They do not eat meat and dairy in the same meal; and cooking dairy and meat foodstuffs in the same pot is also forbidden. Hence observant Jews keep two sets of dishes, cutlery, utensils and pots.
The most traditional Jews tend to not associate very much socially with non-Jews or less observant Jews; however all Jews are equally commanded to behave at all times pleasantly toward all people, in keeping with the biblical verse "The Torah's ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace."
"Gentile" is the name they may use to refer to non-Jews.
Circumcision is the first Jewish rite of passage, and occurs 8 days after the birth of a boy (Genesis ch.17). It is a practice in which the foreskin of the infant is surgically and ceremonially removed and the child is given a name.
The main Jewish rite of passage occurs at age 13. It is called the bar-mitzvah, meaning son of the commandments. (For girls it is called the bat-mitzvah, which means daughter of the commandments and happens at age 12.) From this age, a Jewish youth is considered an adult. The bar-mitzvah ceremony consists of a Jewish youth saying blessings and reading in Hebrew from the Torah.
Abraham had a son Isaac, who had a son Jacob, who had 12 sons whose descendants are known as the 12 tribes of Israel. One of Jacob's sons was Judah and all of the descendants of Judah (and his 11 brothers collectively) are called "Jews" and belong to the Jewish religion.
Much of Christianity has its roots in Judaism, but much of Judaism was thrown out from Christianity when Constantine united the Roman Empire under his new religion called Christianity.
Answer 2
According to Jewish tradition, a Jew is someone born of a Jewish mother, or who converted to Judaism through a proper conversion.
Christian answer
This is what the Bible says about a true Jew, in Romans 2.28,29)

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Answer 2

A Jew is anyone who is a member of the Jewish faith.

In practice, the word is also used of people descended from Jews in the above sense, even if they are themselves non-practicing or atheist.

Answer 3

Jew Noun A member of the people and cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism and who trace their origins through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel to Abraham. Origin: Middle English: from Old French, via Latin from Greek, via Aramaic from Hebrew

Answer 4

The Jews (Hebrew: יְהוּדִים‎ "Yehudim"), also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation.

Converts to Judaism, whose status as Jews within the Jewish ethnos is equal to those born into it, have been absorbed into the Jewish people throughout the millennia.

In Jewish tradition, Jewish ancestry is traced to the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the second millennium BCE. The Jews currently enjoy political autonomy in the State of Israel, an independent state which is located in their national homeland, the Land of Israel. It officially defines itself as a Jewish state in its Basic Laws, and is the only country in the world where Jews constitute a majority of the population. They have also experienced political autonomy twice during ancient history. The first of the two ancient eras spanned from 1350 BCE to 586 BCE, and encompassed the periods of the Judges, the United Monarchy, and the Divided Monarchy of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, ending with the destruction of the First Temple.

The second era was the period of the Hasmonean Kingdom spanning from 140 to 37 BCE. Since the destruction of the First Temple, the diaspora has been the home of most of the world's Jews. Except in the modern State of Israel, Jews are a minority in every country in which they live, and they have frequently experienced persecution throughout history, resulting in a population that fluctuated both in numbers and distribution over the centuries.

According to the Jewish Agency for Israel, as of 2007, there were 13-14 million Jews worldwide, 5.4 million of whom lived in Israel, 5.3 million in the United States, and the remainder distributed in communities of varying sizes around the world; this represents 0.2% of the current estimated world population. The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimates the number of Israeli Jews to be 5.6 million and the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the American Jewish population to be as many as 6.4 million.) These numbers include all those who consider themselves Jews whether or not affiliated with a Jewish organization. The total world Jewish population, however, is difficult to measure. In addition to halakhic considerations, there are secular, political, and ancestral identification factors in defining who is a Jew that increase the figure considerably.

Answer 5

Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation/culture/ethnicity. As such his son Isaac would have been the first Jew. Jacob was the father (and grandfather) of the Twelve Tribes of Judah, the divisions (for lack of a better term) of the Jewish nation.

Answer 6

People who are born of a Jewish mother or a person who converts to Judaism.

People who treat others how they want tot be treated, and follow a book (the Jewish Bible) that was created by their God that they all say they heard His voice.

Answer:A Jewish person is either or both of

• a person of Jewish ethnic origin or
• a person who follows the Jewish faith tradition.

In either case Jews are a minority in every country in which they live. They have been persecutioned throughout history.

As an ethnic origin the Jews originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East.

Jewish ancestry is traced to the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the second millennium BCE.

As a culture and religion Jews are bound together in a mnotheistic faith community through a pact with their G-d. The culture involves rules and behavioral requirements spelled out in sections of the Torah

Answer 7

Anyone whose mother is Jewish, or has formally taken on himself/herself the

responsibility of adhering to the Torah commandments in a formally supervised

and sanctioned conversion, is Jewish.

Answer 8

Judaism is the religion described in the Torah, and is also known as the religion of Moses. Jews are the adherents of the religion of Judaism. A Jew is someone who was born to a Jewish mother, or a convert.

Answer 9

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 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