I'm Jewish AND Mormon!

[_beefcalf]

One can be considered Jewish based solely on your maternal ancestry, and not one bit about what you believe. One can be Jewish because of the culture in which you were raised, without necessitating that you subscribe to any given belief system.

That is a bit misleading, just because a secular Jewish person has a maternal link doesn’t ipso facto make them an active person in a community, even at a Reform congregation, they’d still have to go through an official process that isn’t far from a converts.

I believe that this is the criteria the State of Israel uses to determine whether to grant citizenship to a immigrant. If they can show a Jew in their maternal line, they are themselves considered by the state to be, by definition, Jewish, and therefor eligible to become an Israeli citizen. Other ways to be considered "Jewish" is if you completed a process of conversion. This, I understand, might require some form of evidence, to possible include paperwork from your rabbi, and possibly a... um... physical check, of sorts...

It seems that your conception of what it means to be "Jewish" is somewhat different than the state of Israel. Not saying you are wrong, because I understand where you are coming from, just that there is a very real, legalistic definition that is widely used and is contrary to the original post.

just sayin...

[_Chap]

One can be considered Jewish based solely on your maternal ancestry, and not one bit about what you believe. One can be Jewish because of the culture in which you were raised, without necessitating that you subscribe to any given belief system.

That is a bit misleading, just because a secular Jewish person has a maternal link doesn’t ipso facto make them an active person in a community, even at a Reform congregation, they’d still have to go through an official process that isn’t far from a converts.

How misleading? Beefcalf was not saying that maternal ancestry made one an active person in a Jewish community, and I don't see how you can have thought he was saying that.

His point was simply that people without religious belief might be considered Jews - as you seem to acknowledge by referring to "a secular Jewish person" who is not accepted by and active in a religious community of Jews.

Must I go and inform my parents-in-law that they are not Jewish because they are secular atheists who have never been active as members of a 'Jewish community'?

[Guest]

One can be considered Jewish based solely on your maternal ancestry

For me that's the end of the debate there. Joanna isn't a Jew, therefore their kids are not Jews, case closed. Had the roles been reversed, my conclusion would be the exact opposite. Honestly, I thought this one would have been a done deal when they married.

[_Aristotle Smith]

Funeral potatoes should be non kosher. Yuck.

Since they contain chicken soup and butter, they are decidedly non kosher.

[_beefcalf]

One can be considered Jewish based solely on your maternal ancestry

For me that's the end of the debate there. Joanna isn't a Jew, therefore their kids are not Jews, case closed. Had the roles been reversed, my conclusion would be the exact opposite. Honestly, I thought this one would have been a done deal when they married.

Aristotle has a good point...

In the case of Joanna Brooks and her child, the state of Israel would not consider the child to be Jewish. If, however, Brooks husband had raised that child with Jewish rites and beliefs, as a practicing Jew, she would be considered Jewish. We are entering a fuzzy area here, but in general, the whole 'maternal line' thing is a Trump card which can be used by someone who would not otherwise be considered Jewish.

And again, this is very likely to be the legalistic stance taken by the Israeli immigration authorities, and would not necessarily represent the beliefs or practices of the many widely varying belief systems within Judaism.

[_MCB]

So a Mormon with Native ancestry cannot become an Israeli citizen unless they convert to the Jewish religion? LOL!!!

[_Aristotle Smith]

So a Mormon with Native ancestry cannot become an Israeli citizen unless they convert to the Jewish religion? LOL!!!

Being an Israeli citizen does not mean one has to be a Jew. Large numbers of Arab Muslims are Israeli citizens. Ironically, the Arabs with the most freedom of speech and other basic rights are the ones living as citizens of Israel.

[_Blixa]

Funeral potatoes should be non kosher. Yuck.

Since they contain chicken soup and butter, they are decidedly non kosher.

My bad. I missed that they contained chicken soup. I don't even want to think about how all that cooks up...

[_beefcalf]

So a Mormon with Native ancestry cannot become an Israeli citizen unless they convert to the Jewish religion? LOL!!!

Wait....

It seems to me that if an Navajo (or a member of any other indigenous American group) were to desire to gain Israeli citizenship, all they would need to do would be to present their request along with a copy of the Book of Mormon, highlighting with a yellow marker the entirety of Nephi I and II. amirite?

[_Chap]

So a Mormon with Native ancestry cannot become an Israeli citizen unless they convert to the Jewish religion? LOL!!!

If the Falashas can go for it, why not the Lamanites? No doubt they can rely on support from the CoJCoLDS (I think they will need it).

Lamanites unite and fight for the Right to Return (cue the theme from Exodus).