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But what are Jews? “Who—or what—am I?” is a question every Jew has asked at least once in his lifetime. And sadly, they have reason to, because instead of definitions, they have doubt. Is being Jewish a race? Religion? Tradition? Ethnicity? Nationality? Geographic origin? None of the above?
Here’s what a Jew is: a Jew is a spiritual state of being. A Jew is any human being who has a Jewish soul, regardless of his or her race, lifestyle or professed religion. This soul is possessed by any man or woman who was born to a Jewish mother or has converted to Judaism according to the dictates of Jewish law.
You could try as hard as you can to be just like your neighbors—you’re still Jewish. You could “convert” to Christianity, or run off to India to “become” Buddhist—you’re still Jewish
You could even become an anti-Semite—you’re still Jewish. (Shocking but true, Jews have done that too—ever hear of Bobby Fischer?) You could be Caucasian, Hispanic, Irish, Norwegian, Hyphenated-American; whatever. No matter who you are or what you do, if you’ve got that Jewish soul, you’re Jewish. And nothing you do or decide to be can destroy that Jewish soul.1
See also Can you describe the Jewish soul?
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Jewish Identity » Who/What is a Jew?Philosophy » Soul
