Judaism: Religion, Race or Both

Question

Is it possible to be Jewish but not believe in Judaism if so what does that mean exactly?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Judaism is hard to define. On the one hand, a Jew is defined as one born to a Jewish mother. But there are many races within that definition, all having common ancestry. Also, the fact that one can become Jewish through conversion, no matter what race they are from, shows that it is not purely racial. Probably, it would be more correct to define us as a nation.

    Can a person be born Jewish and not believe in Judaism (or not believe at all)? Yes. A person is considered to be Jewish if their mother is Jewish. Whether they live a Jewish life or not cannot remove their Jewish status. In fact, even if they converted to another religion, it does not alter their Jewish status.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team