Hananya Naftali
Nov 7, 2026
Jewish Peoplehood
The Short Answer
Neither label fits alone. Jews are a people, a nation in the ancient sense, with a shared ancestry, history, language, culture and homeland, as well as a religion. People can join the Jewish people through conversion, and Jews come in every color, from Ethiopia to Yemen to Poland. Judaism is the faith of the Jewish people.
A People, Not a Race
The Bible calls the Jews Am Yisrael, the people of Israel. Jews trace their roots to the ancient Israelites, and genetic studies show that most Jewish communities share ancestry from the Levant, even after centuries of exile.
Race is a poor fit, because Jews include Ashkenazim from Europe, Mizrahim from the Middle East, Sephardim from Spain and North Africa, Ethiopian Jews and many others. A secular Jew who never prays is still a member of the Jewish people.
Why It Matters
Seeing Jews as a people explains Zionism: a people with a homeland seeking self determination there. The Nazis called Jews a race to justify murder, while some today deny Jews are a people to deny them a state. Read more: What Is Zionism?
Key Facts
Jews are a people with a shared history, language and homeland.
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people.
Anyone can join the Jewish people through conversion.
Jewish communities span every color and continent.