Hananya Naftali
Understanding Jewish Identity
The Short Answer
Being Jewish means belonging to the Jewish people, an ancient nation with its own faith, history, language and homeland in the Land of Israel. Judaism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, is the faith of that people. A person is Jewish by birth to a Jewish mother or through conversion, and many Jews are secular yet fully Jewish.
A Religion and a People
Judaism teaches belief in one God and is based on the Torah, the five books of Moses, along with the rest of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. Jewish life is marked by Shabbat, kosher food laws and holidays such as Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah.
Jewish identity is also about peoplehood. Jews share a common history going back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the language of Hebrew and a bond to the Land of Israel that has lasted thousands of years.
Who Is a Jew?
According to Jewish law, a Jew is someone born to a Jewish mother or someone who converts to Judaism. Jews come from every continent and every color, from Ethiopia and Yemen to Poland and Argentina. Read more: Are Jews a Race or a Religion?
Key Facts
Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions.
Jews are both a people and a faith community.
Jewish identity passes through the mother or through conversion.
The word Jew comes from Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.