| We have all heard of Jews and understand that | | | | Jewish mother, or converted to the Jewish faith |
| Israel is now considered their land, but Israel is a | | | | and not a member of another religion'. |
| very young country and Jews are the most | | | | Of course, Jewish identity goes back much |
| ancient of people. The Jewish people had no | | | | further to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Because |
| nation, no land, and no empire for centuries yet | | | | there are different denominations of the Jewish |
| they survive as strong as ever. Through the | | | | faith, interpretation of what is a Jew is still a little |
| centuries they have been persecuted, exiled and | | | | blurred. Reform Jews believe that a Jew can have |
| slaughtered which makes it even more | | | | either a Jewish mother or father, whereas the |
| remarkable that they have survived. | | | | Orthodox Jews and Conservative Jews still hold |
| A decade after Israel's independence a bill was | | | | with tradition and believe you are a Jew if your |
| passed called the Law of Return. This law | | | | mother is a Jew. As for converted Jews, which |
| guaranteed automatic citizenship and right of | | | | denomination converted you? Orthodox Judaism |
| entry to every Jew around the world. Because of | | | | has very strict standards, Reform Jews are much |
| this law the Israeli government had to come up | | | | more liberal and the Conservatives are |
| with a definition of what makes a Jew. They said | | | | somewhere in between. The Supreme Court did |
| that ‘Anyone declaring in good faith that he is | | | | not make it clear what they meant by conversion |
| a Jew, and who does not profess to any other | | | | and this is a grey area, even today. |
| religion, shall be registered as a Jew'. Because this | | | | One thing is for sure, Jews are not a race. A Jew |
| statement basically says that you are a Jew if | | | | can be American, French, German, or English and |
| you say you are, Israel's Supreme Court had to | | | | be as loyal to that nation as anyone else. When |
| define it further, stating that ‘for purposes of | | | | Jews speak of a Jewish nation it is meant in a |
| this Law of Return, a Jew is someone born to a | | | | spiritual way rather than a geographical way. |