A reminder about why you're taking this course

Take a look at the NYTimes article about religious diversity in the US. And I quote:
Michael Lindsay, assistant director of the Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life at Rice University, echoed that view. “Religion is the single most important factor that drives American belief attitudes and behaviors,” said Mr. Lindsay, who had read the Pew report. “It is a powerful indicator of where America will end up on politics, culture, family life. If you want to understand America, you have to understand religion in America.”
See? It's not just me. Maybe now is the time to get into a debate about the importance of teaching about religion in public schools.

Judaism!

I think Judaism can be classified primarily as a religion, however the distinctions between its roots as a religion, culture, and ethnicity have been blurred, making it difficult to label Judaism under any one category. Factors in defining who is a Jew include both adherence to specific religious practices and ancestral identification through mothers.

The traditional definition of a Jew is someone born to a Jewish mother. However, controversy arises regarding whether people with mixed parentage should be considered Jewish, whether conversion should be considered valid, and whether those who convert to other religions or do not practice actively should still be considered Jews.

Although Judaism cannot be defined solely in terms of religion, I think that today, religion is the easiest and most typical way to distinguish Jews from non-Jews. The religion of Judaism is broadly characterized by its monotheistic belief in one God, its belief in a special covenant with God with Jews being his ‘chosen people’, the specific laws and practices that must be followed dictated by the Torah, and a sense of territorial identity with the promised land of Canaan or Jerusalem. By defining Jews as those who trust in these beliefs, converted Jews are considered valid, and people with Jewish mothers are not necessarily considered Jews.

Daniel Deronda

George Eliot's novel Daniel Deronda is the story of Daniel who has been adopted by Mr. Deronda, a wealthy man of London society in the 1800's. Throughout the story, Daniel essentially strives to understand other people and ideas, finding the social rules of London restrictive. Daniel's travels and acquaintances lead him into the Jewish ghetto of London, where he learns much about family and philosophy from friends he makes there. Ultimately, Daniel discovers the origin of his birth parents, and figures out how to balance what he has learned from the Jewish community within his own life.

I brought it up in class because it's a really interesting story, and corresponds with our discussion of Judaism, especially the disparity between European majority groups and Jewish minorities.

The BBC and PBS have made a miniseries of Daniel Deronda starring Hugh Dancy (The Jane Austen Book Club and Ella Enchanted) and Romola Garai (Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights). I actually own the DVD, so if anyone would like to borrow it and watch (it's really good!), just let me know!

Link to the PBS/Masterpiece Theater site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/deronda/

Judaism: Religion, Culture, or Race?

In my opinion, Judaism can be defined as both a religion and a culture. It has a blatant connection to religion because the essence of Judaism is the belief in a god and the practice of worship. Perhaps less apparent is Judaism’s connection to culture. The practice of Judaism, as in most religions (e.g. Christianity, Islam), extends far beyond having faith and attending temple. Not only is there the bar and bat mitzvah, Jews also celebrate countless religious holidays with practices that are deeply rooted in tradition—practices that greatly effect their everyday lives. They also learn to read and speak Hebrew. Through circumcision, Judaism even goes as far as to effect intimacy and reproduction. Along with worship, to be Jewish implies tradition, language, education, foods, etc.
On the other hand, Judaism cannot be defined as a race. Though it has historic roots in a specific region and race, it presently encompasses a diverse racial group on a global scale. It is spread across the world, from the USA to Israel to China. Anyone can convert to Judaism, and thus become a part of both the religion and the culture.

Judaism

I think that Judaism is a mix between the three, although it is primarily thought of as a religion above anything else. Interactions between the Jews and God (including the multiple covenants), the Torah as a holy testament governing the way practicing Jews should live, and God's choice of the Israelites as the "chosen people" show the mixture of religion, culture, and race within Judaism. Yes, Judaism is one of the three monotheistic religions, with a holy book and traditions such as Passover and Shabbat (sp?) at the center of this religion. However, the holy book that governs the religious aspect of Judaism also dictates how Jews should live. For example, the Ten Commandments demands that no one should kill, covet the property of wife of his neighbor, nor should he practice idolatry. Religion is often a central part of culture (think of Israel or Muslim countries, for example), so the effect on Jews' life does not seem out of the ordinary. However, race is also an important part of Judaism. Excerpts from Genesis show that God has deigned the Israelites as his "chosen people", and these people and their descendants are destined to enjoy a land "flowing with milk and honey". Abraham is also seen as the father of all monotheistic religions, implying that all three religions, not just Judaism, have a hereditary aspect. Finally, a person's Jewish heritage is decided by if the mother is Jewish. A non-practicing Jew with a Jewish mother is considered more Jewish than a person who holds Jewish beliefs but does not have a Jewish mother.

Judaism (response 1)

I'm going to say that Judaism is a little bit of all three. The term can be used to mean a religion, a culture, or a race, or any combination thereof, so it must be inferred from the context what someone means.Yes, it is a religion, and it is implied therefore that in order to be Jewish one must practice, or at least believe in the religious tenets of Judaism. However, in God's covenant with Abraham, He said "I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you." That was really long and redundant, but the point is clear: God's covenant is hereditary. Whether or not they believe it, according to this story, all the descendants of Isaac are JEWISH. Regardless of their beliefs, the people who are descended from Isaac are racially Jewish. I think Judaism is definitely a culture too, though not as easily defined. If someone chooses to identify as being Jewish because he was raised in a culturally Jewish household, that makes perfect sense to me. If someone is adopted into an Italian family, is he not culturally Italian? Jews have customs and traditions and language like any other ethnic group, so I don't see any reason why they should be considered different. Religion is implied but not necessary, as Hispanic families are often Catholic, and Afghan families are often Muslim. If you're bothered by the religious implications of the word "Jewish," then call them Israelites.

Judaism (response 1)

Judaism can be classified at first as a religion but not entirely. It is rather in between religion and ethnicity. Since Judaism is based on the belief in God, it is indeed a religion. From Patriarch and Exodus, Judaism starts with the interaction with YHWH. However, Judaism is unique because in the first place it specifies the group of people involved in this "religion." Usually, religion includes general human, and God of course does not really mention about different races. Or it is assumed that God does not discriminate because He is above all; it is easier to accept a Dutch Buddhist, an Asian Christian, or a Russian converted into Muslim: but not a German Jewish. This Judaism basically believes that the God only saves the Jewish race. So it is essentially impossible for other race to "believe" in it unless they want to be abandoned. Therefore, Judaism not only is a religion but also represents ethnicity.

But Judaism doesn't entirely define a race either, because the race itself is quite vague now. Also, not all Jewish heritages believe in Judaism either. There definitely are "atheist Jewish" --of which I never knew the existence until I took this course-- who can't be said to be involved in Judaism. Technically, since the heritage started thousands of years ago and has experienced a number of nomadic life and exiles, no one is sure how exactly much portion of a Jewish now is actually Isaac’s posterity. Therefore, it would be the most appropriate to say Judaism is defined as intermediate between a religion/belief and an ethnicity/race.

Judaism: Religion v. Culture

Although Judaism can be defined in many ways, it seems appropriate that it should be primarily defined as a religion; or, I should say, as primarily a non-Jew but also as an atheist, I see Judaism as mostly a religion because firstly, in the historical context, people first identified with Judaism when God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai—this focus on God, and the fact the primary source for this history is the Bible, suggests to me that Judaism is based on religion. Secondly, although according to Jewish law, one is not Jewish unless descended from Jewish parents (mothers), historical Jews, who were first the Israelites, came from a multitude of nations and empires of different peoples. Similarly, today religion, culture and race are all aspects of determining nationality—yet modern Jews are part of many different nations as are individuals who identify with other religions. Practices in Judaism are all elements of religious expression, and although one can be born Jewish—according to Jewish law primarily recoded in the Torah—the fact that this is based on religious law should not be overlooked by the fact that Judaism can be inherited.

Judaism

In general, I believe that Judaism is a religion. Though Judaism has aspects of it that make it partially a culture and a race, it began as an interaction with God. Further, its holy scriptures, such as the Torah, consist of stories involving God and God's contact with the Israelites. What make up a large part of Judaism are the laws and rules that God commands the Jews to follow. Usually, religions have rules and guidelines that the followers must practice and observe, thus Judaism can be considered a religion. There are other aspects of Judaism, however, that allow it to be called a culture and a race as well.The customs that have evolved around Judaism help to classify it as a culture. Cultures consist of various food customs, the language used, dances performed, and many other customs. Because Judaism has food traditions (that are related to religion), uses the Hebrew language, and has dances and songs specific to Israel and Judaism, it can be grouped as a culture. In addition, the idea, mentioned in the Pentateuch, that Judaism is hereditary through the mother says that it is somewhat like a race. Because one can only be Jewish if one's mother is Jewish (or if one converts), Judaism is passed down through generations like an ethnicity.Overall, I think that Judaism is a religion, around which a culture has been formed. I think that the customs associated with Judaism are a part of the culture that Jews have created to celebrate and keep their religion alive. Though many Jews do not believe in the religious rules and principles of Judaism, they still consider themselves Jewish, and identify with the Jewish culture. At the foundation of Judaism is religion, a belief in one God, and a belief that Jews must obey and worship this God.

Judaism: Religion? Culture? Race?

I think that Judaism is first and foremost a religion. Religion is a large part of culture, and the Jewish identity is strongly based on cultural aspects and common themes among people of the Jewish faith. In the most biblical sense Jewish people are all supposed to be descended from the same group of people, which could also classify themselves as a race or ethnicity. All three aspects, religious beliefs, culture, and race seem to come into play here. Religion informs culture, and birth sets religious precedent for most people. Therefore, people who practice a certain religion because they were born into it and raised around it tend to be of similar origin. These similarities may give rise to a secular culture, which may or may not have its roots in the religion such people practice.

Of course, the line here is not black and white. People can convert to the Jewish faith without being “ethnically” from “Jewish” origin. Many born Jews reject the religious aspects of their lives, but still identify with Jewish culture or the characteristics of many people of similar descent. Practicing Jews could also reject the cultural elements surrounding their religion. Because the origins of Judaism stretch back thousands of years, it is virtually impossible tell if modern Jews are really descendents of Isaac, or even what parts of the Old testament are accurate, but the fact that the religion has survived so long shows that viability of Judaism purely from a religious perspective.

Judaism is difficult to classify. Is it a culture, a race, or a religion? Judaism has elements of all three designations. Judaism began as a culture, thus the first Jews were of a specific race. But Judaism is no longer a culture or a race; due to Diaspora Jews are part of many different cultures and races around the world. The single element that unites all Jews is their religion.

Because of the fact that Judaism is first and foremost a religion many conflicts arise as to who is Jewish. Since Judaism is not specifically a culture or a race the common stereotypes of dark hair and large noses are not necessarily correct. There are many eastern European Jews who may not look stereotypically Jewish but worship Judaism in the same ways that a Jew living in Israel might. The belief in Judaism that Judaism is hereditarily passed through a mother furthers the question of who is really Jewish. This tradition also suggests that Judaism is much like a race in which a common identity is passed from mother to child. There are many different levels of worship, but all qualify someone to call themselves Jewish. Jews can have vastly different cultures and racial backgrounds but worship in the basic traditions of Judaism qualifies anyone to call themselves Jewish.

Judaism

Personally, I feel that Judaism is a religion, but merely by default. I don’t think that it can be categorized as either a race or a culture because if someone converts to Judaism, and is formally and religiously recognized as Jewish, their race and historical culture don’t instantly change. The difficult thing with Judaism is that it means something different for so many people. Some people follow it as a way of life, as a belief or practice, whereas some people merely say they're Jewish, without practicing or believing the religion. I think as long as people fit the historical religious requirements for being Jewish (mother was Jewish) then it’s fair to call oneself Jewish, even if the person doesn’t believe in the ideas of Judaism because while they may hold little religious significance for a person, perhaps there is another type of significance that ties a person to that faith.
I find it difficult to classify any belief. Religion, Judaism included, is such a personal thing, that I feel people have the right to chose whatever faith they want to be, and they can classify that belief in any way they want, with the knowledge that anyone can dispute them about it. The classification of beliefs as religions and races and cultures is just another way to divide the population, but as long as religion remains a personal belief and not something that influences the lives of all others around a person, it doesn’t really matter what a certain faith is classified as.

Judaism

I can understand why the teachings of the Old Testament encourage racial distinction in Judaism. The origins of Judaism derive from the covenant between God and His chosen “people”, which seems to set up Judaism with a disputable definition from the very start. I personally identify Judaism as a system of religious and cultural beliefs, not a racial privilege. I find it difficult to identify Judaism as a racial category since conversion is allowed; I don’t think you can convert yourself into another race. Although there are stereotypes of genetically Jewish features, stereotypes only include the perceived majority of a type of person. I also don’t think that anyone has the power to deny someone from following a religion, or to denounce someone from a religion.

I think it is ultimately a decision that must be agreed upon by members of the Jewish community and followers of the Jewish faith to decide who is Jewish, and what constitutes Jewish-ness. However, that decision will be difficult to reach, since nobody can agree who is Jewish, and who has a say. I recognize Judaism as having customs and traditions associated with Jewish culture, and a set of religious beliefs, but denying an individual as a Jew because of their race is not a practice I agree with, but also not one I am in a place to judge.

What is Judaism?

Although Judaism might be categorized as a type of ethnicity or race, Judaism is a religion. Religion is commonly defined as a community of people who believe in the same laws and traditions. These beliefs sprang from Abraham’s concept of monotheism. Through generations, this devotion to one god culminated in the Ten Commandments being communicated through Moses on Mt. Sinai, following the Jews escape from Egypt. These commandments stressed the “obedience and loyalty to YHWH,” the one and only god (237). Over time, social and cultural lifestyles have developed around Judaism as a core religion.


Although Judaism contains many different levels of commitment and belief (reformed, conservative, orthodox, hectic, reconstrutionist, kabala), “generally the unifying feature among all Jews is a belief in the oneness of God…” (233). Judaism is all about following gods covenant; it is not distinguished by skin color or how a person looks; a person can even convert. God never communicates ideas of certain ethnicity or race in the Talmud or Torah. Jews have displayed the physical characteristics of nearly every race. There are African Jews, European Jews, Asian Jews and they have all spoken many different languages. Hebrew has seemed to be the central language that has been another factor of unification between the Jews. This has been a language that has communicated the dictums and beliefs of the Jewish religion.

Not your Bubbe's Jew?

Judaism now is quite a different beast than at its origin. Historically, it is a religion, but over time aspects of it have successively become a race, a culture and finally almost a state of mind.

At its inception, Judaism was determined by participation in the covenants with God and absolute monotheistic belief in Him, in exchange for exclusive protection. Among the peoples of the Sinai peninsula, the “Chosen People” were a small, distinct group, making Judaism an ethnic group as well as a religious one.

However, through Diaspora, Jews migrated far and wide. While retaining core religious practices, their separated cultures absorbed key features of their surroundings. Ethnically Jewish foods, languages, and style of religious observances divided Jews both from their host societies and from one another.

Jewishness in the modern world is no longer defined by religious observance. Instead, subsidiary aspects such as its scholastic tradition, particular strain of wry humor, and sense of common oppression may characterize Judaism as much as its faith and practices.

Is Judaism a religion, culture, race or something else?

Judaism is the name to call a certain group of people who come together and worship the same god, El Shaddai, following his rule, and living by his word. Judaism was thought as a way of life; helping form a culture, adding new traditions generation after generation. It’s was a way of life but the Jewish people have heritage beyond what they believe. For example although a Jewish person may practice Judaism, he/she may be an Israelite, black or white. It’s perfectly understandable for one to believe that they may be Jewish because their great grandparents went to temple on the Sabbath, and followed the Jewish stereotype. But generations go one and some move away from the temple. Does that still make them Jewish, their children don’t share some of the physical characteristics as typical Jew, are the children still Jewish? Jewish is not an ethnicity because many Jewish people share the same traits. But to be Jewish I think that one must practice the faith. Modern day has questioned Judaism as race because of the Holocaust and because these people carry similar traits. But when Judaism first came about, to be a Jew you have to follow the word of God, and his appointed leaders. Being Jewish wasn’t labeled by that one looked like or what religion his/her grandparents followed. But Judaism was a way a life, a sacrifice, and a desire for guidance.
Many people say that they are something that they are not in order to make them look better or to fit in. Being Jewish may be an honor because many “Jewish people” suffered during the Holocaust. But many people don’t understand what it truly means to be a Jew, he/she only thinks about the label and what privileges/honor comes with being a Jew.

Judaism

Overall, I believe that Judaism is a religion. Although it could be constituted as a culture, Judaism’s roots come from a religious interaction with God. Religion is defined as “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects”.[1] This definition correlates with the traditional definition of a culture, stating that religion has a large role in many Jewish people’s culture and beliefs. Judaism is a religion because it was formed when God spoke and made a covenant with Abraham; preaching that Abraham and his people shall worship God as the one and only God.
Fundamentally, Judaism is a religion and should not be called a race because the Jews as their own specific race are never mentioned in the Torah, and has nothing to do with the covenant between God and Abraham. People are able to convert to Judaism without being born a Jew, which furthers the support of Judaism being a religion. The confusing aspect of Judaism though is the fact that some born Jews do not address the religious practices or cultural activities but are still considered of essence, Jewish. I personally believe that there should be no precedent and that if a person practices Judaism then they should be called Jewish, but if they are clearly atheist then they shouldn’t be labeled as Jewish. Judaism should be categorized as strictly a religion because originally, that is how it came into existence.
[1] www.dictionary.com

Response Paper #1

This is an experiment with concise, direct, persuasive writing. In 1 or 2, or maybe as many as 3, paragraphs, formulate a thesis and support it with evidence in response to the following prompt. Make sure your thesis is interesting and your writing clear and organized:
Prompt:
Is Judaism a religion, a culture, a race or something else? Defend you answer.