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Even if the Telegraph got every detail right, the headline of this thread is still wrong. Mainly because Judaism is a religion and not an ethnicity. Adolf Hitler, whatever his genetic background, was definitely not Jewish.
Judaism is a religion, and an ethnicity, and a cultural heritage, and some consider a race. It is each of these, and any combination of these, and all of these, depending on who you ask.
One thing is for certain though - a person is not considered a Jew, by Jews, unless his MOTHER was Jewish, or unless he converts (and in some sects of Judaism, conversion doesn't count either).
So even if it was true, even if his Grandfather was Jewish, it was his grandfather, not his grandmother, and it's on his father's side, not his mother's side. He doesn't qualify, no matter which way you look at it.
Judaism is a religion, and an ethnicity, and a cultural heritage, and some consider a race. It is each of these, and any combination of these, and all of these, depending on who you ask.
One thing is for certain though - a person is not considered a Jew, by Jews, unless his MOTHER was Jewish, or unless he converts (and in some sects of Judaism, conversion doesn't count either).
So even if it was true, even if his Grandfather was Jewish, it was his grandfather, not his grandmother, and it's on his father's side, not his mother's side. He doesn't qualify, no matter which way you look at it.
It's just as well--we don't need him in our tribe.
It has been known for decades (including during WW2) that Hitler's grandfather was Jewish. There were other top Nazis who had or may have had Jewish ancestry, including an SS colonel named Mendelssohn who was descended from the founder of Reform Judaism and the composer. Goebbels and Rosenberg most likely had Jewish ancestry (particularly because the surname Rosenberg is one of those German surnames that is almost exclusively Jewish).
The funniest rumor about Hitler's ancestry is the rumor popular in the Philippines that Hitler's true father was Dr. Jose Rizal:
Yeah, ok. Look. I am NO FAN of Hitler, beyond his accomplishments as a leader. However, investigation, after investigation, has shown his grandfather is NOT jewish. The entire issue is false.
Now, having said this: Being jewish is NOT a race of people; its a religion. I am a black man, born in Oakland, California. However, if I convert, I am "jewish."
Before the masses descend on me, I am a defender of Jewish rights. I've been to ALL of the death camps (yes race fans, there IS a difference between death camps and concentration camps) and to many concentration camps. I also am a firm beliver of Isreal; however, it does not change the facts. Being Jewish is a religion and NOT a race of people.
It has been known for decades (including during WW2) that Hitler's grandfather was Jewish. There were other top Nazis who had or may have had Jewish ancestry, including an SS colonel named Mendelssohn who was descended from the founder of Reform Judaism and the composer. Goebbels and Rosenberg most likely had Jewish ancestry (particularly because the surname Rosenberg is one of those German surnames that is almost exclusively Jewish).
Did any of them have Sephardic ancestors or were they all Ashkenazi?
There are a lot of Jews I have known that are adamant about the tribal nature of Judaism. Genetic identity (or race) is a fundamental component of Tribalism.
While Jewish populations have out married, in some cases significantly, it is fair to say that most Jews around the world share enough of their genes to warrant that Judaism is not simply, 'a religion'. Even groups such as Ashkenazim who have obvious Germanic and Slavic features through instances of intermarriage in their thousand year presence in Europe still maintain enough of their Semitic genes to, in many cases, "look Jewish".
This is because Judaism is a pretty endogamic faith, that is, they are far more concerned, by tradition, with perpetuating their faith through increasing family and maintaining family lines through marriage with other Jews rather than taking the universalist approach of converting 'non-believers'. A simple reading of the Old Testament should make this obvious with all the talk of the tribes, the chosen people, etc.
In fact, most Tribal 'religions' are nearly exclusively based on ethnic ties. Christianity and Islam (and to some degree Buddhism) are really unique in their universalist (come one, come all) approach to religion and are revolutionary in that regard. Of course those two religions have become so widespread that the common worldview is that all religions are 'fair game' for any that want to convert.
Now why does Judaism get this reputation for being "a religion, not a race"? I believe that one splinter sect of Judaism, Reform Judaism, which has in the last century grown to become the most common sect today, has a lot to do with it. The ostensible purpose of Reform Judaism was to encourage European Jews to become more assimilable in European society while maintaining the essential tenets of the Jewish faith.
A path to conversion for non-Jews was formulated in this new approach to Judaism but until very recently, prospective converts were set with various obstacles and serious questioning about their sincerity. I believe the main reason for the opening up of conversion was to make it easier for non-Jewish spouses to convert. For perspective, Many conservative and Orthodox Jewish groups do not even consider Reform Jews to be Jewish in the religious sense, but only the tribal (racial) sense. Many of these groups are actively courting reform Jews to accept their view of (Orthodox) Judaism and I assure you they are not seeking Reform Jews of non-genetically Jewish stock.
It should be noted that the more traditional sects of Judaism vary from wariness to outright xenophobia as regards relations with non-Jews (and by relations, I mean everything from friendship to business relations). Try going to the synagogue in Kiryas Joel and saying, "Hi. I would like to become a Jew."
There are a lot of Jews I have known that are adamant about the tribal nature of Judaism. Genetic identity (or race) is a fundamental component of Tribalism.
While Jewish populations have out married, in some cases significantly, it is fair to say that most Jews around the world share enough of their genes to warrant that Judaism is not simply, 'a religion'. Even groups such as Ashkenazim who have obvious Germanic and Slavic features through instances of intermarriage in their thousand year presence in Europe still maintain enough of their Semitic genes to, in many cases, "look Jewish".
This is because Judaism is a pretty endogamic faith, that is, they are far more concerned, by tradition, with perpetuating their faith through increasing family and maintaining family lines through marriage with other Jews rather than taking the universalist approach of converting 'non-believers'. A simple reading of the Old Testament should make this obvious with all the talk of the tribes, the chosen people, etc.
In fact, most Tribal 'religions' are nearly exclusively based on ethnic ties. Christianity and Islam (and to some degree Buddhism) are really unique in their universalist (come one, come all) approach to religion and are revolutionary in that regard. Of course those two religions have become so widespread that the common worldview is that all religions are 'fair game' for any that want to convert.
Now why does Judaism get this reputation for being "a religion, not a race"? I believe that one splinter sect of Judaism, Reform Judaism, which has in the last century grown to become the most common sect today, has a lot to do with it. The ostensible purpose of Reform Judaism was to encourage European Jews to become more assimilable in European society while maintaining the essential tenets of the Jewish faith.
A path to conversion for non-Jews was formulated in this new approach to Judaism but until very recently, prospective converts were set with various obstacles and serious questioning about their sincerity. I believe the main reason for the opening up of conversion was to make it easier for non-Jewish spouses to convert. For perspective, Many conservative and Orthodox Jewish groups do not even consider Reform Jews to be Jewish in the religious sense, but only the tribal (racial) sense. Many of these groups are actively courting reform Jews to accept their view of (Orthodox) Judaism and I assure you they are not seeking Reform Jews of non-genetically Jewish stock.
It should be noted that the more traditional sects of Judaism vary from wariness to outright xenophobia as regards relations with non-Jews (and by relations, I mean everything from friendship to business relations). Try going to the synagogue in Kiryas Joel and saying, "Hi. I would like to become a Jew."
This post is 100% correct. It is refreshing to read something from somebody who actually understands the issue, rather than from somebody who simply chooses to parrot what they've heard from others without investigating the actual facts of the matter.
Now, having said this: Being jewish is NOT a race of people; its a religion. I am a black man, born in Oakland, California. However, if I convert, I am "jewish."
Before the masses descend on me, I am a defender of Jewish rights. I've been to ALL of the death camps (yes race fans, there IS a difference between death camps and concentration camps) and to many concentration camps. I also am a firm beliver of Isreal; however, it does not change the facts. Being Jewish is a religion and NOT a race of people.
Actually, your facts are incorrect... as it was eloquently explained above, Judaism is technically an ethnic group, not just a religion. We (I am Jewish) share enough genetic "coding" to be a group of people, as is evident by ethno-centric diseases like Tay Sachs - which is ONLY found in Ashkenazi Jews. How could a genetic disease be passed through religious beliefs? One of my relatives recently had the DNA coding test done, and they deemed him as "Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, specifically Levite & Khazar." I don't know much about genetics and so forth, but that suggests we CAN be identified through more than faith. Oh, and I was surprised to find out we're part Khazar!
That being said, you cannot simply convert and "be a Jew," even if some people accept you as one. I am personally a member of the Reform community, which would accept you as a convert after preparation and study... however the Orthodox community would not consider you Jewish, but merely a Gentile who decided to study our beliefs. I don't mean any offense by this, just explaining how different Judaism is from other religions (particularly Christianity & Catholicism). I could walk into any Christian church and "be Christian" by proclaiming to accept Christ, but it doesn't work that way in a synagogue.
Below is a little of what my relative emailed, to explain the family's DNA results... I don't really understand the technical stuff, but maybe it will shed some light on this issue. There's a LOT more information in his email, which would be too much to post here. Oh, but I like what he said to us as a general summary - "Regardless of how any of us in our extended clan view ourselves, what we all have in common is a Jewish heritage, in particular an Ashkenazi Jewish heritage."
Here's a synopsis of the DNA results:
"“Previous Y chromosome studies have shown that the Cohanim, a paternally inherited Jewish priestly caste, predominantly share a recent common ancestry irrespective of the geographically defined post-Diaspora community to which they belong, a finding consistent with common Jewish origins in the Near East. In contrast, the Levites, another paternally inherited Jewish caste, display evidence for multiple recent origins, with Ashkenazi Levites having a high frequency of a distinctive, non–Near Eastern haplogroup. Here, we show that the Ashkenazi Levite microsatellite haplotypes within this haplogroup are extremely tightly clustered, with an inferred common ancestor within the past 2,000 years. Comparisons with other Jewish and non-Jewish groups suggest that a founding event, probably involving one or very few European men occurring at a time close to the initial formation and settlement of the Ashkenazi community, is the most likely explanation for the presence of this distinctive haplogroup found today in ›50% of Ashkenazi Levites.”
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