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Whether Judaism is a religion or an ethnicity is still open to debate.
Being in modern times in the U.S., people of any race can become a Jew (maybe not easily or accepted by all) I would venture to say it is considered more of a religion.
Truly, considering that most American Jews are Reform. Nonetheless, even a red-headed, reform Ashkenazim (European Jew) wants her daughter to marry a nice, Jewish boy.
Then look at the situation in New York where there are entire towns of Orthodox Jews that do not even accept 'foreign' (read: Gentile) Fire Departments to enter their town and put out fires. They have their own illegal and untrained volunteer departments. The same with ambulance service. They certainly do not mingle much with non-Jews, though you see their women shopping at the Palisades mall.
This is how the majority of Jewish communities existed throughout history. The great exceptions are 19th and early 20th centuries in Poland and Germany where there were a lot of secular Jews (and intermarriage). It was this atmosphere that let to the formation of Reform congregations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Peterson
Religion can be one defining factor of an ethnicity but I think you really need more defining characteristics to define someones ethnicity than just religion.
You can not convert to an ethnicity.
I absolutely agree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Peterson
Being there are Russian Jews, Polish Jews, Puerto Rican Jews, Ethiopian jews and so on I think it would be hard to define them as one ethnicity even though the sacred texts do consider all Jews a nation.
There are a lot of Jews in Israel, virtually all Orthodox but also some more liberal Jews, who dispute that that many of the Russian Jews and all of the Ethiopian Jews are truly Jews based on genetic concerns.
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Originally Posted by Mike Peterson
My post was in reply to someone that stated most Jewish people have brown hair and brown eyes which I saw as a very silly statement. I really don't think you can lay such singular genetic traits upon a group of people from such different areas.
The three, cultural groups of Jews consist of the Sabras (Middle-eastern Jews), the Ashkenazim (European Jews) and the Sephardim (Iberian Jews). Each group has physical characteristics that point towards intermarriage in their regions, but they also share characteristics common to Jewish populations the world over. By and large, intermarriage has not had a huge role in the development of the Jewish population but it has been common enough that physical distinctions can be made between the three groups. Nevertheless, I still maintain that Judaism has continued to survive largely because they are self-contained, tribal groups, thus preventing the dilution of their culture. Even in the modern world of Reform Judaism, the number of converts is almost insignificant.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Peterson
You mean like your post that most Jewish people have brown hair and brown eyes.
Does Sammy Davis Jr's glass eye count?
I grew up with mostly Jewish people. Long Island has one of the largest populations of Jews. YES, the majority have brown eyes and hair. I'd say like only 10% of the time I'd see someone with light hair and eyes. But that's beyond the point; my Jewish friends tell me I have the facial features and that my last name sounds Jewish. There must be tons of Jewish people in Weeki Wachi for you to take notice to this.
I grew up with mostly Jewish people. Long Island has one of the largest populations of Jews. YES, the majority have brown eyes and hair. I'd say like only 10% of the time I'd see someone with light hair and eyes. But that's beyond the point; my Jewish friends tell me I have the facial features and that my last name sounds Jewish. There must be tons of Jewish people in Weeki Wachi for you to take notice to this.
I grew up on the Concourse and Co-op City in the Bronx.
They was a very large jewish population there and I would not say that most were brown haired and brown eyed. Many had black hair, many had red hair, some had blond hair. Many had green eyes and some blue.
I really couldn't care less what your Jewish friends tell you. Please post some verifiable proof that only 10% of the Jewish population do not have brown hair and brown eyes.
I will post my diploma from Lehman HS in the Bronx along with a letter from Elliot Engels office addressed to me in the Bronx if you promise not to post on C-D for a month.
If you don't believe I lived in the Bronx you should take me up on this.
If not then stop using that lame excuse when you have nothing else to say.
I will post my diploma from Lehman HS in the Bronx along with a letter from Elliot Engels office addressed to me in the Bronx if you promise not to post on C-D for a month.
If you don't believe I lived in the Bronx you should take me up on this.
If not then stop using that lame excuse when you have nothing else to say.
LOL don't make things complicated. Just post it or is it that you didn't graduate from Lehman High School?
I have nothing to prove. If I am going to do it I will make it worth it to me.
I won't take this thread anymore off course, when you 2 agree let me know.
I have nothing to prove. If I am going to do it I will make it worth it to me.
I won't take this thread anymore off course, when you 2 agree let me know.
They are being obnoxious. I am going to back you up here and say that I know a lot of blonde-haired, black-haired, light-skinned, and dark-skinned Jews. I grew up in South Florida and have lived in fairly well-off urban neighborhoods in Boston and NYC, so trust me when I say that I've met and befriended my fair share of Jews as well. I don't know how that will stack up to Rachel's ultimate NYC authority, however; having grown up in Maspeth and North Shore LI she is the queen of diversity and culture... let it be known. How could anyone from some podunk place called Weeki Wachee know about stuff like that?
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