Who Is a Jew?: Conversations, Not Conclusions

by Meryl Hyman

Book Overview

Explores the timely and controversial question of "Who is a Jew?" with leaders from all parts of the Jewish world, eminent scholars and other from all spectrums of belief.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580230520
• ISBN13: 9781580230520
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

10+10+10 degrees of separation?

One woman's quest for self-identity and belonging, which brought her deeply into the question of belonging yet not belonging. Fascinating, highly engrossing, well-researched. Raises many questions with no clear-cut answers forthcoming, or -- given the complexity and variety of laws AND opinions -- expected. This book follows the frustrating yet fascinating quest for one's place, one's station in life, one's family tree and how it affects one's standing as a Jew in Israel, as well as in the US. The Matrilineal as well as the Patrilineal sucession of Jewish identity as well as Rabbinical laws, Political decrees and biblical decrees relating to one's "Jewish-ness" are outlined and argued and brought into play -- and although no clear-cut conclusions are reached in this book, this reader was definitely made more aware of not only what it means to be a Jew, but also of the agony of loving one's Jewish heritage, yet still being unable to be fully accepted as a Jew because of one's family tree. Fascinating, absorbing, and thought-provoking.

A book I very much want to read

This is a book I very much want to read.I have always thought that the Reform Movement's decision to contradict the traditonal Jewish way, which says 'A Jew is a person born of a Jewish mother, or one who halachically converts to Judaism' opened up a deep divide in the Jewish world. Tens of thousands of people whose father was Jewish, and whose mother not were now defined as Jewish by the Reform movement. I was strongly against this decision, and believe it a mistake. Nonetheless I am uncomfortable with saying to people who now consider themselves to be Jewish that they are not Jewish. They are not Jewish 'halachically'. But then we come to another way of seeing the problem, and dividing Jews into Halachic and non- Halachic Jews. One problem here of course is that most of those who are Halachically Jewish do not live by the Halachah. And this even if a much greater percentage of them do than those 'made Jewish ' by patriarchal descent. The problem is not a semantic one alone. For those Jews who live by Halachah will not marry those who are not considered Halachically Jewish. The problem also is important in the context of worldwide Jewish demographic decline, and the struggle of Israel to stay alive. i.e. there is a feeling that we need all the people we can get, and if someone wishes to throw in their lot with us there is a sense that we should welcome them. Against this comes of course the Orthodox argument that any 'watering down' of the standard for Jewishness will have a boomerang effect and will lead to future Jewish generations smaller in number and committment. In any case I would be very much interested in hearing the reflections of all those who consider themselves, or want to be Jewish. But with one exception. It seems to me that those who adhere to another faith , and yet wish to call themselves Jewish, are being hypocritical and dishonest. And this especially when this 'other faith' has a long tradition of persecuting the Jews. And even more especially when this other faith has many tens of times the adherents as Jews do. In other words to my mind those people of Jewish origin who are practicing Christians or Muslims should no longer be considered as Jewish. And this is in fact the consensus I believe of all the major streams Orthodox, Conservative and Reform.

Marvelous Discussion of an Important Jewish Topic

Ms. Hyman's book is an excellent discussion of the debate surrounding the "Who is a Jew?" issue. As a Reform Jew of patrilineal descent, she is able to add a unique perspective to this debate and shows us some of the outright hypocrisy that surrounds such Jews.The one question I would ask Ms. Hyman is why she is satisfied to let Orthodox and Conservative rabbis control her ethnic and religious identity. I would like to comfort Ms. Hyman and all others with the words Andrew Jackson once uttered when faced with a Supreme Court ruling he didn't like: "The Court has made its decision; now let them enforce it." This is the way I feel about the "Who is a Jew?" issue: Orthodox and (most) Conservative rabbis can say as loudly as they like that only the child of a Jewish mother is a Jew, but it matters not when (at least in America) they have no real power to enforce it.Ms. Hyman's book is particularly interesting in that it presents the one voice we haven't heard in this vociferous debate: the voice of the patrilineal Jew. It seems that everyone has been consulted in this debate except the people actually affected by this issue. I suggest that Ms. Hyman and other patrilineal Jews simply take matters into their own hands; if the Orthodox and Conservative movements will not give them legitimacy, they should simply take it. Ultimately, only an individual person can know whether he or she has legitimacy as a Jew.

Read this. You'll feel better. You'll feel worse. But read.

Who is a Jew? It seems everyone has an opinion on this one. The issue is close to Meryl Hyman, as she is a Reform Jew of patrilineal descent. This gives the book an immediacy that will be welcome to those, such as myself, who embrace Judaism as a religion but await ~full~ acceptance as members of the people Israel. Although personally involved with her subject, the author uses her skills as a journalist to maintain perspective. This book will be of great interest to anyone troubled by vague status due to the history of their parentage or conversion. It is remarkably up to date and includes discussion of the proposed Israeli conversion law.