[Andrew C.]

Why do people consider being Jewish a race or ethnicity? I thought being Jewish was just being a follower of Judaism, like Christians are followers of Christianity.

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Name : Andrew C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 17, City : Jacksonville, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, 

[Esther25267]

I guess it's like being Catholic. People of the Jewish faith are usually of certain ethnic groups, just like Catholics generally are (i.e. Italian, Irish, Spanish.......)

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Name : Esther25267, Gender : F, Religion : Catholic, Age : 21, City : Somewhere In Canada, State : NA Country : Canada, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Rhiannon]

I'm glad you asked this question. I know other Jews disagree with this position, but I am an agnostic who strongly identifies as a Jew in term of ethnicity. Although I am uncertain as to the existence or the nature of a higher power, I feel strongly connected to my ancestral traditions and to my place in history as a Jew. Just because I do not worship the God of my ancestors does not mean I do not feel connected to them or their culture in other ways. One reason Jews feel more connected with other Jews ethnically, as opposed to the ethnicity of those from the countries we came from, is because Jews from those places usually had much more in common with other Jews than their non-Jewish neighbors. Who cares that my grandparents came from Bessarabia? They were persecuted there, and would have been killed by the Nazis if they had not come to the U.S. They did, however, share a culture with other Jews throughout Eastern Europe, and I choose to honor that. I find it troubling that when I tell people I am Jewish, they assume I am talking about religion. Other ethnically-conscious Americans (Irish-Americans, African-Americans, etc) can talk about their cultural background without talking about religion. Why can't I?

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Name : Rhiannon, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 29, City : Eden Prairie, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : Professor, Social class : Middle class, 

[Timmy Van Loen]

I am of Jewish ancestry but I don't believe in Judaism (I'm an agnostic) and therefore I don't refer to myself as Jewish. I get really annoyed when people insist to me that I am still Jewish racially. There is NO such thing as a Jewish race. True, Jewish people often have a similar appearance to each other, but then again, French people tend to look French and English people English but you don't hear anyone refering to the English or French race. Even the brown-skinned people from the Indian Subcontinent are officially classed as caucasian.

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Name : Timmy Van Loen, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 22, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Johnny B.]

I took a history class last summer at Ohio State University, and when we talked about the Holocaust, we discussed this question. One reason that Jewish is considered a race by some is that by making Jewish a race rather than a set of beliefs, it is easier to discriminate against them. By ostracizing any group, those followers will stick together more closely, and therefore be more easily herded together and segregated. In my opinion, this was a means to an end, and it has yet to be corrected.

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Name : Johnny B., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 20, City : Columbus, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Jennifer]

My daughter is half-Jewish, and I haven't heard the Jews regarded as a race since maybe the Holocaust, only as an ethnicity. It is neither, in my opinion, but ethnicity is more correct (but I'd say that for all groups because I don't believe in race; we're all human). It begs the larger question, what is race? Which I think the previous poster summed up as 'a means to an end' rather well. The Jews are made up of lots of different peoples. I guess they can sort of be compared to Latinos, who can be of any race. So can Jews. There are Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews, the Falasha (Ethiopian), and more recently, the Lemba, who are a South African tribe newly confirmed to have Jewish origins. Judaism is their indigenous religion, a religion that is unique to the Jews as a group. It is inextricably linked to their identity as a people. As are all indigenous peoples' religions. That is as it should be. So it is not necessarily simply a set of beliefs, it (their religion) is also what informs them as a people (Jews). In that sense, you can compare them to the Yoruba of Nigeria, or Native Americans.

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Name : Jennifer, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 26, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Writer and Activist, 

[Nathan H.]

To be a Jew can mean someone who is a follower of Judaism, but it also can mean a person who is decended from the ancient Hebrews. For centuries, and still even today, many Jewish people only marry within their faith. Therefore, in most cases, they are marrying within their race. You can be a Christian and a Jew, one being your faith and one being your ethnicity, respectively. I'm not Jewish, but this is my understanding. Please e-mail me or respond if I am misinformed.

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Name : Nathan H., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 16, City : St. Louis, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

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