[Matt]

I think there are several reasons Judaism is considered to be a nationality: 1. It's hard to have pride in a country your ancestors left because they were oppressed there. My family comes from Lithuania, but after the way so many Christian Lithuanians collaborated with the Nazis, there's no way I'm going to call myself a 'Lithuanian American.' 2. Jews in the different countries of Eastern and Central Europe often had more in common with each other than with the other people in their respective countries. Jews from Poland, Ukraine, the Baltics and various other countries spent most of their time speaking Yiddish, not Polish, Ukranian or Latvian. To a large extent, their customs were 'Jewish,' not 'Polish' or whatever. This was because in those countries, Jews could not join in the dominant national culture in the manner they have in the U.S. 3. Over the past 150 years, different groups of American Jews have mixed to the point where most people have ancestors from multiple countries. Early in the waves of Jewish immigration, it was common for Hungarian, Polish, German, etc. Jewish communities to have separate synagogues and neighborhoods. That's not the case anymore, except maybe in Hasidic sects. You should note there still is a big gulf between Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestors lived in Central and Eastern Europe, and Sephardic Jews, who come from Spain, Turkey and the Arab world*. A lot of what Americans consider to be 'Jewish' customs are really Ashkenazi customs. I consider my nationality to be Ashkenazi Jewish. Because the Census Bureau may not record religion, Jews who get the form with a nationality question have to pick a more-traditional nationality. I think most American Jews put down 'Russian.' *I know some people don't like putting Spanish Jews in the same category as 'Oriental' ones, but I'm not really an expert on Sephardic Jews. Matt

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Name : Matt, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 25, City : Cleveland, State : OH Country : United States, 

[Matt]

I think there are several reasons Judaism is considered a nationality: 1. It's hard to have pride in a country your ancestors left because they were oppressed there. My family comes from Lithuania, but after the way so many Christian Lithuanians collaborated with the Nazis, there's no way I'm going to call myself a 'Lithuanian American.'

2. Jews in the different countries of Eastern and Central Europe often had more in common with each other than with the other people in their respective countries. Jews from Poland, Ukraine, the Baltics and various other countries spent most of their time speaking Yiddish, not Polish, Ukranian or Latvian. To a large extent, their customs were 'Jewish,' not 'Polish' or whatever. This was because in those countries, Jews could not join in the dominant national culture in the manner they have in the United States.

3. Over the past 150 years, different groups of American Jews have mixed to the point where most people have ancestors from multiple countries. Early in the waves of Jewish immigration, it was common for Hungarian, Polish, German, etc. Jewish communities to have separate synagogues and neighborhoods. That's not the case anymore, except maybe in Hasidic sects.

You should note there still is a big gulf between Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestors lived in Central and Eastern Europe, and Sephardic Jews, who come from Spain, Turkey and the Arab world. A lot of what Americans consider to be 'Jewish' customs are really Ashkenazi customs. I consider my nationality to be Ashkenazi Jewish. Because the Census Bureau may not record religion, Jews who get the form with a nationality question have to pick a more-traditional nationality. I think most American Jews put down 'Russian.'

User Detail :  

Name : Matt, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 25, City : Cleveland, State : OH Country : United States, 

[Matt22039]

Most American Jews put down 'Russian' on their census forms???? That is news to me. I am an American Jew, and have since discussed what you wrote with other Jewish friends of mine. We all have absolutely no idea what you are talking about on this one. Jews originally from Russia or Soviet countries sometimes answer Russian in heriatage on their census forms, but those who aren't, well, don't. Why you think a Jew from Britian, Frence, Germany, etc. would choose Russia is completely beyond me (and I mean completely). What a strange thing to write...

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Name : Matt22039, Gender : M, Religion : Jewish, Age : 21, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Theo24741]

Jews are not believers in Judaism; rather, Judaism is the religion of the Jews. Jews are a people, just like the Italians, and Judaism is a national religion, sort of like Shinto is the national religion of Japan. Of course, anti-Semites will always choose to define us in whatever way works to their advantage. When the Nazis came to power, German Jews were an 'alien race' that could never be German; and today the anti-Semitic Left denies we have a right to a homeland because we are 'just a religion.'

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Name : Theo24741, Gender : M, Religion : Jewish, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Dianne Shames]

Actually, I consider myself an American first, but I understand the complexity of the question. When I was young I could not understand why, in my textbooks it said that to the shores of America came the Russians, the Irish, the Italians (etc.) and the Jews. It didn't say Methodists, Lutherns, Catholics & Jews. It wasn't until I was older that I understood that Judiasm is more than a religion, it is a culture as well. In most countries Jews were not allowed to become citizens, so though my grandmother was born and raised in Austria, by their government she was considered a Jew who lived in Austria, not an Austrian. It makes you think huh?

User Detail :  

Name : Dianne Shames, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 53, City : Media, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : College Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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