Are Jews a religion or ethnicity?

I get this one all the time (hence #1 in FAQs), and it’s no surprise that so many people are confused by this.  The answer is: both, plus more.  Conceptions of religion, ethnicity, race, and peoplehood have changed over the past several thousand years, and given that Jews are thousands of years old (about 3000-4000 depending on how you count), it’s not surprising that we don’t fit cleanly into one of today’s definitions.

The best way to label us, in my opinion, is as a “people.”  In Hebrew, we refer to ourselves as “Am Yisrael,” which roughly translates to the Nation of Israel.  We are not just a religion, although as a “people,” Judaism is the religion that we practice.  In Judaism, a Jew cannot stop being Jewish, even if they convert.  It doesn’t matter what you believe or practice; a Jew is a Jew.  Therefore, you can have Jewish atheists, Jewish Buddhists (I think they’re called BuJews…), and so on.  I’ve heard it compared to being Greek.  Greeks have a religion that they practice, namely Greek Orthodoxy, but you can practice or not; regardless, you’ll be Greek.  Because Judaism is a religion, it is possible (albeit difficult) to convert.  When someone converts, they become a part of the religion and the people.

Do you believe that everything in the Torah really happened?  What about evolution?

So straight up, I believe in evolution.  I also believe that the Torah is “true.”  What exactly true means can be open to interpretation.  I don’t believe that G-d wrote the Torah to be a science book.  We believe that everything in the Torah, down to each letter, G-d put there for a reason.  My outlook (and I know I’m not alone on this) is that G-d provided all sorts of information in the Torah based on what he thought we needed to know to live moral lives.  The story of creation and the whole six day thing- I don’t pretend to know what that means.  Do I think that G-d created the world?  100%.  Do I think that it took 6 days?  Not so much… but does that mean I think the Torah is wrong?  Definitely not.  There’s beauty in the ambiguity, and the creation story has plenty to teach us.

There are definitely Orthodox Jews out there who do not believe in evolution.  As I mentioned, I’m on the liberal side of Orthodox Judaism.  Although I don’t read the creation story literally per say, I do believe that many things in the Torah literally happened.  The parting of the Red Sea, for example, and the Exodus from Egypt, I do believe happened literally.  I imagine the answer to this question would really depend on the person and on the community.

What’s the difference between being Jewish and Israeli?

Being Jewish, as I answered in the first question, is a complicated identity to define, as it can be some combination of religious and ethnic affiliation.  Being Israeli is a nationality, i.e. having citizenship from the State of Israel.  It would literally be determined by who issued your passport.  There are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze, Baha’i, and non-religious Israelis; anyone who has Israeli citizenship is Israeli.  There are Jews who hold citizenship from countries around the world.  Being Jewish has nothing to do with who issued your passport.  You cannot use the term “Jew” and “Israeli” interchangeably.  They refer to different things.

Do you believe in Jesus?

We don’t believe that the messiah has come yet, so no, we don’t believe that Jesus was the messiah.  We believe he lived and was essentially a very liberal rabbi.  He’s not a part of our theology at all, though.  I find that some people have a lot of trouble understanding that we believe in G-d, but not in Jesus.  Not sure how to explain that other than… we believe in G-d… but not in Jesus.

Do you believe in Hell?

The whole conception of Heaven and Hell that forms the basis of theology in other religions does not translate to Judaism.  We don’t believe in Hell.  There’s something somewhat similar called Gehenem, but it’s really more like Purgatory (where your soul goes for rehab, basically) and you can only end up there for a year.  Basically, there’s no threat of going to Hell to encourage people to follow Jewish law.  There is a concept that G-d will judge you and your actions on Earth after you die and determine your lot in the World to Come.

I notice that you keep not writing out G-d’s name.  What’s that about?

As promised, here’s an explanation of why I’ve been writing “G dash D” this whole time.  In Jewish belief, G-d’s name is very holy, and we are not supposed to use it in vain.  G-d’s name is so holy, in fact, that we think his full name was shared with Moses, passed down through the generations, and lost when the Second Temple was destroyed.  Before it was lost, his full name was only said out loud once a year, at the end of Yom Kippur, by the High Priest in a special place in the Temple called the Holy of Holies (the holiest spot in the world according to Jewish theology).  While we no longer know his full name, it’s customary to still be very conscientious about what we write out.  If you write G-d’s name, in English or in Hebrew (a shortened version that we use now), you cannot throw that piece of paper away.  You have to bury it in a special thing called a Genizah.  Easier to just type a hyphen…

How do you know if something is Kosher?

Great question!  As I mentioned, being kosher does not mean being blessed by a rabbi.  There is a complicated system of dietary laws found in the Torah, and keeping kosher means following those dietary laws (and all of the ways that rabbis have interpreted them throughout the years).  If you’re buying something packaged from a store (at least within the U.S. and Canada), it will have a label if it’s kosher.  You can buy kosher meat in some grocery stores, but if you don’t have a kosher kitchen, you couldn’t cook the meat at home within making it “treif” (the opposite of kosher).  If you’re just buying something packaged like chips or drinks at the grocery store and want to know what to look for on the package, look for a little U inside of an O (see image).  That’s a very common label that something’s kosher.  There are others too.  Because there are multiple boards of rabbis that certify that products are kosher, there are multiple labels.  Here’s a list from one of those boards (who are known to be reliable and fairly stringent).  If you’re in a situation where you have a Jewish friend and you’re trying to buy something that they’ll be able to eat, feel free to send me a question in the “Ask a Question” section.  I’d love to help you!

Do Jews believe that premarital sex is okay?

The short answer is no, but it’s not forbidden in the same way or for the same reasons it is in Christianity, for example.  It’s not heavily talked about or emphasized; more so, it’s understood because actually all physical contact between members of the opposite sex is forbidden before marriage.  (Yeah, you read that right).  For more on that, check out the sections on Shomer Negiah and Marriage.

Why won’t some people shake hands with members of the opposite sex?

This is called being “shomer negiah.”  In Orthodox Judaism (and it’s practiced by almost everyone except for some on the most liberal end of Orthodox Judaism), touch is considered special and sacred and something you only do with your spouse (and immediate family).  Some people make exceptions for handshakes, although many don’t, and some make exceptions specifically to shake someone’s hand if they don’t know about this whole “not-shaking-hands” thing, as not to embarrass anyone.  Hugging your brother, mom, sister, child, and so on is totally fine, but you can’t hug or touch a member of the opposite sex you aren’t related to (until your spouse, of course!).  This means that Orthodox Jewish couples who get married touch for the very first time on their wedding night.

I’m embarrassed to ask, but I’ve heard that religious Jews use a sheet with a hole in it to have sex.  Is that true?

Nope.  Not a thing.  If you want to know what an actual intimate relationship is like in Orthodox Judaism, though, check out this page to read more about relationships and marriage in Judaism.

Why do Jewish guys where yamulkes?  What about all the black hats?

A kippah (in Hebrew, or yamulke in Yiddish… or “skull cap”) is something Orthodox Jewish men wear every day; it’s a reminder that there’s someone “above” us.  Depending on your community, some men wear a black hat every day rather than just a kippah.  Some even wear fox fur hats.  You can read all about this in the section on dress.

Do Jews believe in forgiveness?

This is a question I get a lot from Christian friends.  We certainly do believe in forgiveness, but it doesn’t play the same central role in our theology that it does in Christianity.  It’s definitely important, but so are many other ideas and values.  The Jewish concept of forgiveness is called “tshuvah” which actually means “returning.”  People are supposed to be constantly improving and reflecting on how they can better themselves.  Tshuvah is a necessary step in self-improvement, whether it’s asking forgiveness from G-d or from the people around you.  Once a year, on Yom Kippur, tshuvah is paramount.  That’s the holiday where G-d supposedly seals your fate for the coming year in the Book of Life or Death, and with the holiday around the corner, everyone takes time to reflect on who they’ve hurt that year and asks for their apology.  Then, they spend the holiday fasting, in serious reflection, “returning” to G-d, apologizing for the sins that they and the community have committed and asking for mercy and forgiveness.

I’m just going to do the silly (or incredibly offensive) ones all at once: Do you have horns? Do you control the banks and the media? [Insert ridiculous question here]

No.