Jewish/Jewish Descent? Help Please =)?

This can be complicated to express succinctly, can't it? Especially since so many folk (as above) insist on remaining confused on the topic.

'Descend' isn't really the right word though, your great-grandmother's Judaism didn't descent to you. It stopped with her. And it sounds too much like ethnicity and blood, which you understand isn't apt but others don't.

I think probably your best option is to take the slightly longer route and say that you have a great grandmother who was originally Jewish and then became Catholic.

Firstly, to the 'wicked witch ' - you can, can you...? Interesting. I'm Jewish, and I can't tell by looking. I guess you've never met Indian Jews, or Japanese Jews, or Ethiopian Jews. You'd know if a Japanese person was also a Jew, would you...? Just by looking....?

TO THE ASKER:

If your maternal grandmother did *not* convert, you are still Jewish IF you want to take up your place in the Jewish family :)

But - if your grandmother ***voluntarily*** became a Catholic, and lived as a Catholic, that means her daughter was not Jewish, and thus you are not Jewish - as far as I understand Halacha/Jewish law.

Either way, you DO have a Jewish heritage, and it's great if you feel you want to learn more about it. For the specific question of whether *you* are Jewish, you would need to speak with a Rabbi, as they are the experts on Halacha.

If your mother's great grandmother converted to Catholicism BEFORE she was born then no - your grandmother was not Jewish, nor was your mother, so you are not, again, as far as I understand it.

But again - you have a Jewish heritage, so Shalom and please feel welcome to ask us anything else :)

Starred for my fellow Jews.

You're just whistling in the wind.I think the hold world knows what you've stated.They either don't care or feel there is nothing they can do about it.I've said the same thing many times on Y/A.I don't have any animosity towards the jews.I just want people to know why we pump billions into the state of Israel and how they control just about ever thing that moves in the US.If you dig deep enough you'll find they control wall street, the entertainment industry,and anything else that has a dollar sign on it.Like it or not they own you.They're great business people but it's still kind of scary to know that a certain group of people have your faith in their hands.

answer: You likely have Jewish roots. If your great grandmother converted before your grandmother was born, your grandmother wasn't born Jewish.

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Wicked - trollish behavior is so unattractive. Since there are Jews of almost every ethnic group in the world, I doubt you can tell 90% of the time who is Jewish and who isn't. Did you know that Yaphet Kotto and Harrison Ford were born Jewish?

Gee, they look nothing alike.

You should speak to a Rabbi. In Judaism you either are Jewish or not - there's no such thing as being of jewish 'descent'.

If it was your mothers mothers mother and she converted without knowing what she was leaving behind (for example, to save her life...) then she would still be a Jew, and so would you.

But it's complicated and you should speak to a Rabbi. Good luck!

Judaism is matrilineal, so your great grandmother being Jewish would make you of Jewish descent. But if you weren't raised that way, I guess it doesn't make too much of a difference...

I hope that in some way was helpful :)

-Annna

Most of us today are from the 10 tribes of Israel,

When God scattered the 10 Tribes they migrated

over the Caucus Mountains

into Europe, The Netherlands, Scotland, England

and eventually to America.

Yes it sounds like you are from Jewish decent. What is the problem though? I'm sorry I just don't see what the problem is. Be proud of who you are. What difference does it make where you came from? It does matter however, where you are going. I think it is cool. God bless.

yes- it is quite likly the term Jew originaly ment some one in the Hebrew tribne Judah

so there is a good chance you are decended from them.

You're going to have a bunch of JPA biddies clucking at you that Jewishness is not a race or an ethnicity and that to think otherwise is anti-semitism, but honestly ask yourself this: can you or can you not tell who's Jewish about 90% of the time just by looking? I sure as hell can. And anyone who's honest will admit that they can too. I say you're part Jewish.