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MarathonKnitter
HAPPY
Member since 2/07 17374 total posts
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EMBRACING CHANGE
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ethnicity spinoff
is judaism an ETHNICITY?
i've always raised an eyebrow to that.
Noun 1. ethnicity - an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties; "ethnicity has a strong influence on community status relations"
can someone please enlighten me because i always want to correct people for saying that. judaism is a faith, a religion, not an ethnicity is the way i've always seen it.
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Posted 3/18/09 8:59 AM  |
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kristinel
Steinbeck
Member since 5/08 1224 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
I think this is a touchy subject. It really depends on who you speak to.
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:05 AM |
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yankinmanc
Happy Days!
Member since 8/05 18208 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Its very much everything its a religion and a culture and an ethnicity.
Ethnicity falls into this because from my experience many Jews aren't really sure of where they are from due to the multiple changes of geography during/after WW2. Many Eastern European countries had very different borders before WW2, so the town in Poland where my great-great-grandparents have come from no longer exists in Poland...so our ethnicity is not one thing, nor is it another.
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:08 AM |
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Bxgell2
Perfection
Member since 5/05 16438 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Technically, no. But talk to any jew, whether religious or not, and 99% of them will agree that there is a very strong, unique jewish culture, all unto itself, that most jews have experienced, whether non-practicing, reform, conservative or orthodox. It's enormously difficult to put it into words though...
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:19 AM |
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Shelly
She's 7!!!
Member since 8/05 14624 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
I don't see how Judaism can be an ethnicity. It can be a culture- but not ethnicity.
I'm ashkenazi- meaning my parents/grandparents are from Eastern Europe.
My DH is Sephardic- meaning his parents/grandparents are from the middle east (or western Europe, N. Africa).
So we have two different ethnicities- we look different, the prayers we say have different tunes, the foods we eat are very different-yet- we are both Jewish.
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:19 AM |
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
I think some people consider it a religion, and some people consider it an ethnicity. It depends on the person. But I was thinking about it, and there are some traits and diseases that are more common in Sephardic Jews, and so I think that is is more of an ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:20 AM |
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donegal419
St. Gerard, pray for us.
Member since 7/07 7650 total posts
Name:
K
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
i am not jewish, but i would say it's not an ethnicity... there are Jews from many many ethnicities: Russian, German, Iranian, Polish, etc. etc. BUT i would say in addition to being a faith, Judaism is also a CULTURE that is common to many ethnicities. does that make sense?
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:44 AM |
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Sherwood
LIF Adult
Member since 8/08 1643 total posts
Name:
s
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
I am Jewish (well by birth anyway, if not by practice) and I've always thought of it as a religion, not an ethnicity. No different than a Catholic, Protestant etc. Yes there are certain cultural aspect that are exclusive to Judiasm, but that could really be said about any religion.
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:46 AM |
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mrswask
Pookie Love
Member since 5/05 20229 total posts
Name:
Michal
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Shelly
I don't see how Judaism can be an ethnicity. It can be a culture- but not ethnicity.
I'm ashkenazi- meaning my parents/grandparents are from Eastern Europe.
My DH is Sephardic- meaning his parents/grandparents are from the middle east (or western Europe, N. Africa).
So we have two different ethnicities- we look different, the prayers we say have different tunes, the foods we eat are very different-yet- we are both Jewish.
Agreed. Judaism is my religion and culture. But, not my ethnicity. There are many different ethnicities in my extended family and it does make us different. Yet we are all Jewish.
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| Posted 3/18/09 9:58 AM |
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MarathonKnitter
HAPPY
Member since 2/07 17374 total posts
Name:
EMBRACING CHANGE
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Bxgell2
Technically, no. But talk to any jew, whether religious or not, and 99% of them will agree that there is a very strong, unique jewish culture, all unto itself, that most jews have experienced, whether non-practicing, reform, conservative or orthodox. It's enormously difficult to put it into words though...
this is something i've always understood. i was just unclear on the use of the term ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 10:02 AM |
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SJSM
LIF Adolescent
Member since 1/09 764 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Bxgell2
Technically, no. But talk to any jew, whether religious or not, and 99% of them will agree that there is a very strong, unique jewish culture, all unto itself, that most jews have experienced, whether non-practicing, reform, conservative or orthodox. It's enormously difficult to put it into words though...[/QUOTE________________________________________________________
I agree with you 100%
I completly understand what you are saying
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| Posted 3/18/09 10:07 AM |
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tourist
Member since 5/05 10425 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Shelly
I'm ashkenazi- meaning my parents/grandparents are from Eastern Europe.
I think that's what a lot of people (in this are, esp.) mean when they say Jewish as an ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 10:16 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
I think it's not cut & dry. I think of it as a religion not ethnicity.
However, there is definitely a culture that transcends religion. My mom, who is Jewish, thinks it is an ethnicity. While she can say she's German, Polish & Russian, her families were kicked out of country after country. All of the relatives have similar threads of culture which is based on their religion.
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| Posted 3/18/09 10:25 AM |
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
If we just look at the definition of ethnicity posted above, I can't see how Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 11:43 AM |
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PreshusSmurf
So in love with my little guys
Member since 1/07 2963 total posts
Name:
Jess
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Kerie-is-so-very
If we just look at the definition of ethnicity posted above, I can't see how Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
I agree.
I am Jewish, and if I were asked what my ethnicity was, I would say Jewish.
Many of you may think that's incorrect, but it is what works for me ...
My ancestors are from a number of different small countries all around the same area .... but my family doesn't really identify with, or feel a sense of belonging to, any of those countries or cultures.
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| Posted 3/18/09 11:52 AM |
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Kara
Now Zagat Rated!
Member since 3/07 13217 total posts
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They call me "Tater Salad"
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Kerie-is-so-very
If we just look at the definition of ethnicity posted above, I can't see how Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
My thoughts exactly.
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| Posted 3/18/09 11:57 AM |
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EricaAlt
LIF Adult
Member since 7/08 22665 total posts
Name:
Erica
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by PreshusSmurf
Posted by Kerie-is-so-very
If we just look at the definition of ethnicity posted above, I can't see how Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
I agree.
I am Jewish, and if I were asked what my ethnicity was, I would say Jewish.
Many of you may think that's incorrect, but it is what works for me ...
My ancestors are from a number of different small countries all around the same area .... but my family doesn't really identify with, or feel a sense of belonging to, any of those countries or cultures.
ITA with you!!! I am Jewish and have Always said "I'm Jewish" when people have asked me what my ethnicity is. My family is from Germany, Hungry, Poland, Armenia, etc... I'm not 100% of anything since my ancestors are from all over. Jewish is our ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 11:57 AM |
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seaside
LIF Adult
Member since 6/08 3101 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Kerie-is-so-very
If we just look at the definition of ethnicity posted above, I can't see how Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
ITA. I think it's often very hard for people whose ancestors came from one place and were not persecuted (or at least not over centuries) and who have documentation, heirlooms, etc. to trace their ancestry to understand what it's like to come from a "people" who has experienced diaspora, persecuion, dispersion to all corners of the earth, be stripped of possessions, have names changed, etc. so that all they have left is a "religion" and the ability to move to Israel.
People need to understand that but for worldwide pogroms, the diaspora, Holocaust, etc. much of (though not all) the Jewish people would have more of the traditional hallmarks of an ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 12:36 PM |
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Erica
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 11767 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Kerie-is-so-very
If we just look at the definition of ethnicity posted above, I can't see how Judaism is NOT an ethnicity.
ITA. and also if you include the numerous diasporas, it becomes an ethnicity by default
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| Posted 3/18/09 12:38 PM |
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Nifheim
allo
Member since 1/09 5476 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
i always was puzzled with that question. To me an ethnic background is what is described above. To me Jewish is a religion. It is like saying I am Catholic or Hindu or Zoan etc. I think religion plays a major role in your culture but not your ethnic background.
My uncles and aunts who were jewish said they were italian jews or german jews which makes sense since they do include the country of origin and then their religion. Just like my grandparents say irish catholic or english catholic because it is different from an irish/english protestant.
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| Posted 3/18/09 12:57 PM |
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sweetie
Member since 8/06 1730 total posts
Name:
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
I feel like you can't really question someone on what they consider their ethnicity to be.
If they identify themselves a certain way, why would you try to prove them wrong by busting out the dictionary.
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| Posted 3/18/09 1:04 PM |
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EricaAlt
LIF Adult
Member since 7/08 22665 total posts
Name:
Erica
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by Nifheim
i always was puzzled with that question. To me an ethnic background is what is described above. To me Jewish is a religion. It is like saying I am Catholic or Hindu or Zoan etc. I think religion plays a major role in your culture but not your ethnic background.
My uncles and aunts who were jewish said they were italian jews or german jews which makes sense since they do include the country of origin and then their religion. Just like my grandparents say irish catholic or english catholic because it is different from an irish/english protestant.
Most Jews are not from one specific country, but all over Eastern Europe... which is why say "Jewish" has become our ethnicity. It explains to people our ancestors are from all over. If I tell people I'm an ashkanazi Jew most people will have no clue what that means.
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| Posted 3/18/09 1:09 PM |
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PreshusSmurf
So in love with my little guys
Member since 1/07 2963 total posts
Name:
Jess
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
Posted by sweetie
I feel like you can't really question someone on what they consider their ethnicity to be.
If they identify themselves a certain way, why would you try to prove them wrong by busting out the dictionary.
Thank you for this. 
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| Posted 3/18/09 2:12 PM |
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Cheeks24
Living a dream
Member since 1/08 8589 total posts
Name:
Cheeks
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
It is part of an ethnicity.
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| Posted 3/18/09 2:24 PM |
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evnme
My little lamb
Member since 8/05 12633 total posts
Name:
aka momma2b
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Re: ethnicity spinoff
if you don't have ties to your home land ("the old country"), then yes. when someone asks me my nationality, i say i am jewish (and if i'm abroad, i say i am an american).
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| Posted 3/18/09 6:11 PM |
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