There was a lot of healthy debate in another thread whether "Jew" is a nationality, religion, ethnicity, or anything else. Since we live in a democratic country, why don't we give it a vote. What do you think a "Jew" is?

I personally agree with Executive on this and believe that a "jew" describes a person of jewish religion. Bukharian on the other hand, or Russian, describes the nationality or a place of origin of that particular person.

Please don't be shy, and share your opinions.

I forgot to make this poll so that boojulians could make multiple selections. If the Admins and Moderators could edit the poll and make that possible, that would be great!!!!

Jew is a Profession. :D

A Jew is a way of looking at life, a Jew is a name but are we true Jews thats the question? Do we do what Hashem wants us to? When you look at the christians they are so loyal and they do thier "services", But we as Jews do we do our rolls in life. Do we follow the Torah which is our blueprint for life. Or do we just say we are Jewish w/ no meaning in it. Are we proud to be Jews? If we were proud we wouldn't hide and do what Hashem wants us to do. So people can say that they are Jews, but do they really know what they are saying? Do they actually believe that they are Jewish?

A Jew is a way of looking at life, a Jew is a name but are we true Jews thats the question? Do we do what Hashem wants us to? When you look at the christians they are so loyal and they do thier "services", But we as Jews do we do our rolls in life. Do we follow the Torah which is our blueprint for life. Or do we just say we are Jewish w/ no meaning in it. Are we proud to be Jews? If we were proud we wouldn't hide and do what Hashem wants us to do. So people can say that they are Jews, but do they really know what they are saying? Do they actually believe that they are Jewish?

cult (klt)
n.
1.
a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
b. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
a. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
b. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

Jew is a Profession. :D

I like your view of things!!!! :)

I like your view of things!!!! :)

I like it too :)

Until money doesn't dissapear and we dont live in a UTOPIAN environment, the Evil Inclination will always win.. Money is the root of all spiritual blindness without a doubt. People live their lives with the "desire" to succeed or some the desire to just survive because of the world we live in. If we did not have all of these obstacles, people would have no choice but to look within and think about the fundamental questions of existance and find a true spiritual path.

Iam POSITIVE that the most "religious" man is not very righteous in his business transactions or other monetary issues. That line is crossed every second, without them even realizing it. If the religious Jews wanted to TRULY be righteous they would live like the quakers or Amish people on farms without using money. Using money is equal in my eyes to assimilating to the "goyim".

Whats even more ironic is that the wealthiest nation that controls most of the money in the world are JEWS.

Until money doesn't dissapear and we dont live in a UTOPIAN environment, the Evil Inclination will always win.. Money is the root of all spiritual blindness without a doubt. People live their lives with the "desire" to succeed or some the desire to just survive because of the world we live in. If we did not have all of these obstacles, people would have no choice but to look within and think about the fundamental questions of existance and find a true spiritual path.

Iam POSITIVE that the most "religious" man is not very righteous in his business transactions or other monetary issues. That line is crossed every second, without them even realizing it. If the religious Jews wanted to TRULY be righteous they would live like the quakers or Amish people on farms without using money. Using money is equal in my eyes to assimilating to the "goyim".

Whats even more ironic is that the wealthiest nation that controls most of the money in the world are JEWS.

y is it that u constantly look at other people? all right, so lets say there r religious ppl who are not careful in business, does that mean that u should look at them and reject judaism just because they r like that?
just becasue they r religious doesnt mean that they are perfect and it doesnt mean that they dont get punished for what they do. one of the 3 questions that a person is asked after they die is if they were honest in their business. at that point, nothing is hidden and a person is punished.
Dont look at other ppl's mistakes and stay away from something so great because of them. U know that Hashem is there and u know that the Torah is true. Dont pay attention to whether other ppl keep it completely or not. U r here for urself. U r here to get ready for Olam Haba. When u get there, the excuse "well the religious ppl.........." will not work. Hatzlacha.

O and also just wondering, what kind of life do the Quakers and Amish have?

Here are some questions and answers about the Amish, the Mennonites, the Brethren, and the other "Plain People" of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.


Who are the Amish? Are they the same as the Pennsylvania Dutch?

The Amish are a religious group who live in settlements in 22 states and Ontario, Canada. The oldest group of Old Order Amish, about 16-18,000 people live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Amish stress humility, family and community, and separation from the world.
Although Lancaster Amish are Pennsylvania Dutch, all Pennsylvania Dutch are not Amish. The Pennsylvania Dutch are natives of Central Pennsylvania, particularly Lancaster and its surrounding counties. Unlike the Amish, they are not all one religion. Instead, their common bond is a mainly German background (Pennsylvania Dutch is actually Pennsylvania Deutsch, or German). They also have Welsh, English, Scottish, Swiss, and French ancestry.



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What is the history of the Amish?

The Amish have their roots in the Mennonite community. Both were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of the Reformation. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized, and that they should remain separate from the larger society. Many early Anabaptists were put to death as heretics by both Catholics and Protestants, and many others fled to the mountains of Switzerland and southern Germany. Here began the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes rather than churches.
In 1536, a young Catholic priest from Holland named Menno Simons joined the Anabaptist movement. His writings and leadership united many of the Anabaptist groups, who were nicknamed "Mennonites." In 1693, a Swiss bishop named Jacob Amman broke from the Mennonite church. His followers were called the "Amish." Although the two groups have split several times, the Amish and Mennonite churches still share the same beliefs concerning baptism, non-resistance, and basic Bible doctrines. They differ in matters of dress, technology, language, form of worship, and interpretation of the Bible.
The Amish and Mennonites both settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn's "holy experiment" of religious tolerance. The first sizable group of Amish arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720's or 1730's.



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The Amish seem stuck in history. Why don't they accept modern ideas and innovations?

Although the Amish look like they stepped out of the rural nineteenth century, in fact they do change. Their lives move more slowly than ours, but they definitely are not stuck anywhere. They choose to examine change carefully before they accept it. If the new idea or gadget does not assist in keeping their lives simple and their families together, they probably will reject it. Each church district decides for itself what it will and will not accept; there is no single governing body for the entire Old Order population, but all follow a literal interpretation of the Bible and an unwritten set of rules called the Ordnung.
Old Order groups all drive horses and buggies rather than cars, do not have electricity in their homes, and send their children to private, one-room schoolhouses. Children attend only through the eighth grade. After that, they work on their family's farm or business until they marry. The Amish feel that their children do not need more formal education than this. Although they pay school taxes, the Amish have fought to keep their children out of public schools. In 1972, the Supreme Court handed down a landmark unanimous decision which exempted the Old Order Amish and related groups from state compulsory attendance laws beyond the eighth grade. Many Mennonites and progressive Amish do attend high school and even college.



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Do they speak English?

Most Amish are trilingual. They speak a dialect of German called Pennsylvania Dutch at home; they use High German at their worship services; and they learn English at school. They speak English when they deal with anyone who is not Amish. They pronounce Amish with a broad "a" (Ah-mish).
The Amish are a private people who believe God has kept them together despite pressure to change from the modern world. They are not perfect, but they are a strong example of a community that supports and cares for its members. They are a people apart; they are also a people together.



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Why do they dress that way?

Old Order Amish women and girls wear modest dresses made from solid-colored fabric with long sleeves and a full skirt (not shorter than half-way between knee and floor). These dresses are covered with a cape and apron and are fastened with straight pins or snaps. They never cut their hair, which they wear in a bun on the back of the head. On their heads they wear a white prayer covering if they are married and a black one if they are single. Amish women do not wear jewelry.
Men and boys wear dark-colored suits, straight-cut coats without lapels, broadfall trousers, suspenders, solid-colored shirts, black socks and shoes, and black or straw broad-brimmed hats. Their shirts fasten with conventional buttons, but their suit coats and vests fasten with hooks and eyes. They do not have mustaches, but they grow beards after they marry.
The Amish feel these distinctive clothes encourage humility and separation from the world. Their clothing is not a costume; it is an expression of their faith.



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What's an Amish wedding like?

Family is the core element in the Amish church, and choosing a mate is the most important decision in an Amishman's life. Boys and girls begin their search for a spouse when they turn sixteen. By the time a young woman turns twenty or a young man is in his early twenties, he or she is probably looking forward to the wedding day. But several definite steps must be taken by a couple before they may marry.
Both must join the Amish church. They are baptized into the Amish faith and are responsible for following the Ordnung. The Ordnung is a written and unwritten set of rules for daily living. Joining the church prepares the young people for the seriousness of setting up their own home.
The young man asks his girl to marry him, but he does not give her a diamond. He may give her china or a clock. The couple keeps their intentions secret until July or August. At this time the young woman tells her family about her plans to marry.

DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR MORE DETAILS.

They live in isolation from the rest of the world, they dont use money, no TV, no Telephones, no Cars and NO electricity. they are stricter about assimilation than most Jews. Makes you think how perfect religious Jews are in front of G-d.. I hope this puts things into perspective.

Jew is a Profession. :D
:lolb: Thanks for clerifing that! :happy29: :cool43:

I think the better question would be "Why do people hate jews?". IF you can answer this questions then you will realize "What is a jew".

Interesting link about how Twain felt about the Jews.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/twain.html

List of Jews

This below is a list of people identified as Jews, either by themselves or by others. "Jewishness" has the meanings both of "adherence to the religion of Judaism" and "membership in the ethnic group 'Jews.'" People of both groups are listed here. By other criteria, these people may be listed under other nationalities as well.

This list does not differentiate between Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Jews. It also does not take into account whether those listed acknowledge their Jewish identity or origins. Many may have spent their lives disguising their Jewish origins, and married gentile (non-Jewish) spouses. In many cases the individuals listed may have only one Jewish parent. They may have never practiced Judaism, and may even have adopted another faith, or may be secular or atheist.

Click this link for the list of past, and present influential Jews.

LIST OF JEWS OF THE WORLD - PAST AND PRESENT (http://www.phatnav.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=List_of_Jews&printable=yes)

There is a song: "I am a Jew. It's my identity, my soul, my life......"

Being a Jew is realizing that Hashem is the Adon Ha'Olam (Master of the Universe) and therefore sincerely accepting upon ourselves to do as He commands us in the Torah. That's why people can become Jewish when they convert.

There is a song: "I am a Jew. It's my identity, my soul, my life......"

Being a Jew is realizing that Hashem is the Adon Ha'Olam (Master of the Universe) and therefore sincerely accepting upon ourselves to do as He commands us in the Torah. That's why people can become Jewish when they convert.

Adon = Lord = Gaspod..