The Jewish Classification: Are they a "race" or a "religion"

I have always been confused about the classification of Jews. Does being Jewish mean that you're a member of a "race, or is being Jewish simply a "religious" affiliation.

The definition of ethnicity and race add to the dilemma.

Much of it is owing to conflicting views of Jews as a "race" of people or a people bound by a common religious doctrine and codified under the term
"Jewish". This intermingling and common usage of the term "Jewish" is indeed confusing.

As I was writing this post, I had to change my explanations several times because of the "gray" area that does exist when examining the use of the word "Jew". Are we talking about a "race" of people or a "religion?" That distinction through history and common usage has become blurred. I'm not certain that it has ever been clear as is pointed out in the many contrasting views on the state of being "Jewish".

Here are some viewpoints as taken from various sources and hence assimilated into this post.






2) Being Jewish is not a race because Jews do not share one common ancestry or biological distinction. People of many different races have become Jewish people over the years.

Note: This is both true and untrue. owing to intermingling. mixing and conversion, Modern day Jews might not be classified as a race in today's parlance. They do have different physical characteristics, but so do Blacks, whites, Latinos etc. A better indicator might be a common ancestral origin. : however, with so much mixing and conversions to judaism during modern times, the "ancestral origin" factor in the race definition, could only apply to the original descendants of Abraham. (hebrews). Here is a very short, good and concise genealogy on this subject.

3)Being Jewish is not a nationality

Being Jewish is not a nationality because Jews have been dispersed throughout the world for almost two thousand years. People of many different nationalities are Jewish. Being Jewish is like being a citizen of a religious movement. Jews are a people of shared destiny and purpose and open to conversion to their beliefs, regardless of birthright.

4)Being Jewish means you are a part of a religious movement. However, the great majority of Jews become a part of the religious movement through birth and not due to their beliefs or actions. In this way, being Jewish is indeed like being a citizen of a religious movement.

A Jewish identity is automatically bestowed on the babies of Jewish mothers (according to Orthodox and Conservative Judaism) and of Jewish mothers or fathers (according to Reform Judaism). This Jewish identity stays with them throughout life even if they don't actively practice Judaism.

If a person is not born Jewish, he/she can undergo the process of conversion to become a Jew. A person who was not born Jewish or has not gone through the conversion process is not considered a Jew even if he or she believes in Judaism and observes Jewish practices. The conversion process is very meaningful because it is the only way for a non-Jew to become Jewish.

Another viewpoint actually defines being Jewish as a religion and a race, This one was presented by a Rabbi.

5)The Jews are both a race and religion.

While a Christian is defined as one who follows the teachings of Jesus, a Jew is defined as one born from a Jewish mother or converted according to Jewish Law. That being said - a person remains a member of the Jewish nation for the rest of their life regardless of what religious practices that person chooses to follow/reject. And yes, as a nation we have our own culture, foods, land, and even diseases.


Now, this viewpoint is a cross between the previous two; however, it doesn’t address the question as to Jews being a race since there are different types of Jews ie-Ethopian Jews

it is a religion in that Judaism is a belief system with ritual and practice, and an underlying philosophy aimed at a connection to the divine and an adherence to divine command, but it is a race in that membership in the system (even without belief!) is passed through a genetic connection -- you cannot choose not to be Jewish if you are born into it. However, because Judaism recognizes conversion, the religion cannot be purely racial (you cannot convert to another race). Therefore, it is easiest to say that it is a religion with racial/genetic components.

This viewpoint addresses the diversity of Jews and signals that being jewish is not a race because: “If the mother is a Jew, her child is a Jew. It is a religion that follows the mother. However, it is not a race or an ethnic group, because Jews come from several different ethnic groups.

Jewish” refers to the religion of Judaism in which the ancient Hebrews practiced and of which are its modern day descendants, save those that are Jewish through conversion, which one must undergo to officially practice the religion of “judaism” or in common terms refer to themselves as being jewish( ie-Whoppi Goldberg)

Now this Israeli American whose father is a Rabbi might have a problem with the
so-called “conversion of which i speak: He states,
“Jew can mean ethnic group, religion, or culture. No Jew says that the Jews are a race, we're Caucasian , but we're of the Jewish ethnic group. You can convert to my religion, but the Orthodox Jews will not recognize you as a true Jew. The Blacks who convert to Judaism are confused. You have to be born into it.

Another Viewpoint:

Jews are semitic people who are related to all the other semitic people of the mid east. You can say some Jews are Caucasian and some are not. But the original Jews were not white. Hundreds of years ago many east europeans converted to Judiasm in East Europe. Judiaism is not a race, but people have treated them as if they are a race.

Another Viewpoint:

“The Jew that you see today is truly a Khazar(white jew)of europe meaning a convert. Look at Ethiopain jews when they were discovered; the books that they had were very old.” Authors’Note: Khazars were Mongoloid looking-a turkic people.This wouldn’t qualify them as being white.

“Askenazi Jews are mostly European in origin while the sephardic/Mizrahi Jews are middle Eastern and African.”


Although there are only approximately 10 million Jews in the world, today the religion is split up considerably. All Jews come under the strands of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) and Sephardi (Spanish) referring to their origin, however these only change customs and traditions. There are two divisions within Judaism that significantly differ: Orthodoxy and Reform Judaism, from which has stemmed Liberal, Conservative and other different types. There is also a division under the Orthodox label with ultra-orthodox and Hasidic Jews.