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Jewish People

Jewish People questions and answers

Find more information on Jewish People @ The Adherents Religion Website.

Q: jewish people?
i always wanted to go to a jewish wedding or bar mitzvah. I think Jewish people have the most fun at parties. From watching it on tv, their race/religion seems sooo cool. And the music, what a tune. Just Love it. For jewish people out their, yall seem awesome. I never met one,but i got a best friend who is jewish, his name is Jesus. Shalom!

A: Thank you for all the nice things you say; you make me smile:) I think you would enjoy visiting Israel and going on a pilgrimage to all the holy places. In the meantime, you can look here: http://christianactionforisrael.org/czionism.html http://www.christianactionforisrael.org/ http://www.israelfm.org/ica/ http://www.israelmybeloved.com/

Q: Why do jewish people all behave in completely individual ways?
Why do jewish people all behave in completely individual ways? Also why do Black people never show any signs of consistent patterns that could be stereotyped at all? It seems no one of any creed, religion sexuality or social group displays any form of consistent social behaviour. I don't get it whats the point in being in the same social group as someone else if no one can notice any cultural connection between you..? Everyone is completely individual isn't it great now we can totally dissociate ourselves from anyone or any form of cultural bias. I love modern society.

A: I think the "problem" here is that you are confusing ethnicity and culture with religion. Judaism is a religion and NOT really an ethnicity, yet people still refer to Jews as being an ethnicity or race. Judaism is NOT a race. After the fall of the Kingdoms of Judea and Israel, the Jewish tribes were scattered throughout the Middle East, from there into Europe, north Africa, and Asia. While each of these groups -- Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews from North Africa and southern Spain, Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe, Asiatic Jews from India, Mongolia, China, and Siberia -- developed more or less independently with less interaction than today. And there is ample genetic evidence that certain tribes in what is now Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa may be related to northern Jews (they claim Jewish heritage, and they practice rituals that are distinctly "Jewish" in their nature). Each group has their own particular take on Jewish customs and practices, adapting their religious rituals to local environment and in response to local realities and pressures. So within these groups and others, one may find lots of similarities between Jews, but between these groups, this is typically not true. Due to rapid changes in communications and travel, the interconnectedness of these groups has increased, especially in light of recent (20th Century) events: WW Two and the establishment of an Israeli state. Traditionally, Judaism is passed from mother to children along the maternal line (the saying goes, "a mother is always sure of who her children are, but a father is never sure" -- in this age of artificial insemination, this isn't true anymore). But people can also convert to Judaism, just like other religions take on new converts. And when people do convert, they bring with them their own cultural upbringing, to which Judaism adds its own elements. To make things more confusing, there are different variants of Judaism -- Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, Messianic. Within Orthodoxy, there are several variants as well. Adherents of each of these variants practice Judaism differently, sometimes completely different. Compare, for example, the mannerisms and dress of a "white" Lubavitch Jew from the Bronx to that of a African Jew from Ethiopia: vastly different appearance, different styles of living, somewhat different religious practices, but both linked by a common belief with core underpinnings with core practices. Just as no two individuals are exactly alike, no two Jews are exactly alike, especially those from different group backgrounds. Another way to put it is: Why do [Christians, Muslims, Buddhists] all behave in completely individual ways? Because, they are individuals first, who just happen to share a common religion, but NOT necessarily a common ethnicity or culture.

Q: What is the percentage of Jewish people in Freemansonry?
I am just wondering because I have read that most of them are jewish. Is it true? I am just curious. Is there any estimates what kind of people does the Freemasonry consist of?

A: I believe the overwhelming majority of Freemasons are Christian. I belong to one of the biggest Jewish lodges in Philadelphia and even there my lodge is at least half-Christian. Most lodges don't have any Jews at all.

Q: How can I find out about what Jewish people believe?
Would anyone (particularly Jewish people) be able to point me to some credible websites and books that can help me learn what Jewish people believe. Specifically, I am interested in their interpretation of the early books of the Bible (Genesis in particular.) I'd like to learn more about this faith and I don't know any Jewish people personally to ask. Thanks in advance.

A: These sites can give you basic rundowns: http://whatjewsbelieve.org/ http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm http://www.askmoses.com/en/ If you are looking for specific interpretations of specific verses, you can get Rashi's commentaries right along with the verses here: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm In the upper right of every chapter under the title there is a link that says "Show Rashi's commentary"

Q: What is the status of the Jewish people after Nazi Germany?
Did the Jewish people go back or keep themselves away from Germany? What roles do they play nowadays in Germany? Is the communist spirit present in Europe? Are countries still paying reparation to Israel?

A: About half of the world's Jews were resident in the U.S. and their status was not unaffected and this remains so. Today,Germany has about 350,000 jews,France about the 650,000,ditto Canada,Argentina and Australia. Germany finished off their compensation to jews a long time ago and these payments played the major role in financing the Tel Aviv regime. Most of the jews in Palestine are Russian or Eastern European and don't stay more than 7-10 years. That's why many people don't consider it a real society,the population has a high turnover. They proceed to make life most unpleasant for non-jews,Christian and Muslims alike,in order to consolidate their all-jewish ethnic state. The logic is they need a safe haven from a world where they are endlessly persecuted but jews in America are fine,and in Canada,Australia,Europe and so on. No persecution that I know of these last 63 years. Or ever,outside of Europe. As to being "stateless" there have been many jewish kingdoms down through the ages,in Yemen 3rd century - 6th,Khazarian Empire in central Asia,circa 8th-10th century. They were offered Uganda in 1905 but turned it down and later on Tasmania. Israel Zangwill of the Jewish Territorial Organization saw a lot of potential in migrating to British Guyana and Dutch Guinia with the idea of establishing a majority via immigration,wait for independence (end of colonial era) then they could unite into a jewish-majority democracy the size of Germany. Jews weren't interested,although enough migrated to Dutch Guinia (Suriname) that it nearly did become a jewish majority country. Even today Guyana could become jewish-majority if a million jews moved there from America,and without any change of government,just establishing a demographic/democratic majority. They've had plenty of states in the ancient world and plenty of opportunities in the modern era. They only want Palestine because of it's religious significance to Christians and Muslims. Most of the jews are "secular" there; i.e. atheist/agnostic. But it's Very Very Controversial so their occupation keeps them in the spotlight media-wise. Basically,so-called zionism is just a big publicity stunt. There are only 13 million Jews on earth but with all the publicity they get out of occupying Palestine they are able to create the impression of being a major people. They are not. There are more Ceylonese than jews,they just don't know how make a lot of noise and perform endless headline-grabbing stunts.

Q: How did Hitler and the Nazi supporters use the Jewish people as scapegoats?
Also can you explain how Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust?

A: The program of anti-semitism began with the Nuremberg laws of 1935 depriving Jews of German citizenship, and prohibiting sexual relations or marriages between Jews and non-Jews. Jews were defined as anyone with 2 Jewish grandparents. It escalated in 1938 with Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) when the SA stormtroopers and the SS were ordereds to ransack Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes and to intern 30,000 Jews into concentration camps. In the 30's the aim of the Nazis had been to encourage Jewish emigration, and to that end Adolf Eichmann was involved in setting up the Office for Jewish Emigration so that Jews could get passports faster. By 1939, the Jewish population of Germany had fallen from 566,000 to 190,000 as a result. In 1941 however, the plan was changed to one of extermination. At the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, Nazi leaders including Adolf Eichmann, Reynard Heydrich (Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia), Roland Freisler (president of the Nazi Peoples Court), Heinrich Muller (head of Gestapo) and others met and decided that the Jews were to be exterminated. 6 million Jews were exterminated in the death-camps - around 1 million of them at Auschwitz-Birkenau the largest death camp. 70% of those sent there were sent to the gas chambers straight away. Those who survived initially were worked to death or experimented on by 'doctors' such as Josef Mengele, Aribert Heim etc. The last Jews to die were the Hungarian Jews, who were forced-marched to concentration camps because the Allies had bombed the railways and the Nazis had just installed a puppet (Arrow Cross) government there. The Nazis excuse for persecuting the Jews was that they were responsible for Germany's defeat in WW1 e.g. they claimed that Jewish-owned newspapers undermined national morale in the war, and that Communism was controlled by the Jews.

Q: How were the Jewish people treated when they were drafted into the Polish Amry?
Im trying to find out how the Jewish people who were drafted into the Polish army were treated. I know they were treated poorly, but I can't find anything that says it.

A: You might not find much in print as the Nazis and Russians destroyed incrediable amounts of documents and printed material from centers,museums and libraires.During interviews w//older Polish citizens and the few remaining Jews in Poland / Germany 1973-1975 hostility existed against the Jews and even so today in 2006 even though no one in Poland will admit it.Jewish war veterans were generally well tolerated by the populace back then, but were never really trusted.

Q: What kind of kosher food does Jewish people eat?
My friend told me that Jewish people eat kosher, but I just wanna know what kind.

A: HI! I gues you would like to know what kosher food exatly means. So let me try to give you a "short" answer, not enetering much into details. Some of rule what is kosher (alowed) food is given in the Bible (Old Testamnet) and some was decided later, cosed by questions and life conditions Jews had to face during history. One of the rule of kosher kitche is that meat and dairy products are cooked and eaten separately. This also means that a kosher kitchen will have separate dishes for milk, chees, yogurt, and for meals with meat. So a cheezburger or a salami pizza with cheese will not be kosher, as it has both meat and cheese in it in the same time. To prepare kosher meat, an animal has to be killed in a certain way. It has to be without blod. A specially thought rabi has to kill the animal, to make kosher meat. then the meat is kept in solt, and only then it can be consumed. there are certain kind of animals which are not kosher to eat: pig, horse, some fish and sea food, so Jews who eat kosher will not eat them. all kosher fish and eggs are konsidered "parve", which means that they can be eaten any time, with or without milk and meat food. also one who keeps kosher kitchen takes good care of not having any bugs in his food. he/she will wash the vegatables very, very well, or siev the flour. To make kosher bread a special prayer must be read, and a ritual hand washing is done too. Kosher vine means that it is compeltely made by a Jewish person (from growing the grapes to botheling it). This is because bread and wine has special meaning, and it is blessed on Shabath and Holiday meals, as simbol of food and drink received from God. Not all Jews eat kosher, and not all Jews keep kosher rules as I wrote you down. Nowdays, only the ultra religious Jews eat ike that. Some Jews are not this strict any more, keeping these rules only partly or not at all. This was rather a short answer, but I hope that it gave you some clearity about what kosher food is.

Q: Why do the Jewish people feel they are the people in the old testament?
I don't fully understand why the jewish people feel they are the people of the old testament. Especially when the old testament and history describes the people of the bible as being "Black." Please explain.

A: Perhaps you'd care to cite a source? If anything, our biblical ancestors were more Mediterranean-looking, like Arabs. Two thousand years of diaspora have led to an ethnically diverse Jewish people, perhaps a combination of adaptation and conversion. Not sure how it works exactly, but we're still observing the way of life prescribed in the "Old Testament" (which we simply call the Bible) - without the Temple, of course. In case you doubt the validity of conversion, or the convert's status as a full-fledged Jew, bear in mind that many important figures in our history were either converts or descended from converts. Ruth, for whom a whole book of the Bible is named, was a Moabite convert to Judaism, and she was great grandmother to King David! Is King David enough of an "Old Testament person" for you? I hope this helps clarify things for you.

Q: Do you think the Jewish people are being deceived most in this election by Obama?
Considering Obama's mentor is Rev. Wright, and Rev. Wright's long time good friend is well known anti-semite Lous Fararakan. Should the Jewish people be concerned?

A: I have never understood why Jews typically vote for dems, when it is the democratic party who wants to pull support for Israel, and dems are certainly more often anti-Semite than reps, but the Jews somehow blindly follow dems. tickled blue...stop spinning and lying. That was a pastor who endorsed John McCain, NOT HIS PASTOR, and the minute McCain heard those words, he denounced the pastor and his comments. Unlike Obama who waited until Wright threw HIM under the bus before he would say anything bad about Wright. zanada....Obama said that Wright had been his mentor, and followed him until Wright threw him under the bus. Obama stood by Wright even after his anti-American, racist comments were brought out in the public eye. He was his pastor, his friend, his mentor.

Q: During the Holocaust, did the jewish people and prisonors use a menorah and pray for god?
Did they pray and hoped? What did this symbol stand for and did the jewish people use this symbol for some use DURING THE HOLOCAUST!? Did they like do they steps on the menorah? Like the first day then the next and so on? If so can you awnser all of my questions and can you list the steps they did on the menorah? I am working on a project and i need some help easy understanding questions. Thanks.

A: No Menorah was available to the Jews in the concentration camps, however during one day, in Auschwitz, the Jews did put God on trail. He was found guilty. "During the Holocaust, Jews in Concentration Camps put God on trial. They literally got together in the prisons and held court-like proceedings, putting God on the stand. "How could you?" they asked, "You, the God of Abraham and Moses, who led our people out of slavery, who parted the Red Sea, who led us to the Promised Land. How could you let this happen to us? What do you have to say for yourself?" They put God on trial, and in the end, some found God guilty of betrayal. Others acquitted him on grounds that God wasn't as powerful as he had been in Biblical times. So he couldn't be held responsible. Others, looking around and watching their loved ones march off to the gas chambers, could come to no other conclusion than that God must be dead." There is more than one theologian who maintains that the Holocaust was just another Babylonian exile. When the Jews were finally freed from captivity in Babylon by Cyrus the Great, blessing were bestowed on them by God - they were allowed to return to their promised homeland. When the Holocaust was over, the Jews likewise were restored to their promised homeland - the newly created country of Israel. "The Babylonian exile represents both one of Judaism's darkest hours and also the beginning of its history as an enduring universal religion" Interesting theory.

Q: What is so bad about jewish people and why do people hate them?
I just don't understand what is so bad about jewish people or what they ever did to us. im an atheist but every time someone at my school makes fun of jews, i stand up for the jewish. please tell me why people hate jews.

A: Okay, this is going to sound like a surprise. It was to me. Christianity is written as a replacement for Judaism. There is much in the NT of Christanity that is easily used by immoral leaders to scapegoat Jews to distract their own people. Early on it was the Catholic Church that declared "Jews killed Jesus", Deicide is the term, & therefore deserved to die. It goes on from there. Christians weren't allowed to loan money but Jews were & weren't allowed to own land or do much else, so Jews did that, but that didn't earn them any love. The blood libels are another Christian invention. Martin Luther (the reformer who started Protestantism) also got mad at the Jews when he "fixed" the problems with the Church & they still wouldn't convert. The sagas continues & is very long & diverse. From that implanted the deep hatreds & bigotries. It's improved in the last 30 years, but it's still a major danger to Jews & Judaism & Israel (a lot of the complaints at Israel stunningly parallel classic anti-semitic comments). This is a huge topic so I'll add some reference sites. I'd like to add that the Church through Pope John Paul II has officially apologized to the Jewish people & many other denominations followed suite. http://www.adl.org http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org (as a section on anti-semitism) http://www.wiesenthal.org (or weisnthal or .com) ===================== A quick read down these answers & several are classic anti-semitic lies. Constantly in YA I see this stuff. The whole "Jews control" is part of the lies. Wow, anti-semitism is alive & well on here with those TDs. Do people really not know this history? Or just hate having it said out loud? That is terrifying!!! I challenge anyone to research themselves & email me. EDIT: A clarification...I say NONE of this to "blame" Christianity in the current day, nor Christians. I say it because if the past isn't understood, it can't be put & kept in the past. I am very grateful that you (the asker) stand up for Jews. Righteous people matter hugely in this world to everyone. And Jews have depended on & needed them many a time. Sadly I see answers to YA questions all the time with classic restatements of the items I started to describe above, & I've experienced it in real life. So the past isn't there yet. So, thank you.

Q: Why do Jewish people randomly ask others if they are Jewish?
Today, I saw a couple of Orthodox Jews asking people if they were Jewish. It was really weird to see, I'm really curious about it.

A: Those Jewish people are probably Chabad emissaries that try to make Jews more observant. They give Shabbat candles for women to light and they help men put on tefillin. It would be pointless to do that for someone who was not a Jew.

Q: Why do people act the being Jewish is a hole another race when Judaism is a religion?
Not just the skin heads although they are what brought this to mind. Anyone of any race can be jewish and the fast majority of jews are white. Why do people act like they are a hole new species.

A: " In the 1980s, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Jews are a race, at least for purposes of certain anti-discrimination laws. Their reasoning: at the time these laws were passed, people routinely spoke of the "Jewish race" or the "Italian race" as well as the "Negro race," so that is what the legislators intended to protect. But many Jews were deeply offended by that decision, offended by any hint that Jews could be considered a race. The idea of Jews as a race brings to mind nightmarish visions of Nazi Germany, where Jews were declared to be not just a race, but an inferior race that had to be rounded up into ghettos and exterminated like vermin. But setting aside the emotional issues, Jews are clearly not a race. Race is a genetic distinction, and refers to people with shared ancestry and shared genetic traits. You can't change your race; it's in your DNA. I could never become black or Asian no matter how much I might want to. Common ancestry is not required to be a Jew. Many Jews worldwide share common ancestry, as shown by genetic research; however, you can be a Jew without sharing this common ancestry, for example, by converting. Thus, although I could never become black or Asian, blacks and Asians have become Jews (Sammy Davis Jr. and Connie Chung). " Some people just don't realize the difference I suppose.

Q: Do Jewish people, especially Orthodox Jews beleive the Messiah will come?
I'm not looking for antisemitic remarks or people saying if somebody does not believe in Jesus they won't be saved. I just want to know what the Jewish religion teaches about the Messiah since the concept did come to Christianity from Judaism.

A: Of course Jews believe in the concept of a Messiah. In fact, it is one of the thirteen principle of Judaism that the Messiah will come. However, unlike Christians, the Jews do not believe the Messiah is Jesus nor that the Messiah has come already. Jews are still waiting for the day that the Messiah comes and brings peace and salvation upon the world. Oh, and a previous answer referred to a custom of placing a cup of wine on a certain night for the Messiah. This is a mistaken reference to the Cup of Elijah on the night of Passover. The Cup of Elijah has nothing to do with the Messiah and the legend that Elijah actually drinks from the cup has no source in Jewish literature.