Tuesday, March 4, 2008
How do you prove your a Jew?
I read an article in the NY times which asks how someone knows they are a Jew. I began to think, I know my mom and dad are both Jewish, I know all 4 of my grandparents are Jewish, I'm Jewish, and so is my brother. Why would I need to prove myself? I have a strong Jewish identity and have been raised to follow the principles of Judaism. Still, in Israel.. would I need to prove I am Jewish? The article discusses how a women wants to marry, but cannot since there is not proof her mother is Jewish. Her mother came went to Israel from America and raised her children who served for Israel in the army. Israel is their home and Judaism is their religion, so why does there need to be proof? After the presentation of formal documents, the Rabbi's were able to tell that this women was Jewish. They made a decision in 20 minutes, where finding the evidence took close to 2 weeks. How can one make a decision so quickly? Why does so much needed to be proved to be seen as Jewish?
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On one level, I understand the need for Israel, the Jewish home land, to want to maintain some level of halacha and ensure the continuity of the Jewish population, On the other hand, I have a hard time with the current setup with the Ultra-Orthodox running the whole show. While I don't foresee there really being any change to this in the future, I hope that these policies will not deter people from either marriage or aliyah to Israel. Otherwise, the State of Israel may be in trouble.
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