At first sight, it may appear that this article about American Jews isn’t connected to us, but I believe now more than ever we have to act together if for no other reason than that the world sees us as one piece and on this we can all agree. Today in California the Legislature descides whether to change the category of the Jew from a religion to an ethnicity, meaning the inclusion of history culture,politics in terms of Data collection for State use, research and so on. I feel this article accompanies the change.

A few words of introduction: Today in California the Legislature is decding whether or not to change the category of Jew for legal and Data purposes from a Religion to an Ethnicity, this article supplies information on our status; I believe you see the implictions for all of Jewry.

The Jews of America are and always have been a disparate group geographically educationally and certainly economically. The first Jews, I believe around 27 people came in 1632 to New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant allowed them to settle because of pressure from the East India Company of Amsterdam in which it is believed some Jews owned shares; they had come from Brazil to escape the Inquisition which had reached Brazil because the Portugese were now its rulers . I heard about these Sephardim but have never been in their synagogue or met any, etc.,…a separate group went its way independently and unattached to any other organizations Jewish or otherwise which I see as the pattern for the origin of Jewish settlements in America;

In the same way that individual Jewish communities made their distinctive way in the colossus of America so did religious groups, Reform, Orthodox form........

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