Over the last several posts, we have considered two principles questions or themes. The first was whether an individual can be Hispanic and Jewish. The second and third posts took us on a detour of sorts considering the matter of Jewish identity at least perhaps in its strictest form. We considered how Halakhah, i.e., Jewish law defines Jewish identity. I asserted that there are problems with using this definition at least on its own.  This is in part because it raises many issues. Which movement or which Judaism determines the criteria for “true” Jewish identity? How many degrees of removal from the source of Jewishness can one be from for Jewishness to remain valid of intact? Most people nowadays think they know what the criteria is. But it is not so simple and the problem that people have is often based on their ignorance of history.  As I often tell friends, we often cannot even agree on which kosher symbol is acceptable.

I now begin to orient our discussion towards once facet of Jewish identity. One of the most prolific publishers of Jewish books in the last thirty years came out........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)