I am not a “patrilineal Jew.” My mom is Jewish, and so is my dad. I am simply Jewish.

But I believe the same principle of belonging should extend to Jews whose Jewish identity comes through their fathers. The term “patrilineal Jew” may describe a particular form of Jewish ancestry, but it should not be used to diminish someone’s Jewish identity or suggest that their connection to the Jewish people is somehow less meaningful.

But who is considered Jewish?

Under traditional Jewish law, a person is considered Jewish if they are born to a Jewish mother or convert to Judaism through a recognized conversion process.

In Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, Jewish status traditionally passes through the mother. If your mother is Jewish according to halakha, you are Jewish regardless of how religious you are, whether you believe in G-d, or whether you actively practice Judaism. Reform Judaism in the United States takes a different approach. It recognizes a child with either a Jewish mother or Jewish father as Jewish when that child is raised Jewish and establishes Jewish identity through appropriate acts of identification and practice.

In my own case, there is no question of matrilineal versus patrilineal descent: my mother is Jewish, and my father is Jewish. I identify as “just Jewish” because I do not belong to a particular denomination, even though I am religious, and Judaism plays an important role in my daily life.

But not every Jew has had such a straightforward experience of belonging.

Far too many patrilineal Jews have experienced exclusion from Jewish life simply because they do not have a Jewish mother. That needs to change. 

Someone raised Jewish by a Jewish father may grow up celebrating Jewish holidays, attending synagogue, learning Jewish history and traditions, confronting antisemitism, supporting Israel, and understanding themselves as part of Am Yisrael, only to enter a Jewish space and be told that they are somehow not Jewish enough.

Jewish identity can encompass a variety of forms: spiritual, ancestry, upbringing, culture, community, religious practice, education, and a genuine connection to the Jewish people.

Imagine growing up knowing that Judaism is part of who you are, only to repeatedly be asked to prove that you belong. That does not strengthen Jewish identity. It drives people away from it.

Traditional Jewish law should be understood and respected, no matter the denomination or whether you identify with one. There is a difference between saying, “Our denomination has a particular religious standard for Jewish status,” and saying,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)