Book by Israeli Historian Calls Jewish People an 'Invention"

[Alatriste]

Alatriste, if you go back far enough, your ancestors overlap in your family tree. The farther back you go, the more they overlap. If your dad and mom have the same ethnic background, chances are they are 6th , 7th or 8th cousins, from several sides of the family tree.

Oh, I agree... Actually I would say chances are you and I share some ancestors too.

[Siege]

Alatriste, if you go back far enough, your ancestors overlap in your family tree. The farther back you go, the more they overlap. If your dad and mom have the same ethnic background, chances are they are 6th , 7th or 8th cousins, from several sides of the family tree.

Oh, I agree... Actually I would say chances are you and I share some ancestors too.

I have no doubt of that. There is a reason why sefaradi jews look like spaniards, or should I say, spaniards look sefaradi.

[crazy canuck]

Eg my grandmother had blue eyes.  I have green.

And you call yourself a Jew

[Malthus]

Alatriste, if you go back far enough, your ancestors overlap in your family tree. The farther back you go, the more they overlap. If your dad and mom have the same ethnic background, chances are they are 6th , 7th or 8th cousins, from several sides of the family tree.

Oh, I agree... Actually I would say chances are you and I share some ancestors too.

I have no doubt of that. There is a reason why sefaradi jews look like spaniards, or should I say, spaniards look sefaradi.

Yup; and Mizrai Jews look like Arabs.

The point being that actual "genetic lineage" isn't the significant factor - membership in the tribe is.

In many forms of Judaism, descent of tribal membership by inheritance is through the mother. This obviously opens the possibility that the dads will not be Jewish.

[Admiral Yi]

In many forms of Judaism, descent of tribal membership by inheritance is through the mother. This obviously opens the possibility that the dads will not be Jewish.

Is someone supposed to keep records on that, or do you go on the honor system?

[Malthus]

In many forms of Judaism, descent of tribal membership by inheritance is through the mother. This obviously opens the possibility that the dads will not be Jewish.

Is someone supposed to keep records on that, or do you go on the honor system?

Everyone knows who their mom is, generally speaking.

[PRC]

Not totally on topic but here is a trailer to a movie coming out soon called "Defamation" at Apple.com/trailers.

In the trailer anyways it seems to highlight some of the differences between Israeli Jews and American Jews.

The tag line:

"In the tradition of films such as Roger & Me and Sherman's March, Shamir embarks on a provocative and irreverent quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?" Is it an immediate threat on the verge of coalescing into a second Holocaust? Or is it a scare tactic used by right-wing Zionists to discredit their critics? Speaking with the head of the Anti-Defamation League, controversial author Norman Finkelstein, and others, Yoav Shamir sets out to discover the realities of anti-Semitism today. His findings are shocking, enlightening and, surprisingly, often wryly funny."

[Malthus]

Not totally on topic but here is a trailer to a movie coming out soon called "Defamation" at Apple.com/trailers.

In the trailer anyways it seems to highlight some of the differences between Israeli Jews and American Jews.

The tag line:

"In the tradition of films such as Roger & Me and Sherman's March, Shamir embarks on a provocative and irreverent quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?" Is it an immediate threat on the verge of coalescing into a second Holocaust? Or is it a scare tactic used by right-wing Zionists to discredit their critics? Speaking with the head of the Anti-Defamation League, controversial author Norman Finkelstein, and others, Yoav Shamir sets out to discover the realities of anti-Semitism today. His findings are shocking, enlightening and, surprisingly, often wryly funny."

I'd guess the answer to the two questions posed is "neither". 

I sense an excluded middle ...

[Admiral Yi]

Everyone knows who their mom is, generally speaking.

Not everyone knows who someone else's mom is though.

[Malthus]

Everyone knows who their mom is, generally speaking.

Not everyone knows who someone else's mom is though.

Until quite recently, Jews were pretty community-oriented (many of course still are). Most social community life revolved around the local synagogue. These people would know who you are, would be well aware of births etc.

Now, people's lives in some places in the West are very different; many Jews are not particularly religious, or non-religious, and do not belong to or even visit a synagogue or participate in "the community". But then, it also matters much less to them to be identified as Jews. To those whom it matters, it is basically taken on trust.

[Sheilbh]

Yup; and Mizrai Jews look like Arabs.

To be honest Israelis look Arab to me.  They're a bit more European looking though.  Like a mix of Arab and Brazilian.

I've spoken with a number of people and the consensus is that Israel's the most attractive nation in the world.  I think it's the national service.

[Solmyr]

To be honest Israelis look Arab to me.  They're a bit more European looking though.  Like a mix of Arab and Brazilian.

I've spoken with a number of people and the consensus is that Israel's the most attractive nation in the world.  I think it's the national service.

[Malthus]

Yup; and Mizrai Jews look like Arabs.

To be honest Israelis look Arab to me.  They're a bit more European looking though.  Like a mix of Arab and Brazilian.

I've spoken with a number of people and the consensus is that Israel's the most attractive nation in the world.  I think it's the national service.

About half of Israel's population is Mizrai or Shephardic; the other half Ashkenazic. Though with intermarriage you will eventually get a mixture, right now a goodly portion of Israel's population is basically as genetically European as any other Euros.

They do tend to be good looking, and I agree that the national service has something to do with it - you don't see as much obesity. Plus, some Israelis at least have a thing for being physically active, a reaction against the stoop-shouldered scholarly/fat moneylender stereotype of days of yore.

[Sheilbh]

They do tend to be good looking, and I agree that the national service has something to do with it - you don't see as much obesity. Plus, some Israelis at least have a thing for being physically active, a reaction against the stoop-shouldered scholarly/fat moneylender stereotype of days of yore.

Yeah.  I met loads of Israelis when I was in South America (apparently they all gap year around South-East Asia and South America after national service - benefit of their army money and the desire not to be called up again for a while) and of them all I think I met on chubber.  Very impressive really.