The Half-Jewish Book : A Celebration

Rating:
Summary: Not a quick- identity fix, but what you can give
Review: This book will probably be of interest and help to a great many people who are concerned about having one Jewish, and one non- Jewish parent. It will show them that they are not alone that there are thousands and thousands of people who share this situation. It will give them examples of very distinguished people from all areas of life who had one Jewish- parent.
It will in some cases give an incentive to them to study about and strengthen their Jewish identity.
But the book has several limitations. There is a fundamental either ignorance or misunderstanding of basic concepts of Judaism. There is an emphasis on pop celebrity and the quick fix of simply pointing out that this or that person is ' half- Jewish' . There is too a total focus on what the individual can get from having a Jewish identity , and not how they are to relate to the Jewish community or world as a whole. It is a narcissitic- trip book.
A few basic points. Judaism through the ages has considered every person born of a Jewish mother to be Jewish. This means that half- Jews born of a Jewish father and non- Jewish mother have not traditionally been considered Jewish .Some years ago the Reform movement altered this ruling and said that those born of a Jewish father and non- Jewish mother are also Jewish.
I believe that every person who wishes to take their own Jewish identity seriously has to study and learn about the Jewish tradition. I believe too that a person who really wishes to be Jewish ( In a world where one can be Jewish ' by choice') has to consider their connection to the Jewish people and Jewish history as a whole, and consider the way that they may contribute to this.
My own personal belief is that being Jewish is a special gift and obligation given by God but confirmed or denied by the individual's own action in life.
My own hope then is that many of those born of one Jewish parent will find meaningful ways of connecting with and contributing to the overall well- being of the Jewish people. And here I would remind that since the destruction of one third of the Jewish people by the Nazis, and with the increasing assimilation in the West the Jewish people are in demographic decline in most areas of the world. In my view the small people that has contributed more to the well- being of mankind than any other is in great need of many of the people born of one Jewish parent who have so much to give.