Question
What is a Jew? Can a Jew ever lose that status and under what circumstances? Can a Jew be an adherent of another religion?
Answer
A Jew is someone who is born to a Jewish mother or who has a proper conversion according to the dictates of Jewish Law. This status cannot be lost – even if the person renounces or ignores his Judaism, G-d forbid. In fact, adherence to another religion, although tragedy, does not impact his essential status as a Jew.