Who is a Jew?
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Maternal Judaism
My father’s side of the family is jewish. My mother was Christian. Why is the mother’s faith the predominant predictor of naturalized religion? In other words, why can’t I consider myself a jew? Is there strict doctrine that says your…
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Blood Test for Jewish Identity
How does one obtain a blood test that establishes Jewish identity? Where can it be obtained and what is the cost? There really isn’t a blood test that establishes Jewish identity. A convert or descendant of one could have very…
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Matrilineal Descent
What is the source of the law that a child is Jewish only if its mother is Jewish? The statement that Jewish identity is determined by the mother is found in the Mishnah (Kiddushin 3:12), which says that the child…