SHYLOCK

............ I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

I'm not sure if there are any Jewish folks still here. If there are, I hope you will reply. It's an ancient question----is a Jew simply a person of the Jewish faith? Is a Jew simply an ethnicity? (is a secular Jew a Jew?) Is a Jew simply a cultural identity? Is a Jew simply a nationality? (ie, Israeli). Is a Jew any combination of the above? Was Sammy Davis a Jew just because he said he was? (Likewise Liz Taylor).

I have seen it reported that Mein Kampf is selling well in Palestinian 'hoods. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

-- (lars@indy.net), March 19, 2002

Answers

If one person who considers himself or herself to be Jewish answers you, Lars, then you will have an answer to your question. If two answer, then you will have two answers to your question.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), March 19, 2002.

Don't forget that a Jew (or anyone) may simply be a genetic profile.

-- (Hymie Homeboy@South.Africa), March 20, 2002.

Mein Kampf for sale in Arabic.

-- (Abdullah bin Seig Heil@El.Auschwitz), March 20, 2002.

It's an ancient question----is a Jew simply a person of the Jewish faith? Is a Jew simply an ethnicity? (is a secular Jew a Jew?) Is a Jew simply a cultural identity? Is a Jew simply a nationality? (ie, Israeli). Is a Jew any combination of the above? Was Sammy Davis a Jew just because he said he was? (Likewise Liz Taylor).

I can answer your question, Lars. The answer is "yes."

-- LongTimeJew (what@i.think), March 20, 2002.

Thankyou, I respect your answer. I guess this means that "Jews for Jesus" are Jews (our old beloved pal CPR is still a Jew).

BTW LN, as of today I am a Jew. I am a secular Jew. I chose this identity because I wanted to be part of the Jewish world-wide global conspiracy. So far, the Rothchilds have not contacted me.

But since I now consider myself a Jew, I have a right to an opinion as to "what is a Jew"? In my duly considered opinion, I am not a Jew. I am simply a circumcised goy.

-- (Levi-Lars@indy.net), March 20, 2002.

"I am simply a circumcised goy."

Wow. Small world! Me, too.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), March 20, 2002.

Q - What is a "frilly-dilly"?

A - a guy who was circumcised with pinking shears

-- (nemesis@awol.com), March 20, 2002.

A related question: is Israel a theocracy? No, I don't mean "do Rabbis run the government" but do non-Jews (or secular Jews) have all the rights of citizenship? I think that they do but I am not sure.

-- (lars@indy.net), March 21, 2002.