Why do people keep saying Jews are a separate race?

[Lisa558]

First, let’s establish that Jews are not a race. There are Asian Jews, Caucasian/white Jews, and black Jews. Admittedly, they are more than a religion, and it would be fair to consider them a “people” who span across the three major races.

WHY do some people, and I’ve seen them on this forum, insist that there is a fourth race: the Jews. Do the people who want to segregate those of Jewish ancestry as a separate race tend to be antisemitic?

- whites
- blacks
- Asians
- Jews

I’m interested in thoughts as to the why behind this.

 

[surada]

First, let’s establish that Jews are not a race. There are Asian Jews, Caucasian/white Jews, and black Jews. Admittedly, they are more than a religion, and it would be fair to consider them a “people” who span across the three major races.

WHY do some people, and I’ve seen them on this forum, insist that there is a fourth race: the Jews. Do the people who want to segregate those of Jewish ancestry as a separate race tend to be antisemitic?

- whites
- blacks
- Asians
- Jews

I’m interested in thoughts as to the why behind this.

Some people are very stupid.

Remember the New World Order conspiracy theory? It was all about global elites and the international Jew. It's a hard right fundamentalist Christian conspiracy belief.

Promoting conspiracy theories is "nationalism" and is very dangerous.

 

[Lisa558]

Some people are very stupid.

Remember the New World Order conspiracy theory? It was all about global elites and the international Jew. It's a hard right fundamentalist Christian conspiracy belief.

Promoting conspiracy theories is "nationalism" and is very dangerous.

I do tend to think it’s based in antisemitism, although I don’t know it’s restricted to those on the far-right. I have see liberals on this forum say Jews are a separate race as well.

 

[JoeMoma]

IDK. Whoopi got in trouble for implying that Jews are not a race. Their seems to be multiple definitions of "race" in use.

 

[Lisa558]

IDK. Whoopi got in trouble for implying that Jews are not a race. Their seems to be multiple definitions of "race" in use.

Hers was in a different context, though. She was trying to limit racism to blacks only, as liberals tend to do, and downplay the prejudice against Jews.

 

[surada]

I do tend to think it’s based in antisemitism, although I don’t know it’s restricted to those on the far-right. I have see liberals on this forum say Jews are a separate race as well.

Stupid people engage in crackpot conspiracies and need someone to blame. Jews or global elites or Democrats.

 

[surada]

Hers was in a different context, though. She was trying to limit racism to blacks only, as liberals tend to do, and downplay the prejudice against Jews.

I didn't get that impression at all.

 

[1srelluc]

"Race" can't be determined by science, only broad stoke ethnicity can.

"Race" thus "racism" is just a social construct. The word "racism" was not even coined till 1902 by a former Union general when referring to how Native Americans were treated.

LOL....I guess it could be claimed that blacks "appropriated" the term from Native Americans.

 

[surada]

Whoopi planted a tree in Israel.

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/whoopi-goldberg-i-m-jewish-and-i-talk-to-god-1.23000

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

Socially, a "race" is anyone with identifying characteristics that pertain to a specific group or sect of people.

Jews have distinguishing characteristics.

 

[fncceo]

Why do people keep saying Jews are a separate race?​

Mostly because, when it comes to Jews, most people don't know their arse from a hot rock.

Most of the idea of Jews as a genetic race actually comes from The Nazis. The Nazis base their ideas of racial identity on one-hundred-year old eugenics theories.

They wanted to create what they felt was a "scientific way" to determine who to kill, who to enslave, and who to spare. So they came up with this weird concept of fractional Judaism. They believed someone could be half, or quarter, or any kind of fraction, "Jewish Blood".

That concept was so persuasive that it filtered itself into our cultural database so even people who should know better claim to be half Jewish or some such nonsense.

In a nutshell, being a Jew is a binary state. You either are, or are not, a Jew. Being a Jew entitles you to participate in Jewish cultural life or, if you choose, not to participate in Jewish cultural life.

There are two ways to become a Jew. First, and by far most common, is to be born of a Jewish mother. Not because of DNA, but because, it is believed, that all humans receive their first instruction and the formation of their personalities from their mothers. Jewish mothers produce Jewish children.

The only other way is to go through a FORMAL conversion process. This isn't an easy process. You must seek out a rabbi who will agree to teach you. You must study for years. Even after the study, you will have to be approved by a board of rabbis who will determine that you understand Jewish culture and are converting for legitimate reasons.

Once you do this, you are 100% a Jew and, if you're a woman, your children will be Jewish.

 

[Coyote]

First, let’s establish that Jews are not a race. There are Asian Jews, Caucasian/white Jews, and black Jews. Admittedly, they are more than a religion, and it would be fair to consider them a “people” who span across the three major races.

WHY do some people, and I’ve seen them on this forum, insist that there is a fourth race: the Jews. Do the people who want to segregate those of Jewish ancestry as a separate race tend to be antisemitic?

- whites
- blacks
- Asians
- Jews

I’m interested in thoughts as to the why behind this.

It is weird….but I think some of it is due to outdated and usually racist/anti-Semitic divisions of race. I have heard that they are considered an ethnographic religious group.

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

Whoopi planted a tree in Israel.

https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/whoopi-goldberg-i-m-jewish-and-i-talk-to-god-1.23000

 

[Lisa558]

"Race" can't be determined by science, only broad stoke ethnicity can.

"Race" thus "racism" is just a social construct. The word "racism" was not even coined till 1902 by a former Union general when referring to how Native Americans were treated.

LOL....I guess it could be claimed that blacks "appropriated" the term from Native Americans.

But regardless of whether race is a social construct, among those who believe it DOES exist, there are some who insist Jews are a separate race every much as Asians are, for example. Any ideas as to why they say this?

 

[JoeMoma]

Hers was in a different context, though. She was trying to limit racism to blacks only, as liberals tend to do, and downplay the prejudice against Jews.

Was she really? But if Jews are not a race (what you said), then antisemitism isn't racism. Perhaps it is People-ism. Disclaimer: I intend this in no way to downplay the prejudice against Jews.

 

[Lisa558]

It is weird….but I think some of it is due to outdated and usually racist/anti-Semitic divisions of race. I have heard that they are considered an ethnographic religious group.

I had to look up what ethnographic meant, and I’d agree with that description. In fact, it’s what I called ”a people” in my OP: more than merely a religion, but not a separate race.

 

[Coyote]

I had to look up what ethnographic meant, and I’d agree with that description. In fact, it’s what I called ”a people” in my OP: more than merely a religion, but not a separate race.

Agree…it’s definitely more than a religion, and historically the dividing of people into races has usually been done on an inferior/superior scale, making it easier to justify killing or oppressing them.

 

[Lisa558]

Was she really? But if Jews are not a race (what you said), then antisemitism isn't racism. Perhaps it is People-ism. Disclaimer: I intend this in no way to downplay the prejudice against Jews.

We could have a whole other discussion on Whoopi’s intent, and as I recall, there were pages of it when it happened. They’re strict in this forum now with staying on topic.

But I’d agree with your use of “people-ism”. Those who are antisemitic are not only antisemitic against the religion (mocking Jewish beliefs), but more than that….coming up with all the nasty stereotypes that have nothing to do the religion. That probably explains why they want to say Jews are a separate race.

 

[fncceo]

IDK. Whoopi got in trouble for implying that Jews are not a race. Their seems to be multiple definitions of "race" in use.

Actually, Whoopi got in trouble for saying that Jews are all part of the White Race.

Which is demonstrably not true.

 

[Lisa558]

Actually, Whoopi got in trouble for saying that Jews are all part of the White Race.

Which is demonstrably not true.

Ah….is THAT what she said? If so, of course it’s not true. My parents were good friends with a black family in our synagogue, and we invited them to Shabbos lunch a number of times. (And Vice versa).