Why would anyone want to become Jewish?

[Toga]

I understand the Jews who want to venture out into the universe of Judaism as I am sure learning, understanding, studying, etc. is a great high for them.

However, I don't understand the non-Jews who want to become Jewish. The Jews are universally hated. The Jews have been attacked for the last 2000 years. They blamed the Jews even after they slaughtered them. They have kicked the Jews out from one country to the next only to disperse them again. Finally, when the Jews have a tiny strip of dirt on the Mediterranean coast they want to take it away from them. Most UN resolutions are directed against a state one can barely see on the map (Israel). When Jews defend themselves the world revolts and expects the Jews to sustain the pain on continuous basis. They expect the Jews to be less Jewish or not Jewish at all. The few Jews who disagree with the majority of Jews are heralded as good, brilliant Jews while the Jews who hate the majority of Jews are accepted. loved and viewed as G-ds.

In addition, the Jews have an obligation to carry 613 mitzvot and follow the laws of Torah.

Personally, I would not want to be anything else but Jewish but it is not easy to be one.

So, when I read Report: Sharp rise in conversion rate (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3163290,00.html) it makes me wonder.

[ShimonG]

Love, admiration of Jewish history, culture, religion. The fact that it is so old that Jewish myth, legend, history and religion are one and the same.

I'll agree that it would be very difficult to be even an observant jew, much less an orthodox one.

[KSO]

Because he\she feels that the Jewish set of beliefs is the one he can live with, just as many people feel the christian, muslim, hindu, atheist or marxist set of dogmas is the one he can live with.
Individiual choises is the name of the game (at least in the western world, where conversion is no longer done by force or by the goverment)

[Mira]

Because he\she feels that the Jewish set of beliefs is the one he can live with, just as many people feel the christian, muslim, hindu, atheist or marxist set of dogmas is the one he can live with.
Individiual choises is the name of the game (at least in the western world, where conversion is no longer done by force or by the goverment)

So what are you today?

[KSO]

So what are you today?

Secular Christian and Secular Marxist.

[Mediocrates]

So you're a libertarian who smokes a lot of weed then.

[KSO]

So you're a libertarian who smokes a lot of weed then.
no and no

[Mediocrates]

Ok then you're just humorless when it's not you talking smack.

[Mira]

Secular Christian and Secular Marxist.

What draws you to these ideologies?

[KSO]

What draws you to these ideologies?
The final ideal, plus family traditions.

[defari]

Toga, what do you believe in? What is your faith? Why?

[Toga]

What draws you to these ideologies?

KSO is a non-Jewish Israeli citizen whose father is Jewish. So, even if KSO is non-Jewish he as Israeli as Ariel Sharon.

There are appoximately 30K-50K Russians and Ukrainian non-Jews who entered Israel on a tourist visas and never went back. 300K-500K Russian/Ukrainian non-Jews came to Israel in accordance with the Law of Return. Most entered the country with at least one Jewish family member or could document a Jew they were related to which is puzzling in itself because the high Russian Jewish rate of intermarriage is relatively a new phenomenon.
What is interesting about it is that there are more Russians living in Israel than Jews in Russia. While Jews in Eastern Europe lived for centuries the Russian/Ukrainian non-Jews moved to Israel within the last 15 years. However, the Israeli demography is changing. It appears that 10% of the Russian emigrants to Israel have already left for Canada, Australia or went back to Russia. The number of the Orthodox Jewish children remained the same (20%) despite the Russian aliyah.

The problem with the Law of Return is that Israel allowed the German Nazis to define Jewishness. Probably, the founding fathers of Israel did not think that non-Jews would want to emigrate to the Jewish state.

I read about a case of an elderle Jewish woman who brought with her to Israel 20 Arab family members. All of them received the residency status, financial assistance, etc.

Defari, I am a non-religious Jew.

[Mira]

The final ideal, plus family traditions.

Stop toying with me, KSO. You know I want more information from you than that. Give me a more involved explanation. I can handle it and I won't use what you say against you. You have my word.

[Mira]

KSO is a non-Jewish Israeli citizen whose father is Jewish. So, even if KSO is non-Jewish he as Israeli as Ariel Sharon.

There are appoximately 30K-50K Russians and Ukrainian non-Jews who entered Israel on a tourist visas and never went back. 300K-500K Russian/Ukrainian non-Jews came to Israel in accordance with the Law of Return. Most entered the country with at least one Jewish family member or could document a Jew they were related to which is puzzling in itself because the high Russian Jewish rate of intermarriage is relatively a new phenomenon.
What is interesting about it is that there are more Russians living in Israel than Jews in Russia. While Jews in Eastern Europe lived for centuries the Russian/Ukrainian non-Jews moved to Israel within the last 15 years. However, the Israeli demography is changing. It appears that 10% of the Russian emigrants to Israel have already left for Canada, Australia or went back to Russia. The number of the Orthodox Jewish children remained the same (20%) despite the Russian aliyah.

The problem with the Law of Return is that Israel allowed the German Nazis to define Jewishness. Probably, the founding fathers of Israel did not think that non-Jews would want to emigrate to the Jewish state.

I read about a case of an elderle Jewish woman who brought with her to Israel 20 Arab family members. All of them received the residency status, financial assistance, etc.

Defari, I am a non-religious Jew.

You're off topic!

[Mediocrates]

Why would anyone want to become Jewish?


Because we'll love you, even if, and some would say, because, you don't love us back. The rest as they say, is commentary.

[History]

:) Funny. I always wondered why anyone would want to be anything other than Jewish?

Respectfully,
History