Who Decides Who Is a Jew?

Resource: Video

Series: Big Jewish Ideas

Topic: Jewish Philosophy

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“Who is a Jew?” is one of those big questions without a clear-cut answer. But throughout history, defining someone as Jewish or not has come with high stakes — as high as the difference between life and death. To some Jews, their Jewish identity is their entire world; others don’t even think about it. So, who gets to decide whether someone else is a Jew and what does Jewish identity even mean? After watching the video, use the prompts below to learn more and get your students thinking.

These videos were created in partnership with the Z3 Project, an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC.

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