I'm not a rabbi, and I don't play one on TV, but I look at it as something like US citizenship - one can be born a citizen (or born Jewish), or one can be naturalized (or go through an orthodox conversion).
I always heard the answer to that question is .....yes
Ping for your opinion on the subject.
Judaism is a religion. One can convert to it, but this is usually not easy. Jewish identity is inherited, but has nothing to do with race - there are black Jews and Chinese Jews, for example. The Law of Return was designed to cover all persons who suffered persecution for being Jews during the Holocaust. Next question!
Sammy Davis always said he was a Jew, but I dont think he could have immigrated to Israel under the law of return.
You are conflating two separate issues.
The law of return, I believe, was set up to mirror Hitler's Jewish laws. Since Nazi laws defined a Jew as someone with one or more Jewish grandparents (the law was more narrow within Germany itself), Israel decided to give a safe haven to anyone who fit that definition -- even if that person is not religiously Jewish. For example, there are many Russian Orthodox Christians who have moved to Israel under the Law of Return and, once there, have set up Russian Orthodox churches where they worship freely. The law of return has nothing to do with religious practice or belief, or even with Zionist or anti-Zionist belief; it was enacted to enable Israel to be a place of sanctuary for those persecuted because of Jewish ancestry -- even those who may be opposed to the existence of Israel (in my opinion, a remarkable act of grace).
I do not know whether, as you say, people who convert to Judaism in non-Orthodox conversions are permitted to immigrate to Israel under the law of return. If this is true, there is logic behind this policy. Orthodox Judaism adheres to the body of rabbinic Jewish laws established over the past 2000 years (it really does, too -- Rabbis making a determination under Jewish law may refer to tens of sources from all over the world and writing over the entire period from before compilation of the Talmud to the present day). Conservative Judaism allows for much more liberal interpretations of Jewish law, and Reform Judaism does not consider earlier rulings of Jewish law to be binding.
The Orthodox conversion process is lengthy and difficult, and an Orthodox convert is universally accepted as a Jew. On the other hand, Reform and (to a lesser extent) Conservative conversions may be significantly less rigorous, and those converted by Reform and Conservative rabbis are not universally accepted as Jews.
From Israel's point of view, there would be no reason for Israel to allow people whom it does not consider Jewish to move to Israel under the law of return.
I should add that the law of return is not the only way for people to become citizens of Israel; it is the simplest, most non-bureaucratic means to do so. Further, it is not necessary to be a citizen of Israel in order to live there.
Scrolling down to section B -
4B. For the purposes of this Law, "Jew" means a person who was born of a Jewish mother or has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion."
Looks like the law was amended in 1970 to include converted Jews as well. I don't see anything in the law about conversion needing Orthodox approval but I certainly could be wrong. Alouette, any thoughts?
It's a question for greater minds than ours.
They are Hebrews that practice Judiasm......Jews.
I am an American that practices Christianity....Christian.
If there can be atheistic Jews, a race. If not, a religion.
The same confusion is often applied to Islam. I have no racism against anyone of any color or ancestry, but I do have a problem with radical Islam. Yet whenever I say anything bad about the religion Islam, people on the left say I am a racist and a bigot. It's not a race, it's a religion. There is a difference.
I am not a rabbi nor am I an expert.But as an Orthodox Jew, a few observations.
Israel was created after the Holocaust to be a Jewish homeland, a country where all Jews can reside, presumably safely and without persecution. But essentially, Israel's founders , although Jewish, were not Orthodox and Torah observant. This has caused a division within Israel between the Orthodox and the Secular inhabitants. Judaism as such is a religion, but it is much more than that. This cuts to the heart of the differences betweeen the Orthodox and the Secular factions. The secular consider Judaism as a religion, the Orthodox as a 24/7 way of life, governing just about everything we do.
It also at least partially explains the increasingly close affiliation between the Orthodox Jews and religious Christians: we both recognize that with everything we do it is with the A-Mighty deep within our consciousness. On the other hand, the more secular adherents seemingly limit their observance to a time and situation of their choosing.
Turning to modern-day politics, the "Palestinian" issue is basically a canard to make the Jewish population of Israel a minority, and thereby no longer render Israel as a Jewish state. The Orthodox, who recognize the intrinsic holiness of the Land of Israel, are generally much more reluctant to part with any land for "peace", while the more secular faction is less concerned with Israel's holiness. But we are all Jews, and we see it as our duty to try to educate those less committed to the truer meaning behind Judaism and the Land of Israel.
Both
Besides Reform, Conservative and Orthodox there is mainstream Judaism, which represents the majority of Israelis. Reform and Conservative are not recognized because they are to Judaism is what scientology to Christianity. Those who convert to Judaism theough a regular mainstream sinagogue are recognized by the Israeli state. Although it is hard to convert since Judaism discourages conversion. And trying to figure out if Jews are a religion or an ethnical group is an excercise in futility. Let us all get a life instead.
Since the creation of the State of Israel Jewish nationality has been obscured by Israeli nationality. The Law of Return simply makes it clear than anyone of Jewish nationality is also entitled to Israeli nationality. It does not matter whether one is haredi (black hat, ulta-orthodox), dati leumi (modern orthodox), or chiloni (secular). (FWIW: other groups such as masortim (conservative Jews) are not recognized by the State of Israel and are considered chilonim.)
Considering that the most pro-Israel folks in America are in America's Bible Belt,
Pro-Israel by American Christian standards, yes. Many of the view expressed by American Christian conservatives are the views of the far right ultra-nationalists in Israel. I think such views support policies that do Israel far more harm than good. That is from my Israeli, masorti Jewish, center-right (Likud supporter) perspective.
The Christian right opposes the giving away of even an inch of territory in the peace process.
Precisely my point. That is the road to national suicide and perpetual war. We would have an Arab majority within our borders in no time. We would hold Arab population centers with no hope of ever being free of conflict. What a disaster that would be.
allowing some of those folks to settle in Israel would actually strengthen the state of Israel.
Thankfully we do NOT allow that. We want our children to grow up Jewish not Christian. So long as the evangelical Christianity feels the necessity to prostletyze to Jews they will never be welcomed here except as visitors.
Does anyone remember the funny but very prophetic song from many years back(circa 1950s)which jokingly said, "It's in the Book", oh yes, it's in the Book alright.
If any want to know what Book, forget it, the answer would only confound the more those who asked the question!
the ancestral lineage is maintained through the matriarchal side of the family...