[SendShaqtoIraq]

"My Jewish relatives tell me they are a race"

No they are NOT. They are an ethnicity and/or a religion. (I know that doesn't sound grammatically correct, but it's the middle of the night and I can't think of the correct way to say it.)
Just like Hispanic is NOT a race; it is also an ethnicity.

There are only FOUR races:
Caucasian (yes, Jews/Israelites are caucasian)
Negroid (black american is also NOT a race)
Mongoloid (Asian)
American Indian

[nopardons]

American Indians belong to the Mongoloid race. There are only THREE races,but many subheadings/divisions.

The Ainu and the Australian Aborigines are Caucasoids;as are Semites...for example.