Strenger than Fiction / Jewish liberals from all nations, unite

haaretz ^ | 5/3/10 | Carlo Strenger

[SJackson]

There isn’t any question about the status of the child of a Jewish mother, he/she is a Jew. Soros may be an as*hole, but he’s a Jewish as*hole. There’s really nothing to delve into. Our opinion of his actions are irrelevant, other than perhaps under the laws of Cherem, and even then if expelled from the community, or as an apostate he’s still a Jew.

Israel doesn’t “rule” on who’s a Jew, those issues would be dealt with by the Rabbinate if there was a question. Israel’s law of return is based on persecution as a Jew, not one’s status as a Jew. A Russian with a Jewish grandfather but a gentile mother who hasn’t adopted another religion can immigrate, since a Jewish grandfather could be the basis for persecution. Under the Reich, whose standards Israel adopted. However he would not be considered a Jew. Unless he converted. Orthodox conversion only, which is the issue you’re alluding to. But many Russian immigrants aren’t considered Jews by the Rabbinate.