You Don't Have to Be Religious to Be Jewish | Opinion
Summary
Two Jewish men explain that being Jewish is more than a religion; it includes shared history, culture, and ancestry. They support a California bill to let people identify as Jewish in ethnicity data, not just religion, to better represent and serve the Jewish community.Key Facts
- Jewish identity includes ancestry, culture, and peoplehood, not only religious beliefs or practices.
- Many American Jews do not consider religion the key part of their Jewishness; over 25% say they have no religion.
- Current U.S. government forms usually list Jewish only as a religion, which misses many Jewish people.
- California is considering Senate Bill 1387 to allow people to choose "Jewish" as an ethnicity in state data collection.
- Better data on Jewish ethnicity could help public health and policy, especially for issues like cancer risks that affect the Jewish population.
- Historically, Jews were counted as a people ("Hebrews") in immigration records but later classified only as a religion.
- This bill would recognize Jewish identity more accurately without involving political issues related to Israel.
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