Question for the Jews

[paradox]

I noticed that most Jews never say "a Jew" and "Jews" but instead say "Jewish"

I wonder why?
google translator doesn't help much with that.

 

[ChristineM]

I am not Jewish but i don't use the word Jew but i do use Jewish, it just seems more polite somehow.

A family friend (sadly deceased), was jewish. He preferred the term rather than jew.

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

I noticed that most Jews never say "a Jew" and "Jews" but instead say "Jewish"

I wonder why?
google translator doesn't help much with that.

Maybe they're not really Jews but Jew ish.

 

[pearl]

I am not Jewish but i don't use the word Jew but i do use Jewish, it just seems more polite somehow.

Neither am I, but I don't know why there would be a problem using the term Jew.

 

[rosends]

I noticed that most Jews never say "a Jew" and "Jews" but instead say "Jewish"

I wonder why?
google translator doesn't help much with that.

I am a Jew.
He is a Jew.

Sure, Jews say that. But some like to make the distinction between birth status (a Jew) and belief/practice (Jewish). That's personal and artificial. Other religions don't seem to have evolved (linguistically) to have 2 different parts of speech (noun vs. adjective) so one says "he is a Christian" and "he is Christian" and the same word shows up. Same thing with "Muslim."

 

[paradox]

Sure, Jews say that. But some like to make the distinction between birth status (a Jew) and belief/practice (Jewish)

I always thought a birth status or nationality is same, that is "Israeli" while according to belief is "Jew"

Therefore what you're saying is that one may be Jew (according to birth status) but not Jewish (that is not believer)?

 

[rosends]

I always thought a birth status or nationality is same, that is "Israeli" while according to belief is "Jew"

Therefore what you're saying is that one may be Jew (according to birth status) but not Jewish (that is not believer)?

"Israeli" means "someone who is a citizen of Israel." That person's religion may be any one of a number of things including Muslim, Christian or any other.

There are people who use the words in a way that might differentiate between that Jew-status of birth and inclusion in the community. So someone who does things to separate himself from the community might be, to that use, Jews by birth, but not "Jewish" communal acceptance. But that isn't a hard and fast rule of semantic usage.

 

[Flankerl]

Jew: Noun
Jewish: Adjective

 

[sun rise]

I am a Jew.
He is a Jew.

Sure, Jews say that. But some like to make the distinction between birth status (a Jew) and belief/practice (Jewish). That's personal and artificial. Other religions don't seem to have evolved (linguistically) to have 2 different parts of speech (noun vs. adjective) so one says "he is a Christian" and "he is Christian" and the same word shows up. Same thing with "Muslim."

I am a Jew.
I am Jewish
I don't practice the religion Judaism.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I noticed that most Jews never say "a Jew" and "Jews" but instead say "Jewish"

Kudos for taking the time to interact with most Jews.

I wonder why?

Perhaps because one is a noun while the other is an adjective?

 

[rosends]

I am a Jew.
I am Jewish
I don't practice the religion Judaism.

OK. And?

 

[RestlessSoul]

OK. And?

It’s interesting, don’t you think, that a person’s Jewishness can be important to him, even though he doesn’t practice the religion? It’s interesting to me anyway. I’ve heard it said that if you’re born a Catholic you die a Catholic, but I don’t Catholicism as a cultural identity runs as deep as Judaism appears to.

 

[rosends]

It’s interesting, don’t you think, that a person’s Jewishness can be important to him, even though he doesn’t practice the religion? It’s interesting to me anyway. I’ve heard it said that if you’re born a Catholic you die a Catholic, but I don’t Catholicism as a cultural identity runs as deep as Judaism appears to.

There are plenty of Jews who see the heritage and cultural aspects as very important but not the ritualistic, spiritual or practical aspects. That's not a novel position to take.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

There are plenty of Jews who see the heritage and cultural aspects as very important but not the ritualistic, spiritual or practical aspects. That's not a novel position to take.

And then there's Mordecai Kaplan.

 

[sun rise]

OK. And?

I was answering the OP with my perspective and noting that I use "Jewish" differently than others might. Sometimes implied references are missed in online discourse.