https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.xml/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewxmlarticleWho is a Jew?Jewish identity has both a Halachic definition and a wider self-understanding. The two do not always coincide.The New Jew/index.xmlFoundations of Belief/sections/foundations.xmlWho is a Jew?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jew.xml
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essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewWho is a Jew?Jewish identity has both a Halachic definition and a wider self-understanding. The two do not always coincide.Summary. Halachically, a Jew is someone born to a Jewish mother (matrilineal descent) or someone who has undergone a valid conversion. This standard is the consensus of the Mishnah, Talmud, and Shulchan Aruch and is the operating definition of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. Reform Judaism in the United States since 1983 also recognizes patrilineal descent when accompanied by Jewish upbringing. Beyond Halacha, Jewishness encompasses ethnicity, culture, history, language, and peoplehood. A Jew is also someone who shows up.essentialessentialsidentityhalachaconversion2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z5172foundationsFoundations of Beliefhttps://pub-73c694f3dc3c4d0ea8f98f090d227a0d.r2.dev/article-images/who-is-a-jew-ms8jq4ah-df208b5d.pnghttps://pub-73c694f3dc3c4d0ea8f98f090d227a0d.r2.dev/article-images/who-is-a-jew-crop-ms8jz4r9-68b86010-large.pnghttps://pub-73c694f3dc3c4d0ea8f98f090d227a0d.r2.dev/article-images/who-is-a-jew-crop-ms8jz4r9-68b86010-thumb.pngWho is a Jew?summary
Summary. Halachically, a Jew is someone born to a Jewish mother ([matrilineal descent](/glossary.xml#letter-M)) or someone who has undergone a valid conversion. This standard is the consensus of the [Mishnah](/glossary.xml#letter-M), [Talmud](/glossary.xml#letter-T), and [Shulchan Aruch](/glossary.xml#letter-S) and is the operating definition of [Orthodox](/glossary.xml#letter-O) and [Conservative Judaism](/glossary.xml#letter-C). [Reform Judaism](/glossary.xml#letter-R) in the United States since 1983 also recognizes [patrilineal descent](/glossary.xml#letter-P) when accompanied by Jewish upbringing. Beyond [Halacha](/glossary.xml#letter-H), Jewishness encompasses ethnicity, culture, history, language, and peoplehood. A Jew is also someone who shows up.
Summary. Halachically, a Jew is someone born to a Jewish mother (matrilineal descent) or someone who has undergone a valid conversion. This standard is the consensus of the Mishnah, Talmud, and Shulchan Aruch and is the operating definition of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism. Reform Judaism in the United States since 1983 also recognizes patrilineal descent when accompanied by Jewish upbringing. Beyond Halacha, Jewishness encompasses ethnicity, culture, history, language, and peoplehood. A Jew is also someone who shows up.paragraph
The Halachic rule of matrilineal descent is sourced in [Devarim 7:3–4](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.7.3-4) and elaborated in Talmud [Kiddushin 68b](https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.68b), where the Sages derive from the verse that a child’s status follows the mother. The [Mishneh Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-M) ([Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:3](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Forbidden_Intercourse.15.3)) and the Shulchan Aruch ([Even Ha’Ezer 4:19](https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Even_HaEzer.4.19)) codify this as binding.
The Halachic rule of matrilineal descent is sourced in Devarim 7:3–4 and elaborated in Talmud Kiddushin 68b, where the Sages derive from the verse that a child’s status follows the mother. The Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:3) and the Shulchan Aruch (Even Ha’Ezer 4:19) codify this as binding.paragraph
Conversion ([giyur](/glossary.xml#letter-G)) is the second route. A valid Orthodox conversion requires acceptance of the [mitzvot](/glossary.xml#letter-M) ([kabbalat ol mitzvot](/glossary.xml#letter-K)), circumcision (for men), and immersion in a [mikveh](/glossary.xml#letter-M) (ritual bath), all under the supervision of a [beit din](/glossary.xml#letter-B) (rabbinical court) of three observant Jews. Conservative conversions are conducted on similar lines with some halachic variation; Reform conversions typically omit the requirement of immersion and circumcision in some communities.
Conversion (giyur) is the second route. A valid Orthodox conversion requires acceptance of the mitzvot (kabbalat ol mitzvot), circumcision (for men), and immersion in a mikveh (ritual bath), all under the supervision of a beit din (rabbinical court) of three observant Jews. Conservative conversions are conducted on similar lines with some halachic variation; Reform conversions typically omit the requirement of immersion and circumcision in some communities.paragraph
But Jewishness is wider than the strictly Halachic definition. A Jew is a member of the Jewish people, the descendants of [Avraham](/glossary.xml#letter-A), Yitzchak, and Yaakov, called [Yisrael](/glossary.xml#letter-Y) — “the one who wrestles with God” ([Bereshit 32:29](https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.32.29)). The Jewish people are at once an ethnos, a faith, a people, a culture, and a project — none of which fully captures the whole. A Jew is also someone who, in moments of crisis or commitment, finds himself or herself irreducibly Jewish.
But Jewishness is wider than the strictly Halachic definition. A Jew is a member of the Jewish people, the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, called Yisrael — “the one who wrestles with God” (Bereshit 32:29). The Jewish people are at once an ethnos, a faith, a people, a culture, and a project — none of which fully captures the whole. A Jew is also someone who, in moments of crisis or commitment, finds himself or herself irreducibly Jewish.paragraph
The State of Israel’s [Law of Return](/glossary.xml#letter-L) (1950, amended 1970) is deliberately broad, but its breadth lies in eligibility rather than in the definition of a Jew: the law itself defines a Jew as someone born to a Jewish mother or who has converted and is not a member of another religion, while the 1970 amendment extends the right of return to the child or grandchild of a Jew, and to their spouses. This is not a Halachic definition; it is a definition of who would have been persecuted as a Jew, and therefore who deserves refuge under Israel’s founding promise.
The State of Israel’s Law of Return (1950, amended 1970) is deliberately broad, but its breadth lies in eligibility rather than in the definition of a Jew: the law itself defines a Jew as someone born to a Jewish mother or who has converted and is not a member of another religion, while the 1970 amendment extends the right of return to the child or grandchild of a Jew, and to their spouses. This is not a Halachic definition; it is a definition of who would have been persecuted as a Jew, and therefore who deserves refuge under Israel’s founding promise.heading
Where Denominations Diverge
Where Denominations Divergeparagraph
Orthodox: matrilineal descent or Orthodox conversion only. Conservative: matrilineal descent or Conservative/Orthodox conversion. Reform (US, since 1983): matrilineal OR patrilineal descent with Jewish upbringing; conversion under Reform auspices. [Reconstructionist](/glossary.xml#letter-R): patrilineal descent recognized since 1968. [Renewal](/glossary.xml#letter-R): similar to Reconstructionist. Reform in the UK and Israel typically retains matrilineal descent only.
Orthodox: matrilineal descent or Orthodox conversion only. Conservative: matrilineal descent or Conservative/Orthodox conversion. Reform (US, since 1983): matrilineal OR patrilineal descent with Jewish upbringing; conversion under Reform auspices. Reconstructionist: patrilineal descent recognized since 1968. Renewal: similar to Reconstructionist. Reform in the UK and Israel typically retains matrilineal descent only.heading
Sources
Sourcesparagraph
[Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-T): [Devarim](/glossary.xml#letter-D) 7:3–4; [Bereshit](/glossary.xml#letter-B) 32:29.
Torah: Devarim 7:3–4; Bereshit 32:29.paragraph
[Talmud Bavli](/glossary.xml#letter-T), Kiddushin 68b.
Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 68b.paragraph
[Rambam](/glossary.xml#letter-R), Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:3.
Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Issurei Biah 15:3.paragraph
Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha’Ezer 4:19.
Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha’Ezer 4:19.paragraph
CCAR Responsum on Patrilineal Descent (1983).
CCAR Responsum on Patrilineal Descent (1983).paragraph
Israel Law of Return (1950, 1970 amendment).
Israel Law of Return (1950, 1970 amendment).paragraph
[Israel's Basic Laws: An Introduction to the Law of Return](https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/an-introduction-to-the-law-of-return) — Jewish Virtual Library.
Israel's Basic Laws: An Introduction to the Law of Return — Jewish Virtual Library.paragraph
[Judaism: Patrilineal Descent](https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/patrilineal-descent) — Jewish Virtual Library.
Judaism: Patrilineal Descent — Jewish Virtual Library.paragraph
[Why Is Jewishness Matrilineal? Maternal Descent In Judaism](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/601092/jewish/Why-Is-Jewishness-Matrilineal.htm) — Chabad.org.
Why Is Jewishness Matrilineal? Maternal Descent In Judaism — Chabad.org.paragraph
[Yevamot 47b](https://www.sefaria.org/Yevamot.47b) — Sefaria.
Yevamot 47b — Sefaria.heading
Further Reading
Further Readingparagraph
Shaye J.D. Cohen, The Beginnings of Jewishness.
Shaye J.D. Cohen, The Beginnings of Jewishness.paragraph
Hayim Halevy Donin, To Be a Jew.
Hayim Halevy Donin, To Be a Jew.paragraph
Anita Diamant, Choosing a Jewish Life.
Anita Diamant, Choosing a Jewish Life.essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-godWhat Does Judaism Teach About God?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.xmlessentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlifeDo Jews Believe in an Afterlife?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.xmlessentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesusWhy Do Jews Not Believe in Jesus?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus.xmlessentials-essential-questions-what-is-halachaWhat Is Halacha?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-is-halacha.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-worldWhy Did God Create the World?deeper/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-world.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-tikkun-olamWhat Is Tikkun Olam?deeper/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-tikkun-olam.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussarWhat Is Mussar?deeper/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussar.xmlAvrahamאברהםAbrahamAvraham, the first patriarch, is revered in Jewish tradition as the founder of ethical monotheism and is honored as the spiritual father of every convert to Judaism; a new Jew by choice traditionally takes the Hebrew name "ben" or "bat Avraham."community-conversion-to-judaismBereshitבְּרֵאשִׁיתThe first book of the Torah — Genesis — and the name of its first weekly portion. The word itself means 'in the beginning.'Conservative JudaismConservative Judaism holds Halacha as binding while empowering its Committee on Jewish Law and Standards to adapt Jewish law to modern circumstances through rabbinic enactments (takkanot) — a deliberate middle path between Orthodox and Reform approaches to Jewish law.how-to-use-this-field-guideDevarimדְּבָרִיםThe fifth book of the Torah — Deuteronomy — consisting of Moshe's farewell addresses. The name means 'words.'HalachaהֲלָכָהJewish law — literally "the way one walks" — the legal system that develops from the Torah's mitzvot through the Mishnah, Talmud, and the great codes; the movements differ on how binding it is, not on its centrality to the tradition.essentials-essential-questions-what-is-halachaLaw of Returnחוֹק הַשְּׁבוּתChok HaShvutThe 1950 Israeli law granting every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel and receive citizenship; its definition of who counts as a Jew is broader than the halachic one.MishnahמִשְׁנָהThe first great written compilation of the Oral Torah, organized by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 200 CE into six orders; together with the Gemara it forms the Talmud.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleMishneh Torahמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָהThe Rambam's monumental 12th-century code of Jewish law — the first work to organize the whole of Halacha systematically, from prayer to Temple service.Orthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism holds Halacha as fully binding and the Shulchan Aruch as its canonical code; it spans Haredi and Hasidic communities as well as Modern Orthodoxy, and is the starting point from which this Field Guide is written, even as it engages seriously with other denominations.how-to-use-this-field-guidePatrilineal DescentPatrilineal descent recognizes a child as Jewish through the father rather than the mother, provided the child is raised as a Jew. The American Reform movement adopted this standard in 1983 alongside its traditional recognition of matrilineal descent, while Orthodox and Conservative Judaism continue to require a Jewish mother or a valid conversion.essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewRambamרמב״םRabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138–1204), known by the acronym Rambam and in the Latin West as Maimonides, was the towering rationalist codifier and philosopher of medieval Judaism — author of the legal code Mishneh Torah and the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed. His formulation of God's unity and incorporeality remains foundational to Jewish theology across denominations.essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-godReconstructionist JudaismFounded by Mordecai Kaplan, Reconstructionist Judaism understands Judaism as an evolving religious civilization rather than a fixed set of supernatural commandments, and was an early adopter of patrilineal descent and full gender egalitarianism.how-to-use-this-field-guideReform JudaismReform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis.how-to-use-this-field-guideRenewal JudaismJewish Renewal is a small but influential movement drawing deeply on Hasidism and Kabbalah, combined with feminist and ecological commitments and an experimental, often neo-Hasidic approach to prayer and spirituality.how-to-use-this-field-guideShulchan Aruchשולחן ערוךLiterally 'the set table' — the authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law by Rabbi Yosef Karo, printed with the Ashkenazi glosses of Rabbi Moshe Isserles. It remains the baseline reference for halachic practice.TalmudתלמודThe vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleTalmud Bavliתלמוד בבליThe Babylonian Talmud, completed around 500 CE in the academies of Babylonia — the more extensive of the two Talmuds and the authoritative one for Jewish law.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleTorahתּוֹרָהThe Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud.YisraelישראלYisrael, the name given to the patriarch Yaakov after he wrestled with a divine being (Bereshit 32:29), means roughly "one who wrestles with God" and became the name of the Jewish people as a whole — a people defined, on this reading, by struggle and engagement rather than easy certainty.essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewbeit dinבֵּית דִּיןA rabbinical court, traditionally of three judges, which handles matters such as conversion, divorce, and disputes brought under Jewish law.giyurגִּיּוּרConversion to Judaism — the process of study, acceptance of the mitzvot, immersion in a mikveh, and (for men) circumcision, overseen by a rabbinic court; details vary among the movements.community-conversion-to-judaismkabbalat ol mitzvotקַבָּלַת עֹל מִצְווֹת"Accepting the yoke of the commandments" — the commitment to live by the mitzvot that stands at the heart of traditional conversion to Judaism.matrilineal descentThe halachic principle that Jewish status passes through the mother — the operating rule of Orthodox and Conservative Judaism; American Reform also recognizes patrilineal descent when accompanied by Jewish upbringing.essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewmikvehמִקְוֶהA ritual bath of naturally gathered water used for immersion — most prominently at conversion, before marriage, and in the laws of family purity.mitzvahמִצְוָהA commandment — one of the Torah's 613 divine instructions, and by extension any religious duty or good deed. The plural is mitzvot.essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvotparentFoundations of Belief/sections/foundations.xmlrelatedWhat Does Judaism Teach About God?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god.xmlrelatedDo Jews Believe in an Afterlife?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-do-jews-believe-in-an-afterlife.xmlrelatedWhy Do Jews Not Believe in Jesus?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-why-do-jews-not-believe-in-jesus.xmlrelatedWhat Is Halacha?/articles/essentials-essential-questions-what-is-halacha.xmlrelatedWhy Did God Create the World?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-world.xmlrelatedWhat Is Tikkun Olam?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-tikkun-olam.xmlrelatedWhat Is Mussar?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussar.xml