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Can One of Our Jewish Posters Please Tell Me......

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"? Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why? Do they differ in belief or practice? Are all who identify as "Jewish" accepted by other Jews?

Can you also tell me what difference there is between an "Israeli" and an "Israelite"?
Can an Israeli be non-Jewish? Does "Israeli" simply mean one born in Israel who is not necessarily "Jewish" by religion?

Thanks in advance.....just trying to get my terminology correct. :)
 

Eliab ben Benjamin

Active Member
Premium Member
Can One of Our Jewish Posters Please Tell Me......

not likely till Shabbat is over, as it just is here in Kiwiland ....

wow lots of complex questions,
1 "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"?,
same as if one asked it about christian faith and Christianity ..... just terminology.

2 Is there more than one"Jewish" denomination and if so why?
kinda, but not exactly denominations ...
degrees of orthodoxy may simply describe most, though we have some more
extreme or ultra orthodox..... and the few mystics like myself the Essene

try Jewish religious movements - Wikipedia for more complex
detailed description.

the land is Israel, in this modern era the people Jewish, so named after the tribe
of Judah .. as many were killed off in our civil wars as Described in Kings ..
my own tribe Benjamin considered almost extinct..

now let the smarter ones among us answer the rest,

Shalom
 

Jedster

Well-Known Member
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"? Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why? Do they differ in belief or practice? Are all who identify as "Jewish" accepted by other Jews?

Can you also tell me what difference there is between an "Israeli" and an "Israelite"?
Can an Israeli be non-Jewish? Does "Israeli" simply mean one born in Israel who is not necessarily "Jewish" by religion?

Thanks in advance.....just trying to get my terminology correct. :)

An Israeli is anyone with Israeli citizenship, whether a member of any religion or not.
There are plenty of Israelis who are not born in Israel and are non-Jews; eg a Muslim/Jewish/Christian Israeli may marry a member of their religion from abroad and settle in Israel.
The only time I hear Israelite used these days is by some groups who claim to be of the lost tribes or similar.

As @Eliab ben Benjamin has said, I am sure you'll get more answers after Shabbat. Especially if I got something wrong:)
 

DennisTate

Active Member
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"? Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why? Do they differ in belief or practice? Are all who identify as "Jewish" accepted by other Jews?

Can you also tell me what difference there is between an "Israeli" and an "Israelite"?
Can an Israeli be non-Jewish? Does "Israeli" simply mean one born in Israel who is not necessarily "Jewish" by religion?

Thanks in advance.....just trying to get my terminology correct. :)

I am a Gentile but.......
if you happen to meet him I am 99% certain that Sanhedrin Rabbi Yeshayahu Hollander would support me if I applied for Israeli citizenship in addition to my Canadian citizenship.

I would be termed part of the Noahide Movement.......
so although I am a Gentile I am convinced that the Orthodox Jewish people must rebuild the Jerusalem Third TEmple and literally fulfill every word in Ezekiel chapters 40 - 48 over the coming years, decades and centuries........
and their doing this will play a huge role in making this earth into the utopian world shown to former Atheist and near death experiencer Howard Storm.

I am a Christian who supports the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Third Temple...
 

DennisTate

Active Member
Can One of Our Jewish Posters Please Tell Me......

not likely till Shabbat is over, as it just is here in Kiwiland ....

wow lots of complex questions,
1 "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"?,
same as if one asked it about christian faith and Christianity ..... just terminology.

2 Is there more than one"Jewish" denomination and if so why?
kinda, but not exactly denominations ...
degrees of orthodoxy may simply describe most, though we have some more
extreme or ultra orthodox..... and the few mystics like myself the Essene

try Jewish religious movements - Wikipedia for more complex
detailed description.

the land is Israel, in this modern era the people Jewish, so named after the tribe
of Judah .. as many were killed off in our civil wars as Described in Kings ..
my own tribe Benjamin considered almost extinct..

now let the smarter ones among us answer the rest,

Shalom

Wow!!!!

You are Essene!!!!

Would you be willing to give credit to Muslims.......
if...... by giving credit to Muslims for several things done and written by other Muslims.... you could save the lives of thousands..... if not tens of thousands of Israelis?

I would.......
but then again I am merely a Noahide... not a full fledged Jew yet.
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"? Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why? Do they differ in belief or practice? Are all who identify as "Jewish" accepted by other Jews?

Can you also tell me what difference there is between an "Israeli" and an "Israelite"?
Can an Israeli be non-Jewish? Does "Israeli" simply mean one born in Israel who is not necessarily "Jewish" by religion?

Thanks in advance.....just trying to get my terminology correct. :)
It's an extremely complex question. That's a fact.
 
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metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"?
The two terms are synonymous in general usage.

Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why?
There are a fair number of them, with the main branches being Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Chasidic (what some call "ultra-orthodox). The main differences deal with how one tends to view Torah, largely dealing with the issues of divine inspiration and inerrancy, which also have an effect on application.
Do they differ in belief or practice?
The main beliefs about God are quite similar, but there are differences in regards to how much do they believe that the 613 Laws of Moses are divinely inspired if any. The Orthodox and Chasidim are very strict about following the Law, the Conservative allow for some adjustment to the Law in regards to its application in more modern times, and Reform tend to be all over the map on this.

Are all who identify as "Jewish" accepted by other Jews?
No. The Orthodox, for example, do not recognize Reform and Conservative conversions. However, all Jewish branches recognize one being a Jew if they're borne of a Jewish mother.

Can you also tell me what difference there is between an "Israeli" and an "Israelite"?
"Israelite" was traditionally used to signify that one is Jewish, whereas an "Israeli" could also be Muslim or Christian or secular living in Israel or from Israel.

Can an Israeli be non-Jewish?
Yes.

Sorry to be so short on this, and some here after Shabbat is over can fill in more details if you'd like as I gotta be outta here shortly.
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
Thank you to the responders so far. Look forward to more comments.

Are Noahides considered Jewish converts?
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"?
I don't think you see the word "Jewish" in the Jewish Scriptures. The term comes from the an earlier term for Jews, "Judean" because after the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom, all remaining Israelites who weren't exiled lived in Judea - the Judeans.

Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why?
There are three major Jewish denominations (in progressively more liberal order): Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. There are other smaller ones like Reconstructionist and Humanist.

From an historical perspective, Karaite Judaism is also a form of Judaism, although not often viewed as such. The Samaritans were also once believe to be Jews, but that later changed according to the Talmud.

Do they differ in belief or practice?
Yes. The main difference is the approach to Halacha, Jewish Law. Orthodoxy believes it to be binding. Conservative believes it to be binding but also believe they have the power to remove restrictions or circumvent Laws based on modern philosophies. Reform do not believe Jewish Law is binding but a matter of personal choice.

Within Orthodoxy, there can also be differences in practice between ultra-Orthodox and Modern Orthodox movements or even within the various sub-sects of ultra-Orthodoxy. Those differences though are most often based on customs not Law, either from those that arose in different regions or because of added emphasis on different parts of Jewish Law.

Karaite Judaism is basically a Saducee Renewal sect. They reject the authenticity of the Oral Torah and favor their own approach to interpretation.

Are all who identify as "Jewish" accepted by other Jews?

No. Identifying as Jewish for Orthodox and Conservative sects requires that one's mother be Jewish or that one converted. For Reform Judaism, it requires that either of one's parents be Jewish and that one was raised in a Jewish environment or that one was converted.

For Orthodoxy, all more liberal strains of Judaism (ie. all the other ones) do not fulfill the Halachic requirements in converting and likewise does not accept their converts as Jewish. Conservative will generally accept Orthodox converts but not necessarily accept Reform converts.

Can you also tell me what difference there is between an "Israeli" and an "Israelite"?
Can an Israeli be non-Jewish? Does "Israeli" simply mean one born in Israel who is not necessarily "Jewish" by religion?
An Israeli is someone who has citizenship in the country of Israel. There are Israeli Christians, Israeli Muslims, Israeli Druze.

An Israelite is an older term for Jew.

Are Noahides considered Jewish converts?
No, the term Noahide is used today to refer to those who follow the 7 Noahide Laws as prescribed by Jewish Law for non-Jews. So it specifically refers to those who haven't converted to Judaism. A non-Jew who converts wouldn't be a Noahide, but a Jew.

Sometimes non-Jews believe themselves to be Noahides when in fact they've divorced the term from it's Jewish context and applied it according to their own reasoning. The source of the concept comes from the Talmud and it comes with it's own requirements as expressed here. It's far more common to find a self-defined Noahide than one who actually fits the requirements.
 
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Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
I don't think you see the word "Jewish" in the Jewish Scriptures. The term comes from the an earlier term for Jews, "Judean" because after the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom, all remaining Israelites who weren't exiled lived in Judea - the Judeans.


There are three major Jewish denominations (in progressively more liberal order): Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. There are other smaller ones like Reconstructionist and Humanist.

From an historical perspective, Karaite Judaism is also a form of Judaism, although not often viewed as such. The Samaritans were also once believe to be Jews, but that later changed according to the Talmud.


Yes. The main difference is the approach to Halacha, Jewish Law. Orthodoxy believes it to be binding. Conservative believes it to be binding but also believe they have the power to remove restrictions or circumvent Laws based on modern philosophies. Reform do not believe Jewish Law is binding but a matter of personal choice.

Within Orthodoxy, there can also be differences in practice between ultra-Orthodox and Modern Orthodox movements or even within the various sub-sects of ultra-Orthodoxy. Those differences though are most often based on customs not Law, either from those that arose in different regions or because of added emphasis on different parts of Jewish Law.

Karaite Judaism is basically a Saducee Renewal sect. They reject the authenticity of the Oral Torah and favor their own approach to interpretation.



No. Identifying as Jewish for Orthodox and Conservative sects requires that one's mother be Jewish or that one converted. For Reform Judaism, it requires that either of one's parents be Jewish and that one was raised in a Jewish environment or that one was converted.

For Orthodoxy, all more liberal strains of Judaism (ie. all the other ones) do not fulfill the Halachic requirements in converting and likewise does not accept their converts as Jewish. Conservative will generally accept Orthodox converts but not necessarily accept Reform converts.


An Israeli is someone who has citizenship in the country of Israel. There are Israeli Christians, Israeli Muslims, Israeli Druze.

An Israelite is an older term for Jew.


No, the term Noahide is used today to refer to those who follow the 7 Noahide Laws as prescribed by Jewish Law for non-Jews. So it specifically refers to those who haven't converted to Judaism. A non-Jew who converts wouldn't be a Noahide, but a Jew.

Sometimes non-Jews believe themselves to be Noahides when in fact they've divorced the term from it's Jewish context and applied it according to their own reasoning. The source of the concept comes from the Talmud and it comes with it's own requirements as expressed here. It's far more common to find a self-defined Noahide than one who actually fits the requirements.

Comprehensive and most informative. Thank you. :)
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
Although I haven't made it official yet......
I am 99% certain that Rabbi Yeshayahu Julius Hollander would disagree with you........
He is a recently retired Sanhedrin Rabbi.........

Yes... that is who this conversation that I had was with...
beginning back in 2010.

My correspondence with Rabbi ........... - Tate for Central Nova
I read the conversation and aside from the delusions of grandeur that I believe you may be suffering from, I don't see anything indicating that he would agree that you are a Noahide. In fact, as a former member of the Sanhedrin who relies on the opinion of Maimonides for it's hoped for establishment, I believe that it's pretty clear that he wouldn't consider you a Noahide. Maimonides' opinion is the stricter one when it comes to who fits the bill. A "Hebraic Roots Universalist Christian" probably isn't going to fit that bill.

And for the record, in order to be called "Rabbi" in 1st century Judaism, you had to be receive certification to judge on matters of Jewish Law from a Rabbi who already had that certification. There doesn't seem to be any indication that Jesus received any such certification.
 

Michael1926

Member
I hear the terms "Jewish" and "Israelite" mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures.....so can someone tell me the difference between someone of the "Jewish" faith and someone who follows "Judaism"? Is there more than one "Jewish" denomination and if so why?

All Jew's are "Israelites". During the split of the land of Israel after the rein of Solomon the northern kingdom was called the kingdom of Israel & the southern was called the kingdom of Judah. At some point the kingdom of Israel were banished and became what we know as the ten lost tribes. Since the kingdom of Judah was never "lost" like that they maintained their identity of "Judah" which is the source for the title "Jew".

There is no difference as far as I know between one who follows the Jewish faith and one who follows Judaism, as you already know there are various sects of the Jewish religion but they all have something in common, Torah.

As far as why there are so many denominations, a whole book could be written about that.
 
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