What does it take to become a Jew?

Answer 1

You must want to become a Jew. You must ask several times to become one before you can be accepted. You must study Judaism from head to toe and really, truly believe in what it says. Then you can be honored with conversion.

Answer 2

According to all streams of Judaism, any person born to a Jewish woman is a Jew.

The Reform stream of Judaism also considers children born to a Jewish man and non-Jewish woman, but who are raised Jewish, to be Jewish.

It is possible for non-Jews to become Jewish. To do so, the individual must first convince a rabbi to assist with this process. There is then 1-6 years of study with the rabbi. At the end of the individual's study, he or she must then go before a religious court to convince the rabbis that they are ready to become a Jew. After court, the individual goes to the mikvah, a ritual bath (not the same as baptism). Men must also be circumcised (already circumcised men undergo a symbolic circumcision).

Answer 3

It depends on who you ask.

According to Jewish tradition, a Jew is either (1) any person whose mother was Jewish (Talmud, Kidushin 68b), or (2) any person who has gone through a proper conversion to Judaism (Talmud, Yevamot 47a). However, a person loses their Jewishness if he/she converts to a different religion.

According to the Nazis, a Jew was (1) any person with one Jewish grandparent or (2) a person who converted to Judaism, regardless of procedure.

According to the Israeli government, a Jew is (1) any person with one Jewish grandparent, or (2) any person who has gone through a proper conversion to Judaism. However, a person loses their Jewishness if he/she was originally a Jew and converts to a different religion, but not if the person was never Jewish.

Answer 4

Jewish tradition states that a Jew is any person whose mother was Jewish (Talmud, Kidushin 68b), or any person who has gone through a proper conversion to Judaism (Talmud, Yevamot 47a).
The word "Jew" (in Hebrew, "Yehudi") is derived from the name of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and one of the Twelve Tribes of the Israelites. After the Ten Tribes went lost some 2600 years ago, the Tribe of Judah constituted the majority of the remaining Israelites; so since then we have simply been called "Jews" (people of Judah), even for those of us who may be from the other Israelite tribes.