A question for Jewish members

[David_F_1]

Dear David,

Again, thank you for your response.

It sounds confusing. I mean, on the one hand, it seems that Jewishness is only a matter of the flesh since an apostate (or athiest) Jew retains his Jewishness. On the other hand, it seems it is a matter of the spirit since a person can become Jewish by conversion.

I do have a last question which would resolve the issues going on in my mind, depending on the answer:

If someone who became Jewish by conversion (i.e., not a Jew according to ancestry) afterwards apostasizes, is that person still a Jew according to Orthodox Jewish law? I mean, since Jews according to the flesh are still Jewish despite apostasy, what about Jews by conversion?

Blessings

Well, the strict Orthodox understanding of conversion is that the person who was converted already had a “Jewish soul” (i.e. they were spiritually present at Sinai), and the conversion was just a formal recognition of this fact by all parties involved (the convert and the community). Two possible explanation for a convert who apostasized would be 1.) the rabbis making the conversion made a mistake, and the convert didn’t really have a Jewish soul. 2.) the person was and is Jewish, but has apostasized.

More religiously liberal Jews are likely to think of Judaism more in the way a Christian might–as a matter of choice: (i.e. “he was born Jewish, but decided to become a Catholic.”)

 

[Auriel]

That reminds me of a story I heard before. About a Jewish soul that rejects their identity or were cut off from it, being born into the body of a gentile child. They search until they re-connect with that part of themselves again.

All interesting.