premise of being a jew *spoiler?*

Pregnant?
It's not even part of the script.
We don't even know if the couple had sex that night.
It is rare to fertilize on a 1st time virginity ending encounter anyway, but that's not what is even implied in this movie.

Anyone born of a Jewish mother is Jewish.

"You say." Wow, that counts for a lot. Personal opinion certainly trumps established facts. And hey, thanks for that spoiler. I hadn't seen this yet and really have no reason to now, thanks to you. And for the record, Judaism is both an ethnicity (with its own heritable traits and diseases) AND a religion; the two can be mutually exclusive, e.g. someone of any race can convert to Judaism but no one can convert to "Italianism" or "Japanese-ism." Being born Jewish and not practicing does NOT get you expelled from the Jewish community (regardless of "you say"), not according to Jewish law and certainly not to either the Nazis or Poles. I have a Polish friend whose mother was a Jewish atheist (hence my friend proudly considers herself Jewish under Jewish law, despite also being an atheist). Her father was a Party member and "true believer" who was constantly treated poorly by higher-ups because his wife was Jewish. And considering that Ida concerns a young woman whose family was exterminated on racial grounds, I think you're kind of missing the point. Baptism might have been a way of being accepted in pre-WWII Poland but it didn't count for squat to the Nazis, e.g. the hardly unusual experience of Stanisław Lem: "During that period, I learned in a very personal, practical way that I was no 'Aryan.' I knew that my ancestors were Jews, but I knew nothing of the Mosaic faith and, regrettably, nothing at all of Jewish culture. So it was, strictly speaking, only the Nazi legislation that brought home to me the realization that I had Jewish blood in my veins. We succeeded in evading imprisonment in the ghetto, however. With false papers, my parents and I survived that ordeal."

I have noticed this topic pop up on various boards. I think a lot of well meaning people say being a Jew is only a religion, but not a race. I think they in their own way think the are countering "Nazi" ideology... Afraid that anyone who says it is a race is out to start another genocide. They are well meaning.

On this issue I can speak with authority in that I am the type of person most people are talking about. I am a practicing Christian by most people's standards, but my family history on both sides is Jewish. I am quite proud of this fact. I observe Jewish dietary laws and holidays. So I consider myself ethnically a Jew. I usually say "Hebrew" to prevent confusion.

There is still a debate in the Jewish community about whether you can inherit Jewishness from a father, it is accepted that the heritage comes from the mother. I read an article recently about this...the debate continues. Some in the community insists that a mother must be orthodox or practicing.
Therefore by Religious Jewish standards I am not a Jew.

Biblically speaking, Jewishness, is most definitely a race. The Tanakh (Old Testament) is riddled with genealogy.

Historically speaking I would have met the Jewish standards to die as a Jew in a extermination camp.

It is a complex issue, but it is a race and a religion.
All the best.
b

I am sure in some way she was questioning her religion or she would not have taken her habit off and tried life as a civilian. I was left wondering why she would want to continue and take her vows after what she learned?

"Most Jews consider anyone born of a Jewish mother to be Jewish, no matter what, even if they didn't know it and never did a single Jewish thing".

Yeah, it's like saying a child born to German parents can only be German if he "does a German thing". Well, more or less...



"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

You and some others write with such certainty that you forget that it is based only in your own position/opinion.

To the question of inheriting Jewishness: yes, it is a religious tenet created by Jewish humans a long time ago to preserve the religion. It is no different than the Bible being written by humans long ago to reinforce and preserve a growing religion. It is no different than if Episcopalians, tomorrow, created a tenet saying if your grandmother practiced the Episcopalian religion, then you are an Episcopalian. It is true only if you want to believe it is true.

Your analogy of Arab:Islam::Jew:Judaism is simply ridiculous. You believe it mainly because you have been conditioned in that manner and wish to continue believing it. You can accept that analogy in your perspective, if you wish. But it is ridiculous to espouse it as accurate.

It is acceptable for former practitioners of Judaism to practice another religion and self-identify as Jews, if they wish. It is a personal choice. But no one else identifies that person as Jewish unless they choose to use the old Judaism preservation tenet, wishes to adhere to the person's own choice, or wishes to persecute Jews.

Your last paragraph is an unbelievably misguided attempt to solidify your point. To suggest the criteria used by the Nazis to identify Jews is the universally acceptable criteria and, therefore, establishes your credibility on the topic, is nothing short of absurd. In it, you note the criteria you are citing is that used by persecutors of Jews.

So, in summary, Judaism is an individual religious choice, the old tenet passing down Jewishness through the mother is a self-preservation strategy by ancient Jews, 100% of people practicing the religion of Judaism are Jews and visa versa by definition, and Goebbels was right - the bigger the lie the more people will believe it.

Now, let me return to my Chanukah ceremonies tonight for the final night. I was raised in the Jewish religion and so have been my children, but neither my mother or theirs was/is Jewish. What does that make us, Episcopalians? Certainly not Jewish, right?