TRIBES 🇮🇱
Jews are a tribe
They are not a religion and they are not a faith-based group - even though religious faith is a feature of their anthropological makeup
Jews have spiritual customs in addition to every other secular aspect of their Peoplehood
But neither in theory or practice can religion or faith be the simplified denominator that encapsulates Jewish identity
Tribe does
Jewish Peoplehood originated from, and is rooted in, the land of Israel
They are a tribe indigenous to Israel
Here Jews developed their own system of agriculture, literacy, architecture, calendar, legal systems etc. etc AND articulated their spiritual beliefs
The spiritual side of Jewish Peoplehood, and the belief in God, was so significant and such a given that it infused itself within what would otherwise be very secular parts of life - but it would still be wrong to think “religion” or “faith” is the skin that can contain a holistic overview of who the Jews are
No one would say that the spiritual customs of Native American tribes means the Sioux or Cherokee are a religion or a faith-based group
We know that they are each a People - a tribe - a nation rooted to their land - and that they have spiritual traditions in addition to other metrics of Peoplehood
Their identity is rooted in the physicality of who they are and where they are - it is not rooted in a collection of spiritual ideas such as Christianity or Islam that other people could subscribe to and then claim membership of - though there may be pathways to achieving inclusion
It is the same with Jews
It is a physical community - not simply a mental one
Someone from the Navaho may cease to believe in their spiritual traditions.
This doesn’t mean that they cease to be Navaho - because being Navaho is not a religion - it is not a set of ideas.
One does not cease being Navaho if they stop believing in the supernatural
The same applies to Jews
Jews are a tribe
The language exists to describe us and it doesn’t exclude our spiritual or physical dimensions
People who have been lifelong Democrats refuse to accept the clear reality that the Democratic Party is rapidly become openly antisemitic.
This trend is accelerating, not slowing down.
Knock, knock. Hello, Captain Obvious here!
@EyeonPalestine Settlers attacking? Let's talk about the unprovoked Oct 7th horror show by Hamas. 3K rockets, massacres, hostage-taking incl kids! World, where's the outcry? #SelectiveOutrage