Definitions

Dear Rabbi, I’m considering becoming observant in Jewish lifestyle and practices, but something is on my mind. If I go ahead and follow Jewish Orthodoxy, will I be looked down upon as a “second class citizen” by others who were born observant? Thanks.

Please accept this as a sincere question from someone who believes he has some Jewish ethnicity but isn't/hasn't practiced the Judaism. I am interested in learning more about the distinction (for lack of a better term) between Jewish ethnicity and Judaism. I apologize in advance if I word some of this in an inappropriate or insensitive way. I am an American male in my mid-70s. The basis of my question arises from some of the shared family history on my mother's side. Her maiden name was Wygold (spelled "Wiegold" a few generations back). My maternal grandfather was named Daniel Wygold, and his father spelled his last name Wiegold. The family history I learned as a child was that my mother's family fled Poland sometime between WW1 and WW2 to escape religious persecution. My religious upbringing, looking back to it now as an adult, seems to have been some rather random blend of customs from Jewish, Catholic and Protestant faiths. For instance, as a child we celebrated Christmas but also always ate kosher when visiting my grandfather, uncles and great uncles. Whatever answers or insights you may be able to offer will be appreciated, with me fully recognizing that it probably will have no real impact in my daily actions at this stage in life. I have always just been a little confused about Judaism as a religion as opposed to Jewish as an ethnicity. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. John

Dear Rabbi, In Judaism, what is holiness? Thanks so much!

If a mother has a large percentage of Ashkenazi ancestry, but never practiced Judaism, is she still a “Jew”?

The Hebrew words for blessing (בְּרָכָה) and swimming pool (בְּרֵכָה) have the same root and spelling. How are the two related?

What exactly was the ephod? Was it only worn by the priest? And lastly, if so, Why was King David wear it? How did it work?

I understand what it means to be Jewish if you believe in Judaism, but can you have Jewish blood even if you don't believe in Judaism or the Jewish holy books? Is it possible to separate the race from the religion, or do they go hand in hand?

I was just offered a modeling job for men’s apparel. I am supposed to put them on briefly for photo shoots. Some of them might have shatnes, but I have no way of knowing. What should I do about this?