Not Been to Shul Since Age 14

Question

I was brought up in a conservative Jewish family, both parents were Jewish. I attended a Jewish parochial school for three years and had my bar-mitzvah. But at age 14 I stopped attending shul. I am now 66. Despite all this, I consider myself a Jew, although not a religious and observant one. My question is this. Am I correct in stating that I am a Jew?

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Yes, you are absolutely a Jew. Going to Shul does not define whether someone is Jewish or not. The defining factor is whether a person’s mother is Jewish. Of course, going to Shul and belonging to a community adds an immeasurable amount to one’s personal Jewish affiliation and their feeling of belonging to the Jewish nation. But not going to Shul for forty-two years does not detract from being Jewish one iota.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team