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Lesley
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Post by Lesley »

Jewishness is passed through the mother. If your Lebanese grandmother was on the maternal side you are not Jewish because your mother wasn't.

My maternal grandfather had a pedigree that stretched to the 14th century. Someone once did a family tree, and my daughter was the last to be entered on it. His wife was also from a long line with an interesting history.
Didn't make them warmer or more loving. They were NOT.

My paternal grandparents - my GF was a Lithuanian butcher, who died when I was 11. I never really knew him My GM was from Frankfurt, and proud of it. She was also neither warm, nor loving.

Warm and loving or not - they were all Jewish.
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sarkin
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Post by sarkin »

No, I'm not Jewish because of my mother - I'm Jewish because I converted. Yiddishkeit, that mighty force, works in mysterious ways :lol:

Also running back through the male line of my family is a lot of Atlantic-hopping. My great-grandfather came to this country and went back; my grandfather came here 3 times (the first at 10yo, and was left here by his father for a time); my father was born in Poland and came here in '38 with his mother and brother (thankfully); my grandfather and aunt had come in '31... and now my born-here brother lives in Sweden. His son, my oldest nephew, was born here, lived in Sweden from the time he was three, and is now living here for the past couple of years.

What's up with that? I think I need to run that whole story past my brother, who is clearly pining to move back here (his marriage collapsed earlier this year).

Sara
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Lesley
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Post by Lesley »

Welcome to the tribe!
Do you actually keep any of the kashruth laws? I don't. I am very Jewish and follow the traditions, but totally not religious.

My maternal grandmother was actually born in Palestine because her father preceded the Bilu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilu), and settled there until his brother, who was in S. Africa, wrote to him to come there and join him. So my grandmother was taken to S. Africa at age 4. My great grandfather went back to Israel at age 70 (3 score years and 10) to die. He lived 24 more years, got remarried, and built a still-standing synagogue.

Makes sense to me that your brother should come back to the states if his family is here now. Just like it makes sense for me to go back to Israel because my family is there. But it doesn't. For a number of reasons, too many to explain here.

I just want to be able to go back at Passover when my new grandson is due.
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