SubscribePaul Goldschmidt: The authorities have spoken
Following up on this morning’s entry re the Diamondbacks’ rookie first baseman, this from the Sheldon Walman of Jewish Sports Review:
Jewish father, Christian mother, raised Christian.
It’s the “raised Christian” part that cinches the deal, even though halachically the kid would otherwise not be considered Jewish by dint of his mother.
Here we go again with this “halachically” nonsense. This is 2011 not 1120. If you want to consider Goldschmidt Christian because he is a practicing Christian, fine. But if we’re talking about ethnicity, then his father’s genes are just as valuable and telling as his mothers, and if I’m not mistaken (and I might be) recent research shows that the clearest genetic line through the ages is through male Jews.
Well, the Reform movement considers patrilineal descent OK as long as there is a reasonable identification with Judaism (and they don’t jump ship like Jason Kipnis). As I’ve said before, although I was raised Conservative, that’s good enough for me. We need all the help we can get, lol. If you looked at a stricter view, many of the athletes we follow here would be eliminated. Still, everyone’s entitled to their own interpretation I suppose.
Are we talking about “Judaism” the religion? Or are we talking about being a “Jew” by genetic decent?
All of my ancestors are Jews, I am a Jew (a Sabra)…I am also an Agnostic/Athiest.
I enjoy following the careers of fellow Jews, I don’t really care if or where they pray.
Noam Freedman