--- In [email protected], bob_brigante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > wrote: > > The term "Jewish people" refers to a concept more than just "people > > of a specific religion". Indeed, if belonging to the Jewish faith > > was a requirement for being "Jewish" probably about 60% of all Jews > > wouldn't be "Jewish". > > > > It's like that line from Ed Burns' "She's the one": "Just because I > > don't believe in God doesn't mean I stop being a good Catholic". > > > > > The CIA Fact Book makes a distinction between ethnicity and religion. > In Israel 80.1% of the people are considered to be ethnically Jewish, > while 76.5% are classified as belonging to the Jewish faith (although > no doubt many of these are secular, as you note):
...and of that 4% difference you note above, I suspect alot of them are Russians who emigrated to Israel because of their Jewish "roots" but are practising Christians. Before the fall of the Soviet Union, if a citizen could prove they were of Jewish ancestry, they could emigrate and many went to Israel. > > https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
