Thanks for posting that, Lasse. I was concerned that the discussion was going to get heated and I think your post put an end to that.
Shel > [Original Message] > From: Lasse Karlsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 12/9/2004 2:14:29 PM > Subject: Re: Re[4]: Happy Hannukah > > From: "Boris Liberman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "William Robb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 5:48 PM > Subject: Re[4]: Happy Hannukah > > > > Hi! > > > > >> Being Jewish means belonging to certain nationality, > > > > WR> hmmm. I know several Canadian citizens who are Jewish. > > WR> Are they misunderstanding? > > > > Bill, could be I used the wrong term. > > Not necessarily, Boris. > Your statement "Being Jewish means belonging to certain nationality" makes perfect sense to me. Historically the terms "nation" and "nationality" has had a dual meaning, either referring to citizens of certains nations (meaning modern states as we know them), or referring to "of a (certain) nation" as in belonging to a certain people as manifested and defined by the people in question themselves. > That's why a Jew, a Curd, a Romani(?), an Armenian, or for that matter any person or group of people who define themselves as belonging to a certain group, tribe etc. of people correctly, can be described as of a certain nation or nationality, regardless of what particular state citizenship they may be holding. > That's why Boris, or any other Jew in diaspora if he or she so wishes, correctly (although maybe less commonly today) very well can be defined as "a person of Jewish nationality", meaning someone who belongs to (and is accepted/regarded by the people themselves as amember of ) a certain people according to their own criteria for it.
