More letters- Jewish race

To me:

Lineage wise, I don't know where I inheritted my red hair from.........not that it really matters but anything can be a possibility but nonetheless, it doesn't affect my jewish heratige in any way. I was born a jew, I am living presenlty as a jew, and I will die as a jew. It can't be anymore cut and dry. It good to explore your ancestrial roots. I learned that I was an indirect decendant of the Taz. Quite a prestigious yichus,no? I hope to aspire in making my decendants proud of me which is something to think about.

I've got to go now since I have so much to do when candle lighting is frightfully early. I guess I'll have to postbone this intriguing discussion till afterwards.

Shabbat Shalom,

פלונית

_________

From me: yo, wh'sup, (a gutten),

Um, again, just to make my opinion clear- I think it's a great thing that there are Jews who look European, and that there are Jews who look African, etc., because that helps us internalize the idea that Judaism is a 'religion' not a race. And when G-d said he wants us to be a 'גוי קדוש' he meant our nationhood to be defined in religion only. And I feel that that's how it was -for example- when our ancestors still trodded upon our ancient homeland- that the Jews were different from the non-Jews only in belief and action, but not in culture or appearance...or race. And that's how it is again today (בחסדיו הרבים) when we again live in our ancestral homeland, that since all the Jews have gathered from all the nations among whom G-d dispered them, and because of some physical realities that existed among them, again we have much racial variety among us. And again, G-ds country is only defined by the practices and beleifes of the Jews, but not by their appearance (as the nations forced upon us in exile).

ממני, המצפה לגאולת ציון השלמהו

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ס"ט