Even converts get very caught up in the (very “Jewish”) “Oh wait, so-and-so is Jewish? I never would have guessed!” game. We should know better that the game is pretty rude, but it’s human nature to wonder about these kinds of things. We like to put people in boxes. But there’s something to be said for pride in Am Yisrael, right? Right.
This is especially the case with celebrities. So while it won’t help you figure out the pedigree of that guy in your History class, the website Jew or Not Jew can help answer the “Jewish?” question about celebrities. Sometimes irreverent or random, it’s often very thorough, and it’ll give you the low down on all the pedigrees, conversions, and misinformation. (I don’t recall anything actually untznius, Not-Safe-For-Work, or offensive in the dozens of profiles I’ve read, but I could be wrong.)
They can be slow to add new celebrities (such as the ladies of the Black and Jewish video from Funny or Die), but there’s a large database. You can get lost in there. And you’ll keep coming back when you wonder, “Hmm…Jewish?”
Im always doing this! And when I'm in Israel, I find myself trying to peg who's American …!
My husband likes to quit me on who is Jewish and who is not Jewish. He gives me a celebrity name and then I guess. It's probably so rude but we do it anyway.
I often visited the website up until I saw them demonstrate their arrogance on the "Jesus Christ" page and the "Neil Diamond" page. At the bottom of both pages (as well as the pages of other Jewish people they don't deem worthy enough to be Jewish), they say "Sadly, a Jew". Why do you have to be immature and offensive? It gives Jewish people a terrible, judgmental reputation, and it's completely unnecessary. To start bashing Neil Diamond for putting out a Christmas album is ridiculous. So what if he put out a Christmas album? With Christmas comes some good music. Why can't a singer not cover holiday classics just because he's a Jew? Does this mean a Christian or a Catholic can't sing songs written by a Jew? I can't stand sites like Jew or Not Jew. People like that encourage religious discrimination and invoke Antisemitism. It's one thing to point out that someone has Jewish blood, but to insult another religion's spiritual leader is uncalled for. If you can't refrain from being immature and insulting, then don't put it on the site. All they need to say is "Jew". That's it.
There is no such thing as Jewish blood. Or Christian blood. Blood is blood.
I actually find it hilarious and clever, it has an obvious satiric tone and is targetted to Jewish people (specially secular), but yeah, non-Jewish people (I don't like the term "goyim", if you wondered) would struggle to appreciate the humour in it, even some Jews would.