Talk:Lists of American Jews

To User 70.19.65.110

Obviously you do not have very accurate information if you think Cyd Charrise was Jewish and that Sean-Flynn Amir is Jane Seymour's son.

Charisse was not Jewish at all and Amir is the son of an Israeli father and a woman who is Erol Flynn's daughter. Jane Seymour is half Jewish, btw. But never mind that. Cornel Wilde was married in a Catholic ceremony because his wife was a devout Catholic, but he was Jewish and raised Jewish and never converted, etc. etc. I can continue with the rest of the actors but my space should be limited.

Now - Wikipedia aims to take the broadest view and these lists are not dictated by any form of Jewish religious law. If we did that then these lists would be, in essence, biased. Not every single Jewish person and certainly not every non-Jew accepts Jewish religious law (the whole Jewish mother thing). Many sects of Judaism have different view points on that subject too (some consider only people with a Jewish father to be Jewish).

Of course, ignoring that, "Jewish" is also very much an ethnicity and these lists aim to reflect that as well.

And yes, for example, Kevin Kline and Jerry Orbach were raised Catholic but both have Jewish fathers, and both (or Kline at least) have expressed identification as Jewish as well.

In the cultural melting pot that is today's America many have varied backgrounds and these lists should reflect that. Thus Kevin Kline can be listed under Famous Catholics, Famous Irish (his mother's ancestry), and indeed Famous Jews (his father's).

All of the people you attempted to delete are at least part Jewish and most, if not all, identify as Jewish ethnically if not religiously. If you want links proving every one give me a list of names and I will provide you with a link. But you can't go on enforcing the "Jewish mother" rule since Wikipedia is not run from a distinct religious viewpoint, obviously. Frankly if you keep deleting them I will just keep restoring them and that is counter-productive.

Wikipedia should aim to provide the fullest information available and let the visitor decide what they think. Someone like you may think these people aren't "Jewish" in your sense of that word, but others may differ on that opinion.

-User 24.141.149.226, July 30, 2005

Proposal for list inclusion

I have made the following proposal regarding the criteria for inclusion for these lists. If this is something that you have comments or ideas about, please provide feedback. Thanks. Wikibofh 9 July 2005 19:12 (UTC)