Reply #13: Law Of Return Would Not Apply Unless He Converted [View All]

[REP]

Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism all follow the Levitical laws, and Israel changed its Law of Return a few years ago to follow them. I might not even qualify, as under those laws I am a mamzer!*

I don't get why having a Jewish parent means he has "mixed heritage" as though Jews are some exotic non-American specimen. Since his father was married to a Gentile, that's a pretty good indication that his father was non-observant, and his 'lifestyle' was no more exotic or remarkable than a non-observant Gentile's. His father died when he was 5, which is sad, and his mother remarried and brought him up as a Christian. Clark may be ethnically half Ashkenazic or Sephardic, but (unless he converted some time) was never Jewish.

My quibble isn't that his dad was a Jew; my quibble that the news reports either deal him a backhanded compliment about his 'exotic' ancestry (there have been Jews in America for at least 400 years) or imply that he's not quite something due to his father's Jewish blood.

*On edit: Clark's father is from the same group (Ka'han) as I am, and the same rules may apply (Ka'hans can only marry non-divorced virgins).