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1) A THREAD ON #JackieWalker & HER CLAIMED JEWISH STATUS.
Why is this important? Because Walker trades on her “As a Jew” status. In fact she doubles down on it. Speaking as a “Black Jew” she uses her self-declared double victim status as a force shield against accusations of AS
Why is this important? Because Walker trades on her “As a Jew” status. In fact she doubles down on it. Speaking as a “Black Jew” she uses her self-declared double victim status as a force shield against accusations of AS
2) But is #JackieWalker actually Jewish? The first thing to understand is that Jews are both a religion & a “people”. You CAN be Jewish without believing in any religion, or G-d, or Moses & you aren’t disqualified if you eat bacon & never go to synagogue.
3) So, if being Jewish is not predicated by a belief in G-d, how do we define the concept of the Jewish “people”. We are a group of people who have a nationality defined by shared language, history, culture AND religion. What, then, makes someone Jewish?
4) Let’s look at religious law first. There are only two ways to be halachically Jewish - The maternal grandparents need an Orthodox ketubah (wedding) OR an individual needs an Orthodox conversion. Calling yourself Jewish under any other circumstance is self-elective and invalid.
5) But what about reform religious authorities? The reform movement accepts one Jewish parent but ONLY with “appropriate & timely public & formal identification with the Jewish faith” such as adoption of a Hebrew name,Torah study, Bar/BatMitzvah etc. 
6) So what does this mean to #JackieWalker? She was brought up Catholic so no cultural references there. Her mother claims Jewish lineage from centuries ago. Unverifiable & irrelevant. Her father is Jewish. That would be enough for Reform Judaism BUT.....
7) Reform would demand other qualifiers to prove she lives a Jewish life...how, exactly, does this Judaism manifest itself? Does she host Pesach Seders? Does she dress up for Purim? Does she light candles for Chanukah? Will her children have bar/batmitzvahs?
8) Most SECULAR Jews do all these things: it is part of their cultural identity. They strip out religious references & focus on the cultural references. But when you are not born halachically Jewish, identifying as Jewish, actually living a Jewish life, is an essential qualifier
9) So, halachically, whether reform or Orthodox #JackieWalker IS NOT JEWISH. And, to be clear, you cannot just decide to be Jewish, any more than you can wake up and decide to identify as Inuit. It is not a self-elective process.
10) And let’s dismiss the “she’d be Jewish enough for Hitler” argument. The Jewish people will not allow the Nazis to define who or what we are. Ah, yes, but didn’t that have a direct link to Israel’s Law of Return?
11) Really this needs another thread to explain but simply: the Law of Return defines citizenship NOT Jewish status. It also excludes any person who may be actively engaged in any campaign that vociferously speaks out against the Jewish people & undermines their cause.
12) Lastly, it is true that #JackieWalker’s partner is Jewish. He is a founder of @JVoiceLabour and a close associate of @jeremycorbyn. He’s one of those “good” anti-Zionist Jews we hear about.
13) He is also facilitator in chief of self-elective “Jews” identifying simply to denounce #antiSemitism in @UKLabour - many @JVoiceLabour members use their newly claimed #AsAJew status to weaponise their denial of AS in what we all know is an institutional racist party. END
