The short answer
Traditionally, someone born to a Jewish mother, or a valid convert. Reform and some others also recognize patrilineal descent. Because the standards differ, the same person may be Jewish to one community and not to another.
Why people ask this
This is the foundational identity question and the source of much real disagreement; understanding the standards prevents surprise.
Key terms
- Matrilineal descent
- Jewish status inherited through the mother, the traditional rule.
Jewish perspectives
- Orthodox and Conservative/Masorti: matrilineal descent or a recognized conversion.
- Reform: matrilineal or patrilineal descent, or conversion, with Jewish upbringing.
Scholarly & historical context
Matrilineal descent is ancient in rabbinic law; patrilineal recognition was adopted by Reform in the 1980s.
What is agreed upon
A valid convert is Jewish; descent is also a path.
Where the disagreement begins
Whether patrilineal descent confers Jewish status, and which conversions count.
Practical consequences
If your status might be read differently across communities, find out which matter to you.
Original sources
Related questions & knowledge graph
If one rabbi recognizes my conversion and another does not, am I Jewish or not?
#22Is Jewish identity based on ancestry, practice, conversion, or a combination?
#23Why do Jewish movements sometimes disagree about descent through the mother or father?
#85What religious status might my children have if I convert?
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Revision history
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