Genes and Judaism

Abstract

"Silverman and Clark, in their paper on surrogacy, refer to: "the Jewish status of any individual, which, in turn, can have consequences with regard to many aspects of Jewish life." I would like to try to address a difficult question, perhaps the very most difficult question which this paper raises for me. Why is it so important whether or not a baby has a "Jewish status", i.e., whether or not it is Jewish?

As a Jew and an Israeli I understand on an emotional level, but not an intellectual one, why this is important to Silverman and Clark. Perhaps I might even say that I understand it on a spiritual level, but then if you ask me what I mean by "a spiritual level" I would have a hard time explaining it. I feel, however, that I owe it to my international friends, including couples who are half Jewish and half Japanese, to try to explain why it is important to so many of us that our descendants be Jewish."