In the post titled Just Plain Jew I wrote:
Nomenclature is not Halacha, so anyone can do what they please. But this is why I myself usually prefer the un-hyphenated “Jew” alone. The “Torah Jew” title, too, has been vacated by a long train of abuses.
Here’s a comment by Esser Agaroth on Tomer Devorah, here:
I have mixed feelings about writing this comment here, and will not do such a thing again, if Tomer Devorah doesn’t want.
That blogger’s comments are closed, so now I am talking about his (her?) blog on someone else’s site, and providing free publicity?
I post a link or two to my site, too, for convenience’s sake, but I leave comments open, so that another blogger isn’t taking responsibility for my job.
Unintentional or not, I’m sure that this is acceptable “Netiquette.”
…And “Judaism” hasn’t also been hijacked?
“Jew” is fine, as long as we recognize that there are many “Jews” who are not considered “from Yisra’el,” and may not be married, nor be counted in a minyan.
There are many fakes out there, attempting to use “Israel,” such as Christians, Christians pretending not to be Christians, any number of “tribes” and “groups” which have no evidence of belonging to Israel. (B’nei Menashe have no qualms about converting, and neither did the original Ethiopians doing “giur lehumrah. There are certainly Jews, whether they had evidence or not of their connection to Yisra’el.)
And, of course, the Black NON-Hebrews use “Hebrew.”
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