A person is a Jew by birth and bloodline from the covenant line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — not by adopting a religion.
Les Feldick says both blood and religion can be involved, but he immediately clarifies that first and foremost a Jew is one who comes out of the covenant line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A Gentile may embrace Judaism and become a Jew religiously, but nothing can make him a Jew racially. Even a Jew who abandons Judaism remains a Jew.
Genesis 12:2 — God's promise to make Abraham a great nation provides the starting point for the people later called Israel and the Jews.
Genesis 12:3 — This covenant verse, quoted in the teaching clip, explains why God set apart Abraham's descendants — to bless all the families of the earth.
The Bible records God's covenant promise to Abram: "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). God also promised, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). These promises were made to Abraham and to the descendants that would come through him. Later, when Moses appeared, God gave the law to the nation of Israel — not to the world.
Les Feldick answers the question "What makes a Jew a Jew?" by saying, "Both" — blood and the religion — but he stresses that they are first and foremost a Jew because they come out of the promised covenant line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That is what makes a Jew by blood. The religion of Judaism, which began with Moses and the law, was given to the already-existing nation of Israel; it did not create that nation. A Jew can turn his back on Judaism entirely and still be a Jew — he can be an agnostic Jew, a Muslim Jew, a Protestant Jew, or a Catholic Jew. A Gentile can embrace Judaism and become a Jew religiously, but that will never make him a Jew racially.
Les says both blood and religion can be factors, but they are not equal. First and foremost, a Jew is someone from the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs. That makes him a Jew by blood if he has come out of the twelve tribes. The Jewish religion was given later — through Moses — to that already-existing racial people. So a Gentile who takes up Judaism becomes a Jew religiously but never racially, and a Jew who rejects Judaism remains a Jew.
Yes. Les explicitly teaches that a Jew can turn his back totally on Judaism and still be a Jew. He gives examples: an agnostic Jew, a Muslim Jew, a Protestant Jew, and a Catholic Jew. The religion is not what makes him a Jew; the bloodline and covenant descent do.
The nation of Israel began when God called Abraham out of Ur, out of idolatry, and gave him the covenant promises. God put His finger on Abraham and brought him out of the mainstream of humanity to become the father of a whole new race of people — a separated race. This is why Les traces the lineage through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who bring about the nation of Israel.
Les underlines that the present-day Jew in Israel is the same Jew as the Jew of the Old Testament. After almost 3,000 years among non-Jewish peoples, a Jew is still a Jew. Unlike many nations that have intermarried and amalgamated, the Jew never lost his national identification. Therefore the promises God made to this nation are still valid promises.
Israel as God's Covenant People
Les presents Israel as a small but distinct covenant people whom God separated unto Himself, and he quotes Genesis 12:3 about all families of the earth being blessed through Abraham.
A Jew by Blood, Not Just Religion
Les directly answers the question by saying a Jew is first and foremost someone out of the promised covenant line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — that makes him a Jew by blood if he is from the twelve tribes.
Judaism vs. Jewish Race
Les explains that a Gentile may become a Jew religiously by embracing Judaism, but that will never make him a Jew racially. The Bible, he says, divides the whole human race into Jew and Gentile.
A Jew Who Rejects Judaism Is Still a Jew
Les teaches that even if a Jew abandons Judaism or embraces another religion, it does not end his being a Jew — he can be an agnostic, Muslim, Protestant, or Catholic Jew and still be a Jew.
Jew Defined by Bloodline
Les states plainly that a Jew is anyone from the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the twelve patriarchs, and a Gentile is everybody else.
Abraham's Separated Race
Les explains that Abraham was brought out of the mainstream of humanity to become the father of a new, separated race of people — the nation of Israel — no longer part of the Gentile families.
The Jew's National Survival
Les points out that unlike other nationalities, the Jew never amalgamated, so the promises God gave to Israel remained valid because the Jew is still a Jew.
The Same Jew Today
Les insists the Jew in Israel today is the same Jew as the Old Testament Jew — after nearly 3,000 years, "a Jew is a Jew is a Jew."
Genesis 12:2: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
This is the foundational promise of a great nation coming from Abraham, which the Bible identifies as the nation of Israel.
Genesis 12:3: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Les quotes this verse to show that God set apart Abraham's descendants as covenant people through whom the whole world would be blessed.
Les says both can be involved, but first and foremost a Jew is one from the covenant bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The religion was given to that racial people later. A Gentile can become a Jew religiously, but never racially.
Yes, a Gentile can embrace Judaism and become a Jew religiously. However, Lés teaches that conversion will never make that person a Jew racially.
Yes. Les says a Jew can be an agnostic, a Muslim, a Protestant, or a Catholic Jew. Rejecting Judaism does not end his being a Jew.
No. Les teaches that even the Arabs, who are next of kin to the Jew through Abraham, Ishmael, and Esau, are still considered Gentiles in Scripture. Only a Jew is considered a Jew.
Watch the Teaching: God’s Promise to Abraham: Understanding Genesis 12 & 15