| What is a Jew?
A Jew is a person who identifies him or herself as Jewish. Beyond cultural identity as Jews, there is no difference between those who are Jewish and those who are not. Jews do not have significant physical differences to other people.
Orthodox Judaism defines a person as Jewish only if the mother was Jewish. It is possible to convert to Judaism by choosing to accept the practices of Judaism and become part of the Jewish people.
Judaism is a religion, a culture and a way of life. Jews regard themselves as a people sharing a common history and religious-based culture.
The Jewish people is a community bound by a shared history and culture. Most Jews are not religious but identify themselves as Jews through a personal mixture of religious observance, Zionism, education, cultural affiliations, and social groups. For many Jews living in the State of Israel, the source of their Jewish identity is their national identity.
The word Jew is derived from the Hebrew name Yehudah, or Judah. Judah was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the fourth son of Jacob. After the exile of the Israelites to Babylon (586-536 BCE), the word Jew became synonymous with Hebrew or Israelite.
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Antisemitism 
