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Informed Judaism (view source)

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This has an element of [[Truth in Television]]: Some Jews in countries where they've been able to assimilate increasingly practice their religion only on the most important holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), and only celebrate Chanukah to have a winter holiday. They don't keep Kosher or observe the Sabbath. A practitioner of Reform or Reconstructionist Judaism -- quite common in America -- is especially likely to disregard most forms of Jewish ritual, including the Kosher laws. "High Holy Days Jews" are the Jewish equivalents of "Christmas-and-Easter Christians." That said, even many of these still show the [[Useful Notes/Judaism|cultural aspects]] of Judaism, often missing from these characters.
 
[http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_is_a_Jew:Who is a Jew%3F |It is also true that Jews are not only people who practice Judaism]]. Generally, in modern secular usage, Jews include three groups: '''people who were born to a Jewish family regardless of whether or not they follow the religion, those who have some Jewish ancestral background or lineage (sometimes including those who do not have strictly matrilineal descent), and people without any Jewish ancestral background or lineage who have formally converted to Judaism and therefore are followers of the religion.''' Therefore, someone can be a Jew and no one else would know unless they asked. Many Jews do not do any religious rituals, and some even have Christmas trees ("Chanukkah bush").
 
[[Fan Fiction]] often subjects these characters to extreme [[Flanderization]].
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* Gordo from ''[[Lizzie Mcguire]].'' In the episode where this is most present, he up and decides to become a Bar Mitzvah -- forget the years of studying that this actually requires.
** Probably more important is the fact that you become a Bar Mitzvah (meaning you, and not your parents, are now responsible for your conduct according to Jewish law) automatically when you turn 13 (or a Bat Mitzvah when you're 12). The ceremony that people generally call a "Bar/Bat Mitzvah" is just the kid's first aliyah, or public Torah reading.
* You wouldn't have known Jody from ''[[The Puzzle Place (TV)|The Puzzle Place]]'' was Jewish until its holiday episode (also featuring Kwanzaa!). Given the show about a [[Five -Token Band]] of puppets this isn't too surprising.
** Actually, they did an episode about Passover before the holiday episode.
* Paul, Kevin's best friend in ''[[The Wonder Years]]'', has a Bar Mitzvah in one episode, in which we also meet his grandfather who [[Nostalgia Filter|reminisces sentimentally about life in the "Old Country"]] and gives him a [[Memento MacGuffin|family heirloom]] prayerbook. In a Christmas episode, we briefly hear him and Kevin argue over whether Christmas or Hannukah brings in the most presents. Otherwise, Paul's religion is never mentioned.
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== Web Original ==
* In ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'', the fact that Diamond is Jewish only came up in a single story (in which she was trying to adopt an orphaned girl), and was never mentioned again except in a much-later story where we meet her father, and he's a complete {{Alter Kocker}}.
* Fractious, in the ''[[Whateley Universe]]''. Known to swear in Yiddish. When she goes with school friends from [[Super -Hero School|Whateley Academy]] for Christmas, Loophole's mother tries to make ''latkes'' for her. They don't turn out well.
 
 
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* Tish from ''[[The Weekenders]]'' Implied by her having Eastern European parents, getting a type of Bat Mitzva at 12 and 1/2, which is the usual age for girls in reform and many conservative temples (For some reason they don't call it a bat mitzva), and has a great uncle named Moishe (forgive my spelling). Stated in the holiday special, where it is revealed that she celebrates Chanuka.
** It should be pointed out that one early episode has her celebrate Lent, and the fans seem to have a [[Broken Base]] on whether she is Catholic or Jewish.
* Sam from ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' -- her religious identity is only ever mentioned in the [[Christmas Episode]]. It's even worse with her parents who fill the mold of [[Acceptable Targets|stuck-up WASPs]]. Though this can be considered a case of [[Reality Is Unrealistic]] in that there are many Jewish people who act like [[WAS Ps]] (hence the [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/:Jewish-American_princess_stereotypeAmerican princess stereotype|Jewish-American Princess]] stereotype).
* Arnold from ''[[The Magic School Bus]]''. Once again, a Chanukah mention during the Christmas episode is our only clue.
* Similarly, on ''[[Arthur (Animation)|Arthur]]'', the Frensky family's Jewishness didn't come out until ''its'' holiday episode. They're making up for it since; there's been an episode in which Francine vacillates between a relative's Bar Mitzvah and a bowling match, and another in which she mentions playing on her temple's sports team. Plus, she's attempted a Yom Kippur fast.
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[[Category:A Nice Jewish Index]]
[[Category:Informed Judaism]]
[[Category:Trope]]
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