A Jewpanese Passover - feature article in Kyodo News

A feature story in Kyodo News follows a Los Angeles Jewish family - a Jewish man, Robert Blum, his Japanese Jewish wife, Mikako, and their two children Emily and Yaacov. The Orthodox family follows Jewish tradition in celebrating Passover by beginning the week eating a Seder dinner.

What I found most intriguing about this story was the onerous certification process Mikako Blum endured in converting to the Orthodox Jewish faith. She had to convert three times before she could "officially" be Orthodox.

Read the article and share your thoughts below.

The changing face of L.A. Jewish community: A Japanese Passover by Alison Brady

In terms of identity, I find it interesting that in the Jewish faith, for anyone to be considered Jewish one's mother must be Jewish. Otherwise, the mother would have to convert to Judaism whether or not the father is Jewish.

It makes one question the rules of being Jewish. Is it a biological thing, a cultural thing, a religious thing or all three? What about the full Jewish person, whose parents are both Jewish (religiously) and are of Eastern European descent, but converted, for example, to Buddhism? I know several Jewish Buddhist converts who will always be considered Jewish - culturally - by their family and consider themselves so, without the Judaism.

I wonder if the Orthodox Blum kids have any cultural connection to their Japanese heritage besides their mother, or if they "feel" Japanese.