--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A Jew is anyone who says he is." description: "\"A Jew is anyone who says he is.\" — David Ben-Gurion" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg" --- # A Jew is anyone who says he is. ![“A Jew is anyone who says he is.” quote by David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg) > “A Jew is anyone who says he is.” [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote defines Jewish identity as self‑identification rather than external criteria. **In simple terms:** Jewish identity is self‑declared. Key Takeaway Respect personal identity claims. Themes identity religion nationalism Mood thoughtful political Type philosophical declarative When to use this quote - census forms - community membership - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts self‑identification ethnicity cultural belonging Questions to Reflect On - What defines belonging to a group? - How do societies handle identity disputes? A Different Perspective Self‑identification can be contested by others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Jew Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew-says-3949535/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says/) ## Related quotes > [When the Jew says "mankind" he is talking about himself. It is written in the Talmud, that only Jews were human beings, gentiles on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-streicher/when-the-jew-says-mankind-he-is-talking-about-himself-it-is-written/) [Julius Streicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-streicher/) > [From Jewish terrorism against Arabs it is a short step to Jewish terrorism against Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/from-jewish-terrorism-against-arabs-it-is-a-short-step-to-jewish/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/why-should-the-arabs-make-peace-if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The Jew always lives from the blood of other peoples, he needs such murders and such sacrifices. The victory will be only entirely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-streicher/the-jew-always-lives-from-the-blood-of-other-peoples-he-needs-such/) [Julius Streicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-streicher/) > [The Jews belong to a dark and repulsive force. One knows how numerous this clique is, how they stick together and what power they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-jews-belong-to-a-dark-and-repulsive-force-one-knows-how-numerous/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The Jews are the conscience of the world. They are the father figures, stern, critical, and forbidding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-hilberg/the-jews-are-the-conscience-of-the-world-they-are-the-father-figures/) [Raul Hilberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-hilberg/) > [Oddly enough, most of the books written about the subject aren't very good because they just focus on the more hateful movies that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/oddly-enough-most-of-the-books-written-about-the-subject-aren-t-very/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [I'm not really a practising Jew but I keep a kosher kitchen just to spite Hitler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/i-m-not-really-a-practising-jew-but-i-keep-a-kosher-kitchen-just-to/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) > [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [My husband is a proud Jew and Zionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/my-husband-is-a-proud-jew-and-zionist/) [Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/) > [There are historical analogs, which are not exact, of course, but are close enough to be worrisome. This is a whiff of early Nazi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-historical-analogs-which-are-not-exact-of-course-but-are/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Once the war began, the government could do anything 'necessary' to win it; so it was with the 'final solution of the Jewish problem,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-mayer/once-the-war-began-the-government-could-do-anything-necessary-to-win/) [Milton Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-mayer/) > [Except for the scale of the operation, there was nothing unusual about Hitler's massacre of the Jews. Genocide's an old tradition, as human as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/except-for-the-scale-of-the-operation-there-was-nothing-unusual-about/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [My dad's Israeli. He was born in Baghdad to Iraqi Jews. Then, at age two, his parents wanted to move to their homeland and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-yamin/my-dad-s-israeli-he-was-born-in-baghdad-to-iraqi-jews-then-at-age-two/) [Elliott Yamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-yamin/) > [I am a peace supporting Jew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-am-a-peace-supporting-jew/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) ## More by David Ben-Gurion > [Why should the Arabs make peace? If I was an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/why-should-the-arabs-make-peace-if-i-was-an-arab-leader-i-would-never/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The assets of the Jewish National Home must be created exclusively through our own work, for only the product of the Hebrew labor can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-assets-of-the-jewish-national-home-must-be-created-exclusively/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Thought is a strenuous art - few practice it, and then only at rare times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/thought-is-a-strenuous-art-few-practice-it-and-then-only-at-rare-times/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [In the land of Israel was born the Jewish nation. There came an order to kill the religious and social spirit of the people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/in-the-land-of-israel-was-born-the-jewish-nation-there-came-an-order/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We must assist the British in the war as if there were no White Paper and we must resist the White Paper as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-must-assist-the-british-in-the-war-as-if-there-were-no-white-paper/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We regard it as our duty to declare that Jewish Jerusalem is an organic and inseparable part of the State of Israel, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-regard-it-as-our-duty-to-declare-that-jewish-jerusalem-is-an/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [You must talk to us as equals, or not talk to us at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/you-must-talk-to-us-as-equals-or-not-talk-to-us-at-all/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The present map of Palestine was drawn by the British mandate. The Jewish people have another map which our youth and adults should strive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-present-map-of-palestine-was-drawn-by-the-british-mandate-the/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [The past is our very being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-past-is-our-very-being/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Let us not ignore the truth among ourselves ... politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves... The country is theirs, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/let-us-not-ignore-the-truth-among-ourselves-politically-we-are-the/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We don't consider manual work as a curse, or a bitter necessity, not even as a means of making a living. We consider it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-don-t-consider-manual-work-as-a-curse-or-a-bitter-necessity-not/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We have preserved the Book, and the Book has preserved us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-have-preserved-the-book-and-the-book-has-preserved-us/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We consider that the United Nations' ideal is a Jewish ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/we-consider-that-the-united-nations-ideal-is-a-jewish-ideal/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [If I knew that it was possible to save all the children of Germany by transporting them to England, and only half by transferring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/if-i-knew-that-it-was-possible-to-save-all-the-children-of-germany-by/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/courage-is-a-special-kind-of-knowledge-the-knowledge-of-how-to-fear/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) [Explore all 74 David Ben-Gurion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) ## More Funny quotes > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A Jew is anyone who says he is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ben-Gurion" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-ben-gurion-9178_funny_a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is-3150049_3150049.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A Jew is anyone who says he is.” — David Ben-Gurion", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Ben-Gurion", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A Jew is anyone who says...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/a-jew-is-anyone-who-says-he-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```