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Short form: I happen to not be one of the chosen ones. If you were in that situation what would you do or feel? What is a Gentile to do?

Long form: I have been reading and studying a lot about Judaism, and reading various questions here. It so happens that I am not Jewish. Based on my readings (from Stackexchange and elsewhere) over the years, one cannot help but feel a sense of inferiority since we don't have a special relationship with g-d, and are not the chosen ones.

Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do since I was born this way. One cannot help whom you are born to. I wonder what a devout Jew would answer to the following question: Suppose that you were not born into a Jewish family, what would you do? Is it fair that some people are chosen and others are not? Why did g-d not choose to make me one of his chosen ones?

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    Hi user1767! Thanks for asking your very deep questions here on Mi Yodeya. Speaking of which, you seem to be asking several very involved questions, including the one indicated in the title. The question of what to do is very different from "why has this happened?" which are both very different from the evaluative question "is it fair?" Consider narrowing down this question to your main point or separating it into a few. – WAF Aug 1 '12 at 19:09
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    I'll second @WAF's comment, to the extent that I'm closing this until it's edited so it's asking a specific question rather than a series of tenuously related and/or vague questions. Please ping me after editing (by typing @msh210 in a comment) so I see and can reopen. Thanks. – msh210♦ Aug 1 '12 at 19:29
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Judaism holds that you don't actually have to be Jewish to be in right relationship with God. Non-Jews who follow the seven laws of Noach even merit a place in the world-to-come. Jews have a different covenant with God than other peoples, but different is not necessarily superior. I mean, we think highly of it, for us, but it is not required for anybody else.

That said, a gentile who wants to join the Jewish people -- which is not necessary, but which some feel called to do -- is allowed to convert. The process is long and requires a lot of study, because it is not a decision to be made lightly. There are many resources available on that subject; you might find this question to be a useful starting point.

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Why God chose some to be one way and others to be another way is not something we can comprehend. Each person is born to fulfill his destiny. A Gentile who follows the 7 Mitzvos known as "The Noahide Laws" will get rewarded for that in the World to Come.

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  • I think I can comprehend דברים ז:ו-ח pretty well. – WAF Aug 1 '12 at 19:17
  • @WAF that doesn't explain the deeper question of why each individual was born into their particular situation. That is something impossible for us to know. – Dov F Aug 1 '12 at 19:19
  • @WAF - My intention was to explain that we do not understand why a specific individual was chosen to be Jewish and the other Gentile. – Gershon Gold Aug 1 '12 at 19:25
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You can certainly convert... I did. :)

To clarify, I am not Orthodox; I converted in a Conservative synagogue. As my fiancee was born Jewish, we will not have many problems with (eventual) children being Jewish etc. Nonetheless, as Monica says, it takes time (over a year in my case) and dedication and should not be taken lightly. If you are interested, the first thing you should do is start attending services at a (or several) local synagogue(s). You will probably be welcomed with open arms; but you should make it clear that you should not be counted toward a minyan to avoid confusion.

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