Being a Jew is not trivial.

Submitted by Moshe (Israel), Jun 7, 2006 at 16:29

You are correct in noticing that Orthodox among Jews does not necessarily mean "observant".

BUT (and this is the core of the issue) as a rule the Orthodox are committed to their Jewish identity, unlike most of the Conservatives and certainly the Reform Jews, who are not that much adamant in their Judaism.

To be sure, this or that type of "natural selection" was always in effect among Jews throughout history. Millions of Jews assimilated either forcibly or willingly among the nations throughout the ages. Even larger of these numbers of Jews were murdered in pogroms, crusades, holocausts, etc. by their various hosts, mainly in Christian Europe.

Only those who were absolutely committed and not shy of bringing personal sacrifices have maintained their Jewish identity. Survival for the Jewish people has always been, and still is an ongoing challenge.

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