About the Jew Score
Every profile is graded on three axes — the I, the O, and the K — each scored from 0 to 5. The total, out of 15, is the Jew Score. The verdict follows from the score, except when editorial judgment dictates otherwise (which is most of the time, frankly).
Is the person Jewish?
The empirical question. Halacha, paternal lineage, conversion, self-identification — we accept evidence from any reasonable source. A 5 means there is no question. A 0 means there is also no question, in the other direction.
How openly Jewish?
Plenty of Jews don't talk about it. Plenty of Jews can't shut up about it. This score rewards visibility — the bagels, the Borscht Belt, the bar mitzvah on Curb. A high O is for those who carry it on their sleeve, and a low O for those who keep it in the drawer.
How much do they matter?
The contribution score. Have they done something — for art, science, comedy, the people, the world — that registers? Does their Jewishness shape the work, or vice versa? A high K is for legends. A low K is for that guy you've never heard of who once owned a deli.
Verdict thresholds
- 9–15 — Jew. Tribe.
- 4–8 — Borderline Jew. Discuss.
- 0–3 — Not a Jew. Sorry.
Editors reserve the right to override the verdict for cause. This is not a peer-reviewed journal.