Interesting. A court ruled that a Jewish school in London is allowed to give preference in admission to Jewish kids, but is not allowed to use the traditional Orthodox rule that the child of a Jewish woman is Jewish in order to determine which kids are Jewish enough to get that preference. [link]

M, a practising Jew who regularly attends a progressive synagogue, was told he could not be admitted to the school because his mother had converted to Judaism in a procedure not recognised by the Chief Rabbi.

Overturning a previous judgment in favour of the school, the Court of Appeal ruled that a policy determining eligibility based on a person's descent, rather than religious practice, amounted to racial discrimination.

"It appears clear to us… that Jews constitute a racial group defined principally by ethnic origin and additionally by conversion," Lord Justice Sedley said. "To discriminate against a person on the ground that he or someone else either is or is not Jewish is therefore to discriminate against him on racial grounds."

I'm really curious about how other religious school in the UK define which kids are part of their religion. The only ones I could find mentioned in any article are Catholic schools, which are trying to figure out if they can still use the rule that any kid who was baptized Catholic is Catholic.

This is an actual quote from an actual hospital report:

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: The patient is a well-dressed, well-nourished female looking slightly fatigued and pale

Well-dressed, doctor? Is that really clinically relevant?

I've always liked the term "well-fed", which is a nice euphemism for "fat". They used the term for Hubby, who is not svelte, though not as heavy as he looks due to the extra-broad ribcage and the extra bones.

"well-dressed" could be a similar euphemism for "not homeless or looking like he/she might have fleas/lice."

When I was working in my dad's office, I once had to file a medical report that said, "Patient suffered cardiac arrest and sudden death. This was particularly serious given patient's history of sudden death."

nteresting. A court ruled that a Jewish school in London is allowed to give preference in admission to Jewish kids, but is not allowed to use the traditional Orthodox rule that the child of a Jewish woman is Jewish in order to determine which kids are Jewish enough to get that preference. [link]

I think given UK law this makes sense. A school can target a religion, but not an ethnicity. That is a school can admit only Hindu's or only Muslims, but it can't admit only South Asians, or only East Asian. To the extent the extent a school admits people based on birth, that is treating Judiasm as an ethnicity. To the extent it admits people based on belief it is a religious school and thus legal. And since "Progressive" Jews (equal Reform in the U.S.) are admitted if their mother was recognized as Jewish, to not recognize Progressive Jews as Jews if their Mom was converted by a Progressive Synagogue does meet the criteria of ethnicity rather than religion. The school would be within its rights to admit ONLY Orthodox Jews. But to admit all Jews, but exclude those converted outside of Orthodoxy, or with ancestors who converted outside of Orthodoxy is unlawful discrimination.

Who'd he go to lunch with ita? We often use lunches for meet and greets with various people when we're bringing a new person on so it wouldn't particularly ping me.

"well-dressed" could be a similar euphemism for "not homeless or looking like he/she might have fleas/lice."

Yep. No obvious socio-economic [poor or homeless] or substance-related [junkie] cause for whatver.

When I was working in my dad's office, I once had to file a medical report that said, "Patient suffered cardiac arrest and sudden death. This was particularly serious given patient's history of sudden death."

Have you mentioned that before, Hil? It's still amusing.

Yep. No obvious socio-economic [poor or homeless] or substance-related [junkie] cause for whatver.

Except she's a cancer patient! THAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE CAUSE OF STUFF.

I've always liked the term "well-fed", which is a nice euphemism for "fat".

It isn't a euphemism for fat, it just means well nourished as in "has access to adequate amounts of food and eats regular meals." At least that's always been my understanding.

Well-dressed I've never seen, but I think Connie's right that it means meeting a baseline level for access to shelter and clothing.

The school would be within its rights to admit ONLY Orthodox Jews.

But then how would you define Orthodox? By observance, or by what synagogue they belonged to, or something else?

(I think I can argue about five different sides of this issue, and I haven't yet figured out which one I think makes the most sense.)

But then how would you define Orthodox? By observance, or by what synagogue they belonged to, or something else?

Either could work. The point is it can't be on the basis of ancestory. Note that admission to the synagogue can be on any basis you want. But if you are running a school, admission has to be based on what the person admitted believes or does, not what their parents believe or did. Don't see this as overwhelming hardship for the school.