We had in common the feeling that we were lacking conversation partners with similar or at least related family histories, i. e. one Jewish and one non-Jewish parent (in our case a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother.) First, tentative conversations and contacts reenforced our interest in chatting with people with similar origins; especially as it became apparent to us that attitudes towards (seemingly) shared origins vary widely in spite of some common experiences.

One question confronts people of partly Jewish descent, especially those with a Jewish father, time and again:
how can and should they approach Judaism inspite of not really (i. e. not halachically) being Jewish?

Approaches can be religious, but they can also be molded by identification with consequences of the Shoah or by concerns over antisemitism. Others have a more scientifically shaped approach or see no need whatsoever for Jewish aspects in their life.

The idea of founding an association as a forum and network for patrilineal Jews or, more broadly, people of partly Jewish descent emerged in late 2008; it is partly motivated by the greater impact and clearer principles of organisation that a registered association promises as compared t0 a purely private initiative.