‘Nosey in New York’ Seeks More Cases of Establishment Gentiles Who Converted to Judaism

by on November 20, 2008 3

I can't find the link but Richard Shipe sent me a Haaretz piece saying our congress is about to get a record number of Jews–45. 32 in the House, 13 in the Senate. Very different proportions, that: well under 10 percent in the House, 13 percent in Senate. A reflection of wealth, I would argue. Haaretz also says that New Jersey congressman John Adler converted to Judaism from Episcopalianism 20-odd years ago and is a… hold your breath…. strong supporter of Israel. Ah, the zeal of the convert. But I am going to put Adler (did he change his name too?) in my collection of gentiles converting to Judaism. It's a trend, I insist, and the next time Dershowitz publishes The Vanishing American Jew I wish he'd take it into account.

About Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is Founder and Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in US Policy in the Middle East, US Politics

{ 3 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. observer says:
    November 21, 2008 at 5:41 am

    Study of frozen wooly mammoth hair balls (lived 100,000 years ago)
    shows the extinct species's DNA is much less diverse than, for example that of elephants.

  2. Logan says:
    November 21, 2008 at 3:43 pm

    Sometimes it's a child of one Jewish parent who converts to Judaism when he or she takes a Jewish spouse. It's like that with Dara Torres, and that may be true for John Adler as well, judging by his name. John Kerry's brother Cam, was similar, though his Jewish ancestry is a generation further back.

    Ha'aretz has an article about the next Congress which closes with this:

    "And here is a nugget I can add thanks to a reader in NM: Congressman Tom Udall of New Mexico, son of Former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and a nephew of former Congressman Mo Udall from Arizona, is not Jewish, but is a long time member of Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is married to Jill Cooper, a Jewish woman. And he is running now for the open Senate Seat in New Mexico. We didn't count him as a member of the Jewish group in 2006, so we will not count him as one if he becomes a Senator. But maybe an honorary membership is due."

  3. observer says:
    November 21, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    What's better or worse, insisting your spouse convert to Judiasm, or to Christianity?

    In the USA, love tries to conquer all. That is, in its essence Christian when compared to Jewish Law.

    It's true this concept of love originated with the elite Christians in the middle ages–at the time, and for long thereafter, marriage was
    a very practical affair–totally political, materialistic, and devoid
    of most people being able to entertain the personal complex of
    ideals of beauty and other ideals.

    Jewish endogamy is very much similar to the history of royalty
    among the Gentiles right up to the 20th Century. A matter of
    power and survival of the status quo.

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