List of converts to Judaism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Since Judaism is not an actively proselytizing religion, conversion is a relatively uncommon occurrence. This article endeavours to list some notable people who have converted, or are believed to have converted, to Judaism. The article does not differentiate between the different branches of Judaism, but doesn't list people who married a Jewish spouse without converting. Also, some of these conversions (apart from the Biblical ones) are not recognized by the Orthodox Jewish division because the converted did not convert under Orthodox auspices, or by Orthodox and Conservative authorities because the conversions were not done in accord with halakha.
(A number of prominent figures, such as Madonna, have recently become followers of Kabbalah, a body of Jewish mystical teaching, but do not consider themselves – and are not considered – Jewish.)
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[edit] List of converts to Judaism from Christianity
[edit] Former Christian Clergy and Christian Theologians
- Bishop Bodo, confessor to Louis the Pious[1]
- John David Scalamonti (a former priest) [2]
- Shlomo Ben Avraham "Ole" Brunell, former Lutheran minister from Finland and Australia. Along with him, his wife Ruth (formerly Runa), two adult daughters, two teenage daughters, and a former son-in-law also converted.[3]
- Johann Peter Spaeth, German theologian[4] "Johann Peter Spaeth (about 1642-1701), author of an attack on Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-politicus, finally became a Jewish convert, called himself "Moses Germanus," and was even circumcised a few years before his death in 1697"
- Obadiah the Proselyte (né Johannes), priest and composer [5]
- Aharon Calderon (former monk of a Catholic monastery in South America) [6]
- Aleksei (former archpriest) [7]
- Dionis (former priest) [8]
[edit] Christian Proselyte Communities
- Abayudaya
- Bnei Menashe
- Bene Ephraim
- Inca Jews [9]
- Veracruz Jews [10]
- San Nicandro Jews [11]
[edit] From Christianity
- Abraham ben Abraham, Polish count - may not have existed.[12]
- Aquila of Sinope, Bible translator [13]
- Tom Arnold, actor (upon marrying Roseanne Barr)[14]
- Abraham of Augsburg
- Elizabeth Brewster, Canadian poet[15]
- Sarah Brown, actress[16]
- Kate Capshaw, actress (upon marrying Steven Spielberg)[17]
Sammy Davis, Jr., entertainer who converted during recovery from an automobile accident
- Nell Carter, singer and actress[18]
- Connie Chung, news anchor (upon marrying Maury Povich)
- Sammy Davis, Jr., entertainer[19]
- Jacqueline du Pré, musician (upon marrying Daniel Barenboim)[20]
- Isla Fisher, model and actress (upon marrying Sacha Baron Cohen)[21]
- Aaron Freeman, journalist and comedian[22]
- Lord George Gordon, nobleman and politician[23]
- Mary Hart (1950 - ) American television personality, long-time host of the entertainment program Entertainment Tonight[24]
- Henry Hill, FBI informant
- Carolyn Jones, actress (upon marrying Aaron Spelling)[25]
- Felicity Kendal, actress[26]
- Cameron Kerry, politician, brother of John Kerry[27]
- Jamaica Kincaid, author[28]
- Julius Lester, children's author[29] and [30]
- Shy Love, adult film star
- Elliott Maddox, baseball player[31]
- Anne Meara, actress and comic[32]
- Adah Isaacs Menken, stage actress[33]
- Marilyn Monroe, actress (upon marrying Arthur Miller)[34]
- Santa Montefiore, novelist (on marriage to Simon Sebag Montefiore) [35]
- Martha Nussbaum, philosopher[36]
- Roger Rees, British-born actor
- Mary Doria Russell, American author.[37]
- Laura Schlessinger, radio personality
- Norma Shearer, actress (upon marrying Irving Thalberg)
- Shyne, American rapper[38]
- Venetia Stanley, socialite (upon marrying Edwin Samuel Montagu)[39]
- Margo Stilley American film actress[40]
- Elizabeth Taylor, actress (upon marrying Eddie Fisher) [41]
- Chris Van Allsburg, children's writer[42]
- Paula Winkler (Paula Buber), German writer (upon marrying Martin Buber) [43]
- Mare Winningham, actress-singer [44]
- Nikki Ziering, model (upon marrying Ian Ziering) [45]
[edit] List of converts to Judaism not from Christianity
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
[edit] From Atheism or Agnosticism
- Christian B. Anfinsen, Nobel prize-winning chemist[46]
[edit] From Islam
- Avraham Sinai, a yeshiva Student and informant for the Israel Defense Forces [47]
[edit] From Paganism
- Aquila of Sinope (Acylas), from Greek paganism[48]
- Bulan, king of the Khazars, from Khazar paganism (partly a legend) [49]
- Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses
- Makeda, queen of Sheba (possibly a legend)[50]
- Dhu Nuwas, king of Yemen [51]
- Obadiah the prophet[52]
- Onkelos, Hebrew scholar and translator[53]
- Ruth, great-grandmother of King David. [54]
[edit] See also
- List of people by belief
- List of Jews
- List of converts to Christianity
- List of converts to Hinduism
- List of converts to Islam
[edit] References
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia
- ^ [1]
- ^ Jerusalem Post
- ^ Commentary Magazine
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ Noble Soul: The Life and Legend of the Vilna Ger Tzedek, Count Walenty Potocki review here
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, art. Aquila of Sinope
- ^ IMDB
- ^ Arc Poetry review of "Jacob's Dream" which states "Brewster is fascinated with her newly-adopted faith of Judaism—poems about Jewish holy days and heritage are sprinkled throughout"
- ^ Q&A with Sarah Brown "Judaism, for me, is more a spiritual thing than a religion, but I feel that I have a Jewish soul. I didn't convert because of my marriage; I just always felt like there was a Jewish soul inside of me just dying to get out."
- ^ New York Times
- ^ Chicago Sun Times via "Find Articles.": Said of her conversion "I needed to know where God was, and I went back to the basics."
- ^ Jewish Virtual Library
- ^ A Publishers Weekly review of Jacqueline Du Pre: A Biography by Carol Easton[9] states she was "the daughter of anti-Semitic parents who herself converted to Judaism and at age 21 married Jewish pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim."
- ^ Gensler, Howard. "'Borat' to wed Aussie actress Isla Fisher", 2006-11-27. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
- ^ Aaron Freeman's website
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia
- ^ Hart - [10] "Thought there are no Jewish Republicans in show biz? Well, Bush contributors include... host Mary Hart, who’s a convert to Judaism..."
- ^ IMDB
- ^ Times Online interview: She says in the interview "I converted to Judaism in 1983. I am not a deeply religious person but it is a vital part of my life. It shapes my beliefs, and how I look at the world."
- ^ Seattle Times
- ^ Beth Israel
- ^ Julis Lester's Home Page
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ Baseball Almanac.com
- ^ Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Her husband states, "I never asked Anne to convert to Judaism; she did it voluntarily."
- ^ Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco states of her marriage, "Adah was not at all interested in home or family; in fact, the only thing she shared sincerely with him was his religion–she adopted the Jewish faith and remained steadfast in it until her death."
- ^ "BBC On this Day"
- ^ The Independent Feb 7, 2005; online here Findarticles accessed 11 Dec 2006
- ^ The Nation
- ^ Interview at Book Browse "I am a Jew by choice and Italian by heritage. Shortly after I converted to Judaism, I came across a book by Alexander Stille called Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Jewish Families Under Fascism."
- ^ Fox 23 News
- ^ New York Times book review
- ^ Stilley - [11] "...the former model, raised a Christian in Conway, S.C., recently announced that she is converting to Judaism. Even her rabbi is befuddled.... "The first thing that attracted me to Judaism was the undeniable family strength that has held Jewish people and culture together for 3,000 years. . . Jews, whether religious or not, know where they have come from and what they would wish for their future, and this certainty is based on fact, not faith.... "I will not be a perfect Jew, nor will Judaism make me perfect. But I know that Judaism will give me faith, support, knowledge, and history. I am not Jewish because I choose to be. I am Jewish because there is no other choice for me.""
- ^ In her book Elizabeth Takes Off, Taylor writes, "[Conversion to Judaism] had absolutely nothing to do with my past marriage to Mike [Todd] or my upcoming marriage to Eddie Fisher, both of whom were Jewish. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time." [12]
- ^ Jewish Bulletin of Northern California:On being asked about Christmas, because of the Santa Claus related The Polar Express, he stated "We have a Jewish household. I converted when I married Lisa."
- ^ Magazine article from 1995 Commentary Magazine: Quote "Paula Buber in 1905 converted to Judaism in the Orthodox way, including a dip in the ritual bath. 'I grow in your cause,' she wrote her betrothed, like Ruth in the Bible. 'It will be mine and that of our children.' A Jewish wedding followed."
- ^ Jewish Bulletin of Northern California: "After Winningham observed her first Yom Kippur that year, she knew she had to convert, and did so March 3, 2003, accompanied by an entourage of friends and relatives."
- ^ Entertainment Weekly
- ^ NIH Profile
- ^ Ynet News Born 42 years ago in a Shi’ite village in eastern Lebanon, today he is an ultra-Orthodox Jew who studies in a yeshiva and is raising his seven children in Safed.
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia "He was by birth a Gentile from Pontus, and is said by Epiphanius to have been a connection by marriage of the emperor Hadrian and to have been appointed by him about the year 128 to an office concerned with the rebuilding of Jerusalem as "Ælia Capitolina." At some unknown age he joined the Christians, but afterward left them and became a proselyte to Judaism."
- ^ Fordham University
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia "If the contradictory and sometimes legendary accounts of the personality of Dhu Nuwas given by the Arabian writers can be trusted, he was not a Jew by birth, but embraced Judaism after ascending the throne, taking the name of "Joseph."
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia "Obadiah was a proselyte of Edomite origin."
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia
- ^ BBC
