List of converts to Judaism
Encyclopedia
This article lists people who have converted to Judaism
and have a Wikipedia article about them. This article does not differentiate between the different branches of Judaism. See also Who is a Jew?
on issues related to the acceptance of conversions throughout the Jewish community.
(A number of prominent figures, such as Madonna
, have recently become followers of "new age" version of Kabbalah
, derived from the body of Jewish mystical
teaching also called Kabbalah, but do not consider themselves – and are not considered – Jewish.)
From Atheism
From Islam
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
and have a Wikipedia article about them. This article does not differentiate between the different branches of Judaism. See also Who is a Jew?
Who is a Jew?
"Who is a Jew?" is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question is based in ideas about Jewish personhood which themselves have cultural, religious, genealogical, and personal dimensions...
on issues related to the acceptance of conversions throughout the Jewish community.
(A number of prominent figures, such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, have recently become followers of "new age" version of Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
, derived from the body of Jewish mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
teaching also called Kabbalah, but do not consider themselves – and are not considered – Jewish.)
Christian Proselyte Communities
- AbayudayaAbayudayaThe Abayudaya are a Baganda community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. Although they are not genetically or historically related to other ethnic Jews, they are devout in their practice of the religion, keeping their version of kashrut, and observing Shabbat...
- Bnei MenasheBnei MenasheThe Bnei Menashe are a group of more than 9,000 people from India's North-Eastern border states of Manipur and Mizoram who claim descent from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. The claim appeared after a Pentecostalist dreamt in 1951 that his people's pre-Christian religion was Judaism and that...
- Bene EphraimBene EphraimThe Bene Ephraim, also called Telugu Jews because they speak Telugu, are a small community of Jews living primarily in Kottareddipalem, a village outside Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India, near the delta of the River Krishna....
Claim to be Jews who converted to Christianity, then converted back to Judaism - B'nai Moshe (Inca Jews)
- San Nicandro JewsJews of San NicandroThe Jews of San Nicandro are a small community of Jews from San Nicandro Garganico, Italy. All of the San Nicandro Jews are descended from local neofiti families from the 15th century...
- SubbotniksSubbotniksSubbotniks are one of the Russian religious bodies known under the general name of "Judaizing Christian sects". On the whole, the Subbotniks originally differed probably very little from other Judaizing societies. They first appeared during the reign of Catherine II, toward the end of the...
- Veracruz Jews
Former Christian clergy/theologians
- Nicolas AntoineNicolas AntoineNicolas Antoine was a French-Christian Protestant theologian and pastor who converted to Judaism, though he was never officially admitted in Judaism, because of fears by the Jewish community that persecutions would happen if it became known that he was an apostate of Christianity; he was advised...
, was a French-Christian Protestant theologian - William G. DeverWilliam G. DeverWilliam G. Dever is an American archaeologist, specialising in the history of Israel and the Near East in Biblical times. He was Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson from 1975 to 2002...
, a former evangelical minister who converted to Judaism and became a world-renowned Biblical scholar - Ahuva GrayAhuva GrayAhuva Gray is a Jewish convert from Baptism. Born to a working class family, she worked for 23 years as a flight attendant....
, a former Protestant Minister - Asher WadeAsher WadeRabbi Dr. Asher Wade is an American-born international lecturer, college instructor and psychotherapist. He was also well known as a "must have" tour-guide at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, from Jan. 1991 until Nov...
, former Methodist Minister - Ole Brunell, former Lutheran Minister. 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.[68]
- Skipp PorteousSkipp PorteousSkipp Porteous is a former Evangelical Christian minister, now an outspoken critic of religious extremism of all kinds. A convert to Judaism, he has claimed that "man created God in his own image, and he doesn't like the image."...
, former Pentecostal minister
Other Christians who converted to Judaism
- Abraham ben AbrahamAbraham ben AbrahamAbraham ben Abraham, also known as Count Valentine Potocki , is a legendary figure who is claimed to have been a Polish nobleman of the Potocki family who converted to Judaism and was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church because he had renounced Catholicism and had become an observant...
Potacki, Polish count, the famed "Ger Tzedek" (former Roman Catholic) - Moses ben Avraham AvinuMoses ben Avraham AvinuMoses ben Avraham Avinu was an Czech-Austrian printer and author who was a Christian convert to Judaism. His father, Jacob, was also a convert....
- Aquila of SinopeAquila of SinopeAquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century CE native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek around 130 CE. He was a proselyte to Judaism and a disciple of Rabbi Akiba...
, Bible translator - Tom ArnoldTom Arnold (actor)Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
, actor - Rafael Cansinos AssensRafael Cansinos AssensRafael Cansinos Assens , born in Seville, was a Spanish poet, essayist, literary critic and translator.Cansinos was a polyglot; he translated The Arabian Nights into Spanish, as well as the works of Dostoyevsky, and the complete works of Goethe and Shakespeare for the publisher Aguilar.In the...
, Spanish poet, essayist, literary critic and translator - Abraham of AugsburgAbraham of AugsburgAbraham of Augsburg was a German proselyte to Judaism. He died a martyr's death.-Life:Abraham was born at Augsburg, and he later converted into Judaism at a foreign region....
- Carroll BakerCarroll BakerCarroll Baker is a former American actress who has enjoyed popularity as both a serious dramatic actress and, particularly in the 1960s, as a movie sex symbol...
, American actress - Elizabeth BanksElizabeth BanksElizabeth Maresal Mitchell , known professionally as Elizabeth Banks, is an American actress. Banks had her film debut in the low-budget independent film Surrender Dorothy...
, American actress - Steve BedwellSteve BedwellSteve Bedwell is a comedian and comedy writer from Melbourne, Australia. He has appeared on Triple M, Russell Gilbert Live and Tonight Live With Steve Vizard. He is also a fill in host on Melbourne radio station 3AW....
, Australian comedian - Polly BergenPolly BergenPolly Bergen is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur.-Career:Bergen appeared in many film roles, most notably in the original Cape Fear opposite Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum...
, American actress and singer - Dany BoonDany BoonDany Boon is a French comedian who has acted both on the stage and the screen. He takes his stage name from the television show Daniel Boone.-Life and career:...
, French comedian - Elizabeth BrewsterElizabeth BrewsterElizabeth Winifred Brewster, CM is a Canadian poet and academic.Born in Chipman, New Brunswick, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick, a Master of Arts degree from Radcliffe College, a Bachelor of Library Science from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D....
, Canadian poet - May BrittMay BrittMay Britt is a Swedish actress who had a brief career in the 1950s in Italy and later in the United States. She retired from the screen after she married Sammy Davis, Jr. in 1960.-Career:...
, actress - Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning Australian-American journalist and author.
- Campbell BrownCampbell BrownCampbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
, American television news reporter (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Drew Bundini BrownDrew Bundini BrownDrew Bundini Brown was an assistant trainer and cornerman of Muhammad Ali throughout the former heavyweight champion's career, as well as occasional film actor.-Personal life:...
, assistant trainer of former heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist... - Sarah Brown, actress
- Eddie Butler, Israeli singer
- Yisrael CampbellYisrael CampbellYisrael Campbell is a Philadelphia-born Israeli comedian.Campbell, who is of Irish and Italian descent, grew up Catholic in a Philadelphia suburb. One of his aunts is a Catholic nun...
, comedian (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Kate CapshawKate CapshawKate Capshaw is an American actress. She is known for her role as Willie Scott in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She is married to Steven Spielberg.-Early life:...
, actress (ex-Methodist) - Nell CarterNell CarterNell Carter was an American singer, and film, stage, and television actress. She won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin, as well as an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television...
, singer and actress - Cristian CastroCristian CastroCristian Castro is a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. He is referred to as "Christian Castro" or "Cristian."- Biography :...
, a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. - Elizabeth Jane CaulfieldElizabeth Jane CaulfieldElizabeth Jane Caulfeild . She was the only daughter of William Meredyth, first Lord Athlumney, and by marriage in December 1856 to James Caulfeild, 3rd Earl of Charlemont, she became the Countess of Charlemont...
, linguist and musician - Connie ChungConnie ChungConnie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
, American television journalist - Warder CressonWarder CressonWarder Cresson or as he was known with his Jewish name Michoel Boaz Yisroel ben Avraham was a religious enthusiast, and convert to Judaism...
, politician - Jim CroceJim CroceJames Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
, singer/songwriter - William Holmes Crosby, Jr.William Holmes Crosby, Jr.William Holmes Crosby is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of modern hematology. He published more the 450 peer-reviewed papers in the field, as well as those of oncology, gastroenterology, iron metabolism, nutrition and general medical practice...
, physician, considered one of the founders of modern hematology. - Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, entertainer
- Natalie DessayNatalie DessayNatalie Dessay is a French coloratura soprano. She dropped the silent "h" in her first name in honor of Natalie Wood when she was in grade school and subsequently simplified the spelling of her surname outside France...
, French soprano - William G. DeverWilliam G. DeverWilliam G. Dever is an American archaeologist, specialising in the history of Israel and the Near East in Biblical times. He was Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson from 1975 to 2002...
, archaeologist. - Jacqueline du PréJacqueline du PréJacqueline Mary du Pré OBE was a British cellist. She is particularly associated with Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor; her interpretation has been described as "definitive" and "legendary." Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, which forced her to stop performing at 28 and led to her...
, cellist - Patricia DuffPatricia DuffPatricia Duff is an American actress, political activist and a United States Democratic Party fundraiser.-Career:Duff studied international economics at the Edmund A...
, political activist and United States Democratic Party fundraiser - Hank Eng, Chinese-American politician
- Miss ElizabethMiss ElizabethElizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late...
, also known as Elizabeth Ann Hulette, was a U.S. professional wrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
managerManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
. - Isla FisherIsla FisherIsla Lang Fisher is an actress and author. She began acting on Australian television, on the short-lived soap opera Paradise Beach before playing Shannon Reed on the soap opera Home and Away...
, model and actress (ex-Methodist) - Luke FordLuke FordLuke Ford is an American writer, blogger, and former pornography gossip columnist known for his disclosures and traditionalist Jewish religious views.-Personal:Ford moved to California in 1977...
, journalist. - Aaron FreemanAaron FreemanAaron Freeman is an American journalist, stand up comedian, author, cartoonist and blogger.Freeman has performed with The Second City. As a stand up comedian, he is a member of the quartet the Israeli/Palestinian Comedy Tour...
, journalist and comedian (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Soleil Moon FryeSoleil Moon FryeSoleil Moon Frye is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in sitcom Punky Brewster, and as Roxie King in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.-Early life:...
, American actress (Punky BrewsterPunky BrewsterPunky Brewster was an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster being raised by her foster parent...
), director and screenwriter. - Capers Funnye (ex-Methodist)
- Carolivia HerronCarolivia HerronCarolivia Herron is a Jewish American writer of children's and adult literature, and a scholar of African-American Judaica.-Personal life:She was born to Oscar Smith Herron and Georgia Carol Herron, in Washington D.C....
, author (ex-Baptist) - Natan GamedzeNatan GamedzeNatan Gamedze is a Haredi rabbi and lecturer. Born to the royal lineage of the Gamedze clan of the Kingdom of Swaziland, he converted to Judaism, received rabbinic ordination, and now lectures to Jewish audiences all over the world with his fascinating personal story as to how an African prince...
, former Protestant, linguist and a Swazi royal, now a black Haredi rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. - Lord George GordonLord George GordonLord George Gordon was a British politician best known for lending his name to the Gordon Riots of 1780....
, nobleman and politician - Reuben GreenbergReuben GreenbergReuben Morris Greenberg, born in 1943, was the first Black police chief of Charleston, South Carolina, and known for being an innovative criminologist.He was police chief there from 1982 until his retirement in 2005.-Childhood:...
, police chief of Charleston, South Carolina. - Lars GustafssonLars GustafssonLars Gustafsson is a Swedish, poet, novelist and scholar. He was born in Västerås, completed his secondary education at the Västerås gymnasium and continued to Uppsala University; he received his Licentiate degree in 1960 and was awarded his Ph.D. in Theoretical Philosophy in 1978. He lived in...
, served as a professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas - Mary Hart (* 1950) American television personality, long-time host of the entertainment program Entertainment Tonight
- Carolivia HerronCarolivia HerronCarolivia Herron is a Jewish American writer of children's and adult literature, and a scholar of African-American Judaica.-Personal life:She was born to Oscar Smith Herron and Georgia Carol Herron, in Washington D.C....
, writer of children's and adult literature. - Monica HoranMonica HoranMonica Horan is an American actress from Darby, Pennsylvania.-Biography:Horan graduated from Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School for Girls in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania in 1980. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, graduating with a degree in Theater Performance in 1984...
, actress - Joel Horlen
- Carolyn JonesCarolyn JonesCarolyn Sue Jones was an American actress.Jones began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Bachelor Party and a Golden Globe Award as one of the most promising actresses...
, actress - Thomas JonesThomas Jones (English publisher)Thomas Jones was an English publisher and bookseller.Born a Roman Catholic, he converted to Judaism. For many years he pursued the business of publisher and bookseller in Paternoster Row, London...
(lapsed Roman Catholic) - Jon JuaristiJon JuaristiJon Juaristi Linacero is a Spanish poet, essayist and translator in Spanish and Basque, as well as a self-confessed former ETA militant...
, Spanish writer - Semei KakunguluSemei KakunguluSemei Kakungulu was a Ugandan man who founded the Abayudaya community in Uganda in 1917. He studied and meditated on the Old Testament, adopted the observance of all Moses' commandments, including circumcision, and suggested this observance for all his followers...
- Felicity KendalFelicity KendalFelicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
, British actress - Cameron KerryCameron KerryCameron Forbes Kerry is the younger brother and political confidant of John F. Kerry.The fourth child of U.S. diplomat Richard J. Kerry and his wife, Rosemary Winthrop Forbes, Cameron Kerry graduated from Harvard University in 1972, and Boston College Law School in 1978. Cameron Kerry was...
, politician, brother of John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
(lapsed Roman Catholic) - Jamaica KincaidJamaica KincaidJamaica Kincaid is a Caribbean novelist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in the city of St. John's on the island of Antigua in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda...
, author - John KingJohn King (journalist)John King is an American journalist and is the anchor of John King, USA which appears weeknights at 7pm/ET on CNN. He is also the former anchor of State of the Union with John King...
, American television journalist (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Mathilde KrimMathilde KrimMathilde Krim, Ph.D. is the founding chairman of amfAR, an association for AIDS research.-Biography:Krim received her Ph.D. from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in 1953...
, Ph.D., founding Chairman of amfARAmfARamfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
, a well-known association for AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
research. - Lenny KuhrLenny KuhrLenny Kuhr is a Dutch singer-songwriter.In 1967 she started a singing career in the Netherlands, performing songs in the French chanson tradition. In 1969 she represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with her own composition De Troubadour...
, a Dutch singer-songwriter - Anthony LakeAnthony LakeWilliam Anthony Kirsopp Lake, best known as Tony Lake, is the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund , author, academic, and former American diplomat, Foreign Service Officer, and political advisor. He has been a foreign policy advisor to many Democratic U.S...
, American diplomat, political figure, and academic. - Dr. Laura, American Radio Personality
- Nahida Lazarus, German author, essayist, scholar, and literary critic
- John LehrJohn LehrJohn C. Lehr , an American film and television actor and comedian.- Personal :Lehr was born on November 25, 1965 in Overland Park, Kansas. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1988. While attending Northwestern, he substitute taught at Kilmer Elementary School on the North Side of Chicago,...
, American film and television actor and comedian - Julius LesterJulius LesterJulius Lester is an American author of books for children and adults, and taught for 32 years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.-Early life and family:Born on January 27, 1939, in...
, son of a Methodist minister and a children's author (ex-Methodist) - Elliott MaddoxElliott MaddoxElliott Maddox is an African-American former Major League Baseball American player. Maddox, from 1970 to 1980, played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.-Early and personal life:Maddox attended Union High School in...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Richard MarceauRichard MarceauRichard Marceau is a Canadian politician.A lawyer in both Québec and Ontario, Marceau was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the Canadian federal election, 1997 for the Bloc Québécois in the riding of Charlesbourg at the age of 26...
, Canadian politician - Anne MearaAnne MearaAnne Meara is an American actress and comedian. She and Jerry Stiller were a prominent 1960s comedy team, appearing as Stiller and Meara, and are the parents of actor/comedian Ben and actress Amy Stiller.- Personal life :...
(* 1929) American comedienne and actress, partner and wife of Jerry StillerJerry StillerGerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara...
(lapsed Roman Catholic) - Adah Isaacs MenkenAdah Isaacs MenkenAdah Isaacs Menken was an American actress, painter and poet.-Life and career:There are significant inconsistencies in the various accounts of Menken's early life. In her autobiographical "Some Notes of her life in her own Hand,", Menken claimed she was born Marie Rachel Adelaide de Vere Spenser...
, stage actress - Marilyn MonroeMarilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, actress (ex-Christian Scientist) - Santa MontefioreSanta MontefioreSanta Montefiore, born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson, is a British author.Santa is the sister of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson, of Anglo-Argentine background. Her father represented his country in skiing at Olympic level...
, novelist - Françoise MoulyFrançoise MoulyFrançoise Mouly is a Paris-born French artist and designer best known for her work with RAW, a showcase publication for cutting edge comic art, and as art editor of The New Yorker, a position she has held since 1993...
, French artist, designer, and art editor of The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... - Michael Netzer, American comic book artist
- Jeff Newman (baseball)
- Martha NussbaumMartha NussbaumMartha Nussbaum , is an American philosopher with a particular interest in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, political philosophy and ethics....
, American philosopher and academic - Bob NystromBob NyströmRobert Thore Nystrom is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1986. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup...
, former NHL player - Lorna PattersonLorna PattersonLorna Patterson is an American film, stage and television actress.Patterson was born in Whittier, California, where she attended Rio Hondo College for a single semester. She is a founding member of the Musical Theatre Guild and has appeared in many stage musicals...
, American film, stage and television actress - Rebecca PidgeonRebecca PidgeonRebecca Pidgeon is a British actress and singer-songwriter. She has maintained a recording career while also acting on stage and in feature films. She is married to the American writer and director David Mamet.-Early life:...
, a Scottish-American actress, singer and songwriter - Moses PradoMoses PradoMoses Prado was a Christian convert to Judaism; lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, first at Marburg, Germany, and later at Salonica, Turkey. His Christian name was Conrad Victor, and he filled the position of professor of the classic languages at the University of Marburg...
, professor of the classic languages at the University of Marburg - Roger ReesRoger ReesRoger Rees is a Welsh actor. He is best known to American audiences for playing the characters Robin Colcord on the American television sitcom show Cheers and Lord John Marbury on the American television drama The West Wing...
, actor - Abraham ReuelAbraham ReuelReuel Abraham, born Karl Heinz Schneider, was a Hitler Youth member and Luftwaffe pilot during World War II reported to be the first former Nazi to convert to Judaism....
, a GermanGermansThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, who was a pilot in Hitler army, and who then became a Jew and citizen of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... - Mary Doria RussellMary Doria RussellMary Doria Russell is an American novelist. -Biography:Russell was born in the suburbs of Chicago. Her parents were both in the military: her father was a Marine Corps drill instructor, and her mother was a Navy nurse. She graduated from Glenbard East High School and later she earned a Ph.D in...
, American author. (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Jackie Sandler, American actress
- Norma ShearerNorma ShearerEdith Norma Shearer was a Canadian-American actress. Shearer was one of the most popular actresses in North America from the mid-1920s through the 1930s...
, American actress - ShyneShyneMoshe Levi Ben-David , better known by his stage name Shyne, is a Belizean rapper.-Background:...
, a Belizean–American rapper - Karol SidonKarol SidonRabbi Karol Efraim Sidon is a Czech Rabbi, writer and playwright. He is the current chief rabbi of the city of Prague and of the Czech Republic.-Life:...
, a Czech Orthodox Rabbi, writer and playwright - Daniel Silva, American author of thriller and espionage novels
- Dubrovin StanislavDubrovin StanislavDubrovin Farm was one of the first farms in the Hulah Valley. It was established by Stanislav Dubrovin who moved to Ottoman Syria with his family in 1903....
- Kim StanleyKim StanleyKim Stanley was an American actress, primarily in television and theatre, but with occasional film performances....
, American actress - Venetia Stanley, socialite
- Joseph Abraham SteblickiJoseph Abraham SteblickiJoseph Abraham Steblicki was a teacher and treasurer who became notable for converting to Judaism.Steblicki was born in Nikolai, Upper Silesia which was at the time part of Germany in about 1726. He was the son of a butcher, and was raised a Catholic...
(lapsed Roman Catholic) - Margo StilleyMargo StilleyMargo Stilley is an American actress and former model.-Biography:Stilley grew up in Conway, South Carolina, and left as a teenager to model in Milan before moving to London at the age of 18....
, American film actress - Annette Taddeo, businesswoman and politician
- Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, actress (ex-Christian Scientist) - Karen TintoriKaren TintoriKaren Tintori is an American author of fiction and nonfiction. Her books cover a wide range of human experience, from the mysteries of the Kabbalah to the lives of Italian American immigrants. She writes both as a solo author and in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author Jill...
, American author of fiction and nonfiction (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Andre Bernard Tippett, a former American football linebacker for the New England Patriots (ex-Baptist)
- Jacob TiradoJacob TiradoJacob Tirado was one of the Spanish-Portuguese community of Amsterdam.With several Marranos he sailed from Portugal in a vessel which was driven out of its course to Emden in East Friesland. Following the advice of Rabbi Moses Uri ha-Levi, he continued his travels with his companions to Amsterdam,...
- Ivanka TrumpIvanka TrumpIvanka Marie Trump is an American businesswoman, socialite, heiress, and fashion model. The daughter of Ivana and Donald Trump, she is Executive Vice President of Development & Acquisitions at The Trump Organization...
- Bob Tufts
- Ike TurnerIke TurnerIsaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
, American musician, bandleader, talent scout, and record producer. Son of a Baptist minister. - Chris Van AllsburgChris Van AllsburgChris Van Allsburg is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He twice won the Caldecott Medal, for Jumanji and The Polar Express , both of which he wrote and illustrated, and both of which were later adapted into successful motion pictures...
, children's writer - Conrad VeidtConrad VeidtConrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
, German actor - Mare WinninghamMare WinninghamMare Winningham , born Mary Megan Winningham, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Drama Desk, 7 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won an Independent Spirit Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.She is...
, actress-singer (lapsed Roman Catholic) - Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, American soul singer. - Steve YeagerSteve YeagerStephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager is an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from through , with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, , he played for the Seattle Mariners...
- Katarzyna Weiglowa, Polish martyr
- Nikki Ziering, model
From AtheismAtheismAtheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
or AgnosticismAgnosticismAgnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
- Christian B. AnfinsenChristian B. AnfinsenChristian Boehmer Anfinsen, Jr. was an American biochemist. He shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Stanford Moore and William Howard Stein for work on ribonuclease, especially concerning the connection between the amino acid sequence and the biologically active conformation...
, Nobel prize-winning chemist (Orthodox Judaism) - Will HerbergWill HerbergWill Herberg was an American Jewish writer, intellectual and scholar. He was known as a social philosopher and sociologist of religion, as well as a Jewish theologian.-Early life:...
, known as a social philosopher and sociologist of religion, as well as a Jewish theologian, he is also former atheist and Marxist of Jewish ancestry who was raised atheist - Suzy MenkesSuzy MenkesSuzy Menkes, OBE has been head fashion reporter and Editor for the International Herald Tribune since 1988. In that time she has written over 1.7 million words in the paper....
, fashion journalist - Hilary PutnamHilary PutnamHilary Whitehall Putnam is an American philosopher, mathematician and computer scientist, who has been a central figure in analytic philosophy since the 1960s, especially in philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, and philosophy of science...
– Philosopher raised in a Jewish-atheist home - Mary Doria RussellMary Doria RussellMary Doria Russell is an American novelist. -Biography:Russell was born in the suburbs of Chicago. Her parents were both in the military: her father was a Marine Corps drill instructor, and her mother was a Navy nurse. She graduated from Glenbard East High School and later she earned a Ph.D in...
- Mare WinninghamMare WinninghamMare Winningham , born Mary Megan Winningham, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Drama Desk, 7 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won an Independent Spirit Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.She is...
From Black Hebrew Israelitism
- Eddie Butler, Israeli singer converted to Orthodox Judaism
- Capers Funnye
From IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
- Reza JabariKish Air hijackingThe Kish Air hijacking was the hijacking of an Iranian plane by a flight attendant Reza Jabari on September 19, 1995.Flying from Tehran to the Iranian resort Kish Island, Kish Air Flight 707 was hijacked by Reza Jabari, a flight attendant. The jet had 174 passengers on board. The hijacker tried to...
– Iranian. - Avraham SinaiAvraham SinaiAvraham Sinai was a Lebanese Shia until he converted to Judaism. According to an interview he served as an informant for the Israelis while serving in Hezbollah, until his actions were uncovered. He fled to Israel after being exposed of spying on multiple organization and subsequently converted...
– Lebanese member of Hezbollah who had an Orthodox conversion and lives as a Haredi Jew in Tsfat.
From various ancient religions
- Aquila of SinopeAquila of SinopeAquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century CE native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek around 130 CE. He was a proselyte to Judaism and a disciple of Rabbi Akiba...
(Acylas), from traditional Greek religion - BithiahBithiahAccording to Hebrew beliefs; Bithiah or in Modern Hebrew Bityah was an Egyptian princess, and a daughter of Pharaoh. The name of her father is not in the Bible, but Rabbinic Midrash makes her the daughter of one of the Pharaohs of the Exodus,...
, from traditional Egyptian religion - BulanBulan (Khazar)Bulan was a Khazar king who led the conversion of the Khazars to Judaism. His name means "elk" in Old Turkic. The date of his reign is unknown, as the date of the conversion is hotly disputed, though it is certain that Bulan reigned some time between the mid-700s and the mid-800s. Nor is it settled...
, king of the KhazarsKhazarsThe Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
, from traditional Khazar religion - Jethro, priest of MidianMidianMidian , Madyan , or Madiam is a geographical place and a people mentioned in the Bible and in the Qur'an. It is believed to be in northwest Saudi Arabia on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea...
and father-in-law of MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
http://www.usareligiousnews.com/get-article.php?ID=2790, from a Mideastern religion - Makeda, queen of ShebaShebaSheba was a kingdom mentioned in the Jewish scriptures and the Qur'an...
, from a Mideastern or Ethiopian religion - Dhu NuwasDhu NuwasYūsuf Dhū Nuwas, was the last king of the Himyarite kingdom of Yemen and a convert to Judaism....
, king of YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, from a Mideastern religion - ObadiahObadiahObadiah is a Biblical theophorical name, meaning "servant of Yahweh" or "worshipper of Yahweh." It is related to "Abdeel", "servant of God", which is also cognate to the Arabic name "Abdullah". Turkish name Abdil or Abdi. The form of Obadiah's name used in the Septuagint is Obdios; in Latin it is...
the prophet, from a Mideastern religion - Sh'mayaSh'maya (Mishnah)Sh'maya was a rabbinic sage in the early pre-Mishnaic era who lived at the same time as Avtalyon. They are known as one of the zuggot : Sh'maya and Avtalyon...
, Sage and President of the SanhedrinSanhedrinThe Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
, apparently from a Mideastern religion - Avtalyon, Sage and Vice-President of the SanhedrinSanhedrinThe Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
, apparently from a Mideastern religion - OnkelosOnkelosOnkelos is the name of a famous convert to Judaism in Tannaic times . He is considered to be the author of the famous Targum Onkelos .-Onkelos in the Talmud:...
, Hebrew scholar and translator, from ancient Roman religionReligion in ancient RomeReligion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities... - RuthBook of RuthThe Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, or Old Testament. In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings . In the Christian canon the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel...
, great-grandmother of King David, from a Near Eastern religion. - HelenaHelena of AdiabeneHelena of Adiabene was queen of Adiabene and wife of Monobaz I. With her husband she was the mother of Izates II and Monobaz II. She died about 56 CE. Her name and the fact that she was her husband's sister indicate a Hellenistic origin...
, queen of AdiabeneAdiabeneAdiabene was an ancient Assyrian independent kingdom in Mesopotamia, with its capital at Arbela...
, from traditional Greek religion. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=384&letter=I&search=Izates - Izates bar MonobazIzates bar MonobazIzates II or Izates bar Monobaz was a proselyte to Judaism who became King of the Parthian client kingdom of Adiabene. He was the son of Queen Helena of Adiabene and Monobaz I. During his youth he was sent by his father to the court of King Abinergaos I of Characene in Charax Spasinu...
, king of AdiabeneAdiabeneAdiabene was an ancient Assyrian independent kingdom in Mesopotamia, with its capital at Arbela...
, from a Persian or Mideastern religion. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=384&letter=I&search=Izates - SymachoSymachoSymacho was the daughter of King Abinergaos I of Characene. She was converted to Judaism by Ananias of Adiabene. Symacho married Izates bar Monobaz during the latter's sojourn in Charax as a youth. She presumably went with him when he left to take up his throne in Adiabene....
, wife of Izates bar Monobaz, from a Persian or Mideastern religion. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1468&letter=A&search=Symacho - Monobaz IIMonobaz IIMonobaz II or Monobaz bar Monobaz was the son of Helena of Adiabene and Monobaz I. Like his younger brother Izates bar Monobaz and his mother, Monobaz became a convert to Judaism. He ruled as king of Adiabene after the death of his brother Izates around 55 CE...
, king of AdiabeneAdiabeneAdiabene was an ancient Assyrian independent kingdom in Mesopotamia, with its capital at Arbela...
, from a Persian or Mideastern religion. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=384&letter=I&search=Izates - KhazarsKhazarsThe Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
, a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia (historical Khazaria), many of whom converted to Judaism en masse in the 8th and 9th Centuries CE from a Khazar religion. http://www.khazaria.com/khazar-quotes.html - Osenath, from Canaanite religion (her name relates to AnatAnatAnat, also ‘Anat is a major northwest Semitic goddess.-‘Anat in Ugarit:In the Ugaritic Ba‘al/Hadad cycle ‘Anat is a violent war-goddess, a virgin in Ugarit though the sister and lover of the great Ba‘al known as Hadad elsewhere. Ba‘al is usually called the son of Dagon and sometimes the son of El....
) - ZipporahZipporahZipporah or Tzipora is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest or prince of Midian...
, from a Mideastern or northern African religion - YaelYaelYael is a character mentioned in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible, as the heroine who killed Sisera to deliver Israel from the troops of king Jabin...
, from Canaanite or another Near Eastern religion - Flavia DomitillaFlavia Domitilla (saint)Flavia Domitilla was daughter of Domitilla the Younger by an unknown father, perhaps Quintus Petillius Cerialis. She married her cousin, the consul Titus Flavius Clemens.-In Roman literature:...
, from traditional ancient Roman religion (possibly to Jewish Christianity, as she is also a Christian saint) - Titus Flavius Clemens (consul)Titus Flavius Clemens (consul)Titus Flavius Clemens was a great-nephew of the Roman Emperor Vespasian. He was the son of Titus Flavius Sabinus , brother to Titus Flavius Sabinus and a second cousin to Roman Emperors to Titus and Domitian.-In classical sources:...
, great-nephew of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, from traditional Roman religion (possibly to Jewish Christianity, as he is also a Christian saint) - Fulvia (wife of Saturninus)Fulvia (Wife of Saturninus)Fulvia, the wife of Tiberius' amicus Saturninus, lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius....
, wife of Emperor Tiberius' close friend, Saturninus, from traditional Roman religion. - Tub'a Abu Kariba As'adTub'a Abu Kariba As'adTub'a Abu Kariba As'ad was the Himyarite king of Yemen. He ruled Yemen from 390–420 CE. Abu Kariba is commonly cited as the first of several kings of Arabia to convert to Judaism.-Background:thumb|Himyarite Kingdom in 230 CE...
, from Arabian religion, was the Himyarite king of Yemen. He ruled Yemen from 390–420 CE. - Paulina BeturiaPaulina BeturiaPaulina Beturia was a Roman covert to Judaism , known under the name "Sarah," who, according to her Latin epitaph, was eighty-six years and six months old at the time of her death...
, from traditional Roman religion
From Shinto
- Setzuso KotsujiSetzuso KotsujiSetsuzō Kotsuji was a Hebrew professor in Japan, and the son of a Shinto priest who descended from a long line of Shinto priests. During the Holocaust he helped Jewish refugees to escape the Nazis, arranging for them to stay first in Kobe and later in Japanese-occupied Shanghai...
, son of a Shinto priest, and a professor in Japan (converted from Shinto to Christianity and then from Christianity to Judaism)
Undetermined former religion
- Joseph BánócziJoseph BánócziJózsef Bánóczi was a Hungarian Jewish scholar.Bánóczi was educated at the schools of his native town, and afterward at the universities of Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Göttingen, and Leipsic, and then went to Paris and London to finish his studies...
- Salem Shaloam DavidSalem Shaloam DavidDavid Salem Shaloam was a Chinese convert to Judaism.He was born at Hankow, China, of Chinese parents in 1853, and named Feba. Feba remained with his parents till 1861, when his family were murdered during the Taeping rebellion...
- József EisenhofferJózsef EisenhofferJózsef Eisenhoffer, also known as József Aczél, was a Hungarian football player who could play equally well as an inside or outside left as well as left half. Eisenhoffer played professionally in Hungary, Austria, France and the United States...
- Marcus HardieMarcus HardieMarcus Hardie is an American-Israeli attorney author, and aspiring politician. Hardie, an African-American convert to Judaism, was raised by his grandmother in a violent and poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and joined a gang founded by a cousing. Hardie left his gang after his...
- Jamaica KincaidJamaica KincaidJamaica Kincaid is a Caribbean novelist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in the city of St. John's on the island of Antigua in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda...
- Abraham ReuelAbraham ReuelReuel Abraham, born Karl Heinz Schneider, was a Hitler Youth member and Luftwaffe pilot during World War II reported to be the first former Nazi to convert to Judaism....
- Dara TorresDara TorresDara Grace Torres is an American international swimmer and a twelve-time Olympic medalist. Torres was the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games , and, at age 41, the oldest swimmer ever to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team...
- Desmond WilcoxDesmond WilcoxDesmond John Wilcox was a British documentary maker at the BBC and ITV. He was producer of This Week, Man Alive and That's Life!.- Early life :...
- Andre WilliamsAndre WilliamsAndre Williams is an American R&B and punk blues musician who started his career in the 1950s at Fortune Records in Detroit.-Biography:...
Converts who later left the faith or were expelled
- Polemon IIPolemon (Cilicia)Marcus Antonius Polemon Pythodoros, also known as Polemon II of Pontus and Polemon of Cilicia was a prince and Roman Client King of Pontus, Colchis and Cilicia....
, king of Cilicia converted to marry the Jewish princess BereniceBerenice of CiliciaBerenice of Cilicia, also known as Julia Berenice and sometimes spelled Bernice , was a Jewish client queen of the Roman Empire during the second half of the 1st century. Berenice was a member of the Herodian Dynasty, who ruled the Roman province of Judaea between 39 BC and 92 AD...
; later relapsed. - Uriel da CostaUriel da CostaUriel da Costa or Uriel Acosta was a philosopher and skeptic from Portugal.-Life:Costa was born in Porto with the name Gabriel da Costa...
, philosopher shunnedCheremCherem , is the highest ecclesiastical censure in the Jewish community. It is the total exclusion of a person from the Jewish community. It is a form of shunning, and is similar to excommunication in the Catholic Church...
for heresy.
See also
- List of people by belief
- List of Baalei teshuva
- List of Jews
- List of converts to Buddhism
- List of converts to Christianity
- List of people who converted to Catholicism
- List of converts to Hinduism
- List of converts to Islam
- List of converts to Sikhism