List of converts to Judaism
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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 undertake to follow the rules of 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.)
- Aquila of Sinope (Acylas), from Greek paganism
- Avtalyon, rabbinic sage in the early pre-Mishnaic era
- Christian B. Anfinsen, Nobel prize-winning chemist, from agnosticism - "Although my feelings about religion still very strongly reflect a fifty-year period of orthodox agnosticism, I must say that I do find the history, practice and intensity of Judaism an extremely interesting philosophical package." [link]
- Tom Arnold, actor (upon marrying Roseanne Barr)
- Bishop Bodo, confessor to Louis the Pious, from Catholic Christianity
- Elizabeth Brewster, Canadian poet
- Sarah Brown, actress
- 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.
- Bulan, king of the Khazars, from Khazar paganism
- Kate Capshaw, actress (upon marrying Steven Spielberg)
- Nell Carter, singer and actress
- Connie Chung, news anchor (upon marrying Maury Povich)
- Sammy Davis, Jr., entertainer
- Jacqueline du Pré, musician (upon marrying Daniel Barenboim), from Christianity
- Isla Fisher, model and actress (upon marrying Sacha Baron Cohen)
- Aaron Freeman, journalist and comedian
- Scott Glenn, U.S. actor
- Lord George Gordon, nobleman and politician, from Anglican Christianity
- Gudit, queen of Damot, not necessarily Jewish, possibly from Ethiopian paganism
- Henry Hill, FBI informant
- Elizabeth Hulette, pro wrestling valet
- Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, from Midian paganism
- Carolyn Jones, actress (upon marrying Aaron Spelling)
- Jon Juaristi, linguist and political essayer
- Keira Knightley, actress
- Felicity Kendal, actress
- Cameron Kerry, politician, brother of John Kerry; from Catholic Christianity, father of direct full Jewish ancestry [link]
- Jamaica Kincaid, author
- Mathilde Krim, AIDS researcher & educator, founder of amFAR
- Lindsay Lohan, actress
- Julius Lester, children's author
- Shy Love, adult film star
- Elliott Maddox, baseball player
- Makeda, queen of Sheba, possibly from Ethiopian paganism
- Anne Meara, actress and comic, from Catholic Christianity
- Adah Isaacs Menken, stage actress
- Marilyn Monroe, actress (upon marrying Arthur Miller)
- Dhu Nuwas, king of Yemen, possibly from Yemeni paganism, possibly from Christianity
- Martha Nussbaum, philosopher
- Obadiah the prophet, from Edomite paganism
- Obadiah the Proselyte (né Johannes), priest and composer, from Christianity
- Onkelos, Hebrew scholar and translator, from Greek or Roman paganism
- Valentine Potocki, Polish count, from Catholic Christianity, may not have existed
- Ruth, great-grandmother of King David, possibly from Moabite paganism
- Roger Rees, British-born actor
- Laura Schlessinger, radio personality, from a Catholic Christian/nonpracticing Jewish household
- Arnold Schoenberg (reconvert) (upon fleeing from the Nazis), from Lutheran Christianity, to which he had converted from Judaism
- Norma Shearer, actress (upon marrying Irving Thalberg)
- Shemaya, rabbinic sage in the early pre-Mishnaic era
- Shyne
- Venetia Stanley, socialite (upon marrying Edwin Samuel Montagu), from agnosticism / Anglican Christianity
- Elizabeth Taylor, actress (upon marrying Eddie Fisher), from Christian Science; In her book Elizabeth Takes Off, Taylor writes, "It [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." [link]
- Chris Van Allsburg, children's writer
- Jackie Wilson, soul singer
- Mare Winningham, actress-singer, from Catholic Christianity
- Nikki Ziering, model (upon marrying Ian Ziering)
See also
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