Michael Richards: Jewish by Association?

[Janice]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20061128/D8LMBQHO0.html

Michael Richards: Jewish by Association?

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Just when it seemed Michael Richards was about to leave the most troubling incident of his career behind, his publicist is having to explain how the comic could consider himself to be Jewish.

Last week, crisis-management expert Howard Rubenstein acknowledged that Richards had shouted anti-Semitic remarks in an April standup comedy routine - well before his appearance earlier this month in which he harangued hecklers with the n-word. But he defended Richards' language about Jews, saying that the comic "is Jewish. He's not anti-Semitic at all. He was role-playing."

As Rubenstein's assertion circulated, Jewish organizations and commentators pointed out that the man who played Cosmo Kramer on "Seinfeld" has not converted to Judaism and neither of his parents are Jewish.

Which makes him ...

"Technically, not having been born by blood as Jewish and not formally going into a conversion, it was purely his interpretation of having adopted Judaism as his religion," Rubenstein told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "He told me, 'I'm Jewish,' when I asked him.

"He said there were two mentors who raised him and who had a big influence on his life, and they were Jewish. He said, 'I agree with the concepts and the religious beliefs of Judaism and I've adopted Judaism as my religion,'" Rubenstein said. "He really thinks of himself as Jewish."

What do some Jews think?

"You can't feel Jewish. It's not a matter of feeling. You can convert to Judaism. You can't not convert to Judaism and then be Jewish," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.

Hier defined being Jewish from two perspectives, if someone hasn't gone through the process of formal conversion.

"From the Orthodox point of view, if that person has a Jewish mother, he would be considered Jewish," Hier said. "In the Reform tradition, there's also a patrilineage. Under those categories, he would not fit."

Rabbi Mark S. Diamond of the 280-member Board of Rabbis of Southern California agreed.

"There are many people who appreciate Jewish customs, who may embrace aspects of Jewish culture and practice, but that does not make them Jewish," he said.

After his tirade came to light, Richards apologized on David Letterman's "Late Show" on CBS, saying his remarks were sparked by anger at being heckled, not bigotry. He also apologized to the Rev. Al Sharpton, and apologized Sunday on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's syndicated radio program.

Rubenstein said Richards wasn't available for an interview Tuesday. "He wants to rest," the publicist said. "He's been talking to his psychiatrist."

[Lamont]

this is silly

if Richards considers himself to be jewish---he is jewish

its like if i started going to a catholic church for years and was a practicing catholic--- am i somehow LESS CATHOLIC because i never did a FORMAL CONVERSION?

[Janice]

My husband's nephew, who is Catholic, married a girl was Jewish before they got married. She had to convert to Catholicism. She also had to take religious instruction classes and get baptized.

[Brad Russ]

Isn't Judaism a race, like being white, or black?? Many of my Jewish friends have told me that Judaism is a race, not a Religion. The Bible even talks about the Jewish people as a race of people, so I definitely see what Mr Rubenstein is saying.

[TJL]

Am I the only one who thinks Michael Richards really really really needs to stop apologizing before he's thrown in jail?

[Lamont]

random thoughts

1. yes richards needs to stop apologizing, say it once and move on

2. as for the jewish race/ religion that can be debated and both are true

3. i understand that some people have to "formally convert" in order to get religious approval of weddings and such, but u do not have to convert to simply be jewish or baptist, or pentecostal or catholic--- if u are methodist-- u r a methodist--- you know it and god knows it and the formal conversion is just silly and unneeded

[Central Perk]

Michael Richards go away we don't want to hear about you anymore. You've lost all credibility forever and if your career wasn't already over it is now. Sorry.

[Czas na Zywiec]

Originally Posted by Little Mel

Isn't Judaism a race, like being white, or black?? Many of my Jewish friends have told me that Judaism is a race, not a Religion. The Bible even talks about the Jewish people as a race of people, so I definitely see what Mr Rubenstein is saying.

no, Judaism is a religion. you can be black, white, purple, etc., and still pray in a synagouge. just like Catholocism or Islam. you can convert religions - you can't convert race. I can wake up one day and decide to become a Jew but I can't say the same thing if I wanted to become black.

[Chelsea]

You know, I can walk around all day claiming to be a watermelon, but that doesn't necessarily make it so. If by the tenets of Judaism he's not Jewish (IE: Parental means or conversion), then...he's not Jewish.

Oy.

[Brad Russ]

Originally Posted by Czas na Zywiec

no, Judaism is a religion. you can be black, white, purple, etc., and still pray in a synagouge. just like Catholocism or Islam. you can convert religions - you can't convert race. I can wake up one day and decide to become a Jew but I can't say the same thing if I wanted to become black.

It's one thing to call yourself a Jew by name, but it's quite another to actually be one by blood. I can follow and respect Jewish laws and customs, but it's the descendants of Israel who actually have Jewish blood in them. I can convert to Judaism all I want, but that's not going to change me from being a Europeon descendant, to an Israeli descendant.

[Czas na Zywiec]

Originally Posted by Little Mel

It's one thing to call yourself a Jew by name, but it's quite another to actually be one by blood. I can follow and respect Jewish laws and customs, but it's the descendants of Israel who actually have Jewish blood in them. I can convert to Judaism all I want, but that's not going to change me from being a Europeon descendant, to an Israeli descendant.

Jews can be of any race. They are mostly caucasian if you're thinking about NA or Israeli jews, but there's no such thing as jewish blood. I don't like to seperate people into race, but if we do, there are only four such categories: Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloid, and Austrailoid. Every human falls into any of the above categories. It's one thing to be Jewish, but it's not a "race." Despite geography, Israelis are mostly "ethnically" European.

[Lamont]

3 words--- SAMMY DAVIS JR.

[Sharop]

I've always been told that Jews were a race as well. It sounded quite funny to me, but I've always believed it.

I'm not sure whether Judaism is a race or not. If it is a race, then I think that, while Michael Richards wouldn't technically be a Jew (in the sense that he wasn't born one), I think it's okay for him to consider himself Jewish if he adopts their beliefs and stuff like that.

If it isn't a race, and anyone can be Jewish, then I suppose he really is Jewish.

[Lamont]

there is a jewish race
however there are also many peopke of non-jewish decent who practice judaism
and they do not need a formal stamp of approval to do so

[pscisme]

Originally Posted by TJL

Am I the only one who thinks Michael Richards really really really needs to stop apologizing before he's thrown in jail?

Nope!