Gwyneth Paltrow: I'm Raising Apple and Moses Jewish
Credit: XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM
Has Gwyneth Paltrow had a divine intervention?
During a recent appearance on NBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, the 38-year-old actress revealed that she plans to raise her two children as Jewish. (She and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin are parents to Apple, 7, and Moses, 5.)
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Just last year, Paltrow admitted that being raised both Jewish and Christian "was such a nice way to grow up," but later added: "I don't believe in religion. I believe in spirituality. Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world."
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On Tuesday's episode, a genealogy expert informed Paltrow that religion passes through the matriarchal line, which means that she would not be considered a true Jew in religious laws since her mother, Blythe Danner, is a Christian. (Her father, the late producer/director Bruce Paltrow, was Jewish.)
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Paltrow's husband, 34, also has a Christian background. "Miss Paltrow may just want to follow traditions that she did as a child," the expert said, "like observing the Sabbath, keeping a kosher home and celebrating holidays."
Tell Us What You Think
18I came from a Jewish mother Christian Father background and I chose Christianity as my religion when I left home because my Jewish mother would not allow me to practice it at home. She is still upset to this day about my choice. It is a serious decision I made that I never regretted.
Good for her. I admire her for doing this. At least she is giving them a good religious upbringing. If they want to convert to Judaism when they are older, that is their choice. Remember we have the freedom of religion in this country.
I am a protestant and my ex-husband is Jewish, we raised both are kids as Jewish, and my daughter deeply believes she is Jewish, went to Hebrew school, Temple, ect. You would DEEPLY OFFEND her by making telling her she wasn't a Jew because her mother isn't. HOW DARE YOU!
I just paid $23,98 for an iPad2-64GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $37,59 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $677 which only cost me $72,13 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, -->CentBite.çom
I'm born & raised Jewish- both parents & entire family are (except for some of us who have married 'outside' the race). Yes, despite what someone said, there IS a Jewish race- however small- that still exists, along with the religion of Judaism. Although I am now 'reformed' Jew, I was never taught one single time that a child could be raised as a Jew unless the mother was. I don't know a single Jew that thinks the child should be raised as such if only the father was. Paltrow was raised with a combination of 2 religions, and although in my opinion she isn't a 'true' Jew, I do think It's a good idea to give the children a respect & understanding of each, or any others she or they chooses, in order to understand & appreciate different cultures and beliefs. As a side note, I think 'converting' to Judaism is, for lack of a better word, ridiculous. Sure, you can study up on Torah, beliefs, holidays and learn to speak, read & write Hebrew, but unless you've grown up submersed in the culture, you'll never fully understand. I don't consider converts Jews either, as most i've met wind up more 'preachy' than anything else. The stories & hardships experienced by the older members of my family were passed on to my grandparents, my parents and my generation and has helped shape us and appreciate our upbringing. Whoops, off on a 'rant' typeing too long! Sorry :)
I'm born & raised Jewish- both parents & entire family are (except for some of us who have married 'outside' the race). Yes, despite what someone said, there IS a Jewish race- however small- that still exists, along with the religion of Judaism. Although I am now 'reformed' Jew, I was never taught one single time that a child could be raised as a Jew unless the mother was. I don't know a single Jew that thinks the child should be raised as such if only the father was. Paltrow was raised with a combination of 2 religions, and although in my opinion she isn't a 'true' Jew, I do think It's a good idea to give the children a respect & understanding of each, or any others she or they chooses, in order to understand & appreciate different cultures and beliefs. As a side note, I think 'converting' to Judaism is, for lack of a better word, ridiculous. Sure, you can study up on Torah, beliefs, holidays and learn to speak, read & write Hebrew, but unless you've grown up submersed in the culture, you'll never fully understand. I don't consider converts Jews either, as most i've met wind up more 'preachy' than anything else. The stories & hardships experienced by the older members of my family were passed on to my grandparents, my parents and my generation and has helped shape us and appreciate our upbringing. Whoops, off on a 'rant' typeing too long! Sorry :)
Actually, liberal Reform Jews consider the children Jewish if Dad is Jewish and the family is raising the children Jewish. If Paltrow were raised Jewish, then she is indeed Jewish. Orthodox Jews disagree but I'm guessing the liberal Paltrow wouldn't care much about their views, based on how they view women.
and Judaism is not a nationality, its a religion and within that religion is a culture. Its narrow-minded folks that attribute general characteristics to all Jews...don't know where you fall in that category.
@Shannon, Anybody who is a "true Jew" knows that religion passes through the bearer of the child, to have to wait until a Genealogy expert tells her this is stupid on her part and shows she wasn't a true Jewish woman, more of a vacationer and for that I do feel sorry for her and her children. I don't share all your hangups about religion as I am not threatened by tradition, actually tradition is very reassuring especially when someone passes so hopefully as you get older, you might learn to embrace religion because it seems you expend alot of energy that could be better expended elsewhere. I mean if you aren't a Jew, how do you know what you are criticizing? If you aren't a Catholic why open your mouth? I mean, stick to your views but as you bad-mouth other religions strictly as a voyeur you kind of make yourself look doltish.
@Jally: You can disagree with me, but to attack me personally by pointing out facts that anyone can look up is out of line. I have my opinions about different religions but I am not proselytizing. How does what I said make me worse than a dolt?
@Shannon - You are not a dolt. You are much worse.
@Eric: Judaism is more like a nationality in that respect, not a religion, however, you may call yourself a Jew if you convert by going through the conversion process. Like Catholicism, they are exclusivists, as if in order to know God in the way they see fit, then you must go through all their hoops, ie., all their traditions. To be a true Christian, you don't have to go through any of man's hoops, all you have to do is believe in Jesus as your personal savior. He detested all the traditions that the Pharisees tried trip up the Jews with. I'm not sure what you meant about Jesus doing research on other religions. He studied the Bible as a child and he was a Jew, but he fought against many of the traditions that are still used by Jews today, such as Kosher. I am not attacking, but I am not the unededucated dolt you have insinuated me to be. I do not like religions that like to dictate every thing people do, from what they must eat to what they must wear because it distracts from what is important.
She's such an attention w hore and obviously insecure. She follows something different every two minutes!
So she did not know this before? She can't be that ignorant..
who cares how she raises them it's none of the publics bsiness how stars raise their kids. it's common knoweledge that your only considered a jew by religious laws if you born of a Jewish mother and since Gwyneth like the younger newman daughters wasn't she's not for religious laws jewish.
@eric Oshins Thumbs up! why the sudden need to raise your children jewish if you are christian??
its not elitist its the fact that you always know who the mother is, you dont always know who the father is, especially now a days. you might want to do some research before you attack another religion. something jesus also did
You can't be considered a "true Jew" if your mother was Christian? How elitist. BTW, Gwyneth, it's not the religions that cause turmoil it's the traditions which are the twists that people put on the religion and call them "divinely inspired." Something Jesus taught against.