List of converts to Judaism from Christianity

This list of converts to Judaism from Christianity is limited solely to notable, referenced individuals who converted to Judaism from Christianity.

Christian Proselyte communities

• Abayudaya^[1]
• Bnei Menashe^[2]
• Bene Ephraim claim to be Jews who converted to Christianity, then converted back to Judaism ^[3]
• B'nai Moshe (Inca Jews) ^[4]
• San Nicandro Jews ^[5]
• Subbotniks
• Veracruz Jews ^[6]

Former Christian clergy/theologians

• Nicolas Antoine, French-Christian Protestant theologian
• Ole Brunell, former Lutheran minister; Shlomo Ben Avraham "Ole" Brunell; from Finland and Australia; his wife Ruth (formerly Runa), two adult daughters, two teenage daughters, and a former son-in-law also converted
• William G. Dever, former evangelical minister who converted to Reform Judaism and became a world-renowned Biblical scholar, though he says he no longer believes in God^[7]
• Ahuva Gray, former Protestant minister
• Asher Wade, former Methodist minister

Other Christians who converted to Judaism

• Abraham ben Abraham (ca. 1700-1749), "legendary" (Tazbir 2003) convert from the Potocki family, the famed "Ger Tzedek"
• Moses ben Avraham Avinu
• Aquila of Sinope, Bible translator^[8]
• Tom Arnold (born 1959), actor^[9]
• Rafael Cansinos Assens, Spanish poet, essayist, literary critic and translator
• Abraham of Augsburg
• Carroll Baker, American actress
• Elizabeth Banks, American actress
• Aviel Barclay, Canadian female sofer (religious scribe)^[10]
• Polly Bergen, American actress and singer
• Dany Boon, French comedian^[11]
• Elizabeth Brewster, Canadian poet^[12]
• May Britt (born 1934), actress^[13]
• Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning Australian-American journalist and author^[14]
• Campbell Brown, American television news reporter (lapsed Roman Catholic)
• Drew Bundini Brown, assistant trainer of former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali
• Sarah Brown (born 1975), actress^[15]
• Ken Burgess, musician
• Eddie Butler, Israeli singer
• Yisrael Campbell, comedian (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[16]
• Kate Capshaw, actress (ex-Methodist)^[17]
• Nell Carter (1948–2003), singer and actress^[18]
• Cristian Castro, Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer^[19]
• Elizabeth Jane Caulfield, linguist and musician
• Connie Chung (born 1946), American television journalist^[20][21]
• Warder Cresson (1798–1860), politician
• Jim Croce (1943–1973), singer/songwriter^[22]
• William Holmes Crosby, Jr., physician, one of the founders of modern hematology
• Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925–1990), entertainer^[23]
  

  Sammy Davis, Jr., entertainer who converted while recovering from an automobile accident
• Natalie Dessay, French soprano^[24]
• William G. Dever (born 1933), archaeologist^[25]
• Jacqueline du Pré, cellist^[26]
• Patricia Duff, political activist and United States Democratic Party fundraiser
• Hank Eng, Chinese-American politician^[27]
• Miss Elizabeth, also known as Elizabeth Ann Hulette, U.S. professional wrestling manager
• Isla Fisher, model and actress^[28] (ex-Methodist)^[29]
• Luke Ford (born 1966), journalist^[30]
• Aaron Freeman, journalist and comedian (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[31]
• Capers Funnye (ex-Methodist)
• Carolivia Herron, author (ex-Baptist)^[32]
• Natan Gamedze (born 1963), former Protestant, linguist and a Swazi royal, now a black Haredi rabbi^[33][34]
• Lord George Gordon (1751–1793), nobleman and politician^[35]
• Reuben Greenberg (1943–2014), police chief of Charleston, South Carolina^[36]
• Lars Gustafsson, professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas ^[37]
• Daryl Hall (born 1946), musician ^[38]
• Mary Hart (born 1950), American television personality, long-time host of the entertainment program Entertainment Tonight^[39]
• Carolivia Herron, writer of children's and adult literature^[40]
• Monica Horan, actress^[20]
• Joel Horlen^[41][42]
• Carolyn Jones (1930–1983), actress^[20][43]
• Thomas Jones (lapsed Roman Catholic)
• Jon Juaristi (born 1951), Spanish writer^[44]
• Semei Kakungulu, founder of the Abayudaya community in Uganda in 1917
• Felicity Kendal, British actress^[45]
• Cameron Kerry, politician, brother of John Kerry (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[46]
• Jamaica Kincaid (born 1946), author^[47]
• John King, American television journalist (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[48]
• Mathilde Krim, Ph.D., founding Chairman of amfAR, association for AIDS research^[49]
• Lenny Kuhr, Dutch singer-songwriter
• Anthony Lake (born 1939), American diplomat, political figure, and academic^[50]
• Laura Schlessinger, American radio personality^[20]
• Nahida Lazarus, German author, essayist, scholar, and literary critic
• John Lehr, American film and television actor and comedian^[51]
• Julius Lester, son of a Methodist minister and a children's author (ex-Methodist)^[52]
• Elliott Maddox, former Major League Baseball player^[53]
• Richard Marceau, Canadian politician
• Anne Meara (born 1929) American comedian and actress, partner and wife of Jerry Stiller (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[54]
• Adah Isaacs Menken, stage actress^[55]
• Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962), actress (ex-Christian Scientist)^[56]
• Santa Montefiore, novelist^[57]
• Françoise Mouly, French artist, designer, and art editor of The New Yorker
• Michael Netzer (born 1955), American comic book artist
• Jeff Newman, baseball player
• Martha Nussbaum (born 1947), American philosopher and academic^[58]
• Bob Nystrom, former NHL player^[59]
• Lorna Patterson, American film, stage and television actress
• Rebecca Pidgeon, Scottish-American actress, singer and songwriter
• Moses Prado, professor of the classic languages at the University of Marburg
• Roger Rees, actor
• Abraham Reuel (born 1924), German pilot in Hitler's army; became a Jew and citizen of Israel^[60]
• Mary Doria Russell, American author (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[61]
• Jackie Sandler, American actress
• Norma Shearer (1902–1983), American actress
• Shyne, a Belizean–American rapper ^[62]
• Karol Sidon, a Czech Orthodox rabbi, writer and playwright
• Daniel Silva, American author of thriller and espionage novels ^[63]
• Dubrovin Stanislav (1863–1967), former Sabbatarian Christian who emigrated to Israel
• Kim Stanley, American actress^[64]
• Venetia Stanley, socialite^[65]
• Joseph Abraham Steblicki (lapsed Roman Catholic)
• Margo Stilley, American film actress^[66]
• Annette Taddeo, businesswoman and politician
• Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011), actress (ex-Christian Scientist)^[67]
• Karen Tintori, American author of fiction and nonfiction (lapsed Roman Catholic)
• Andre Bernard Tippett, former American football linebacker for the New England Patriots (ex-Baptist)^[68]
• Jacob Tirado (ca. 1540-1620)
• Ivanka Trump
• Bob Tufts
• Ike Turner, American musician, bandleader, talent scout, and record producer; son of a Baptist minister
• Chris Van Allsburg, children's writer^[69]
• Conrad Veidt (1893–1943), German actor^[20]
• Katarzyna Weiglowa, Polish martyr
• Jackie Wilson, American soul singer
• Mare Winningham, actress and singer (lapsed Roman Catholic)^[70]
• Steve Yeager^[71]
• Nikki Ziering (born 1971), model ^[72]

References

1. A History of the Abuyudaya Jews of Uganda
2. "Rabbi backs India's 'lost Jews'". BBC News. April 1, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
3. Kulanu: Bene Ephraim of Andhra Pradesh, South India
4. Converting Inca Indians in Peru
5. Judaism – Reflections on Giur
6. Kulanu: Claim Mexico playing host to a Lost Tribe
7. "Losing Faith: Who Did and Who Didn't How Scholarship Affects Scholars". Biblical Archaeology Society. March 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
8. Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, art. Aquila of Sinope
9. IMDB
10. "Soferet [videorecording]: A special scribe". University of Toronto Libraries. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
11. Le Figaro Magazine which states "as though his conversion to Judaism in 2002 had paradoxically made him closer to his Pas-de-Calais roots".
12. 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"
13. "May Britt Joins Jewish Faith", The New York Times, October 18, 1960, p. 46
14. "The wandering Haggadah: Novel follows journey of ancient Sephardic text (''J. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California'', 25 January 2008)". Jewishsf.com. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
15. 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."
16. So this Catholic goes to Israel... and other jokes from the Holy Land, The Globe and Mail, Michael Posner, May 5, 2008
17. New York Times
18. Chicago Sun Times via "Find Articles.": Said of her conversion "I needed to know where God was, and I went back to the basics."
19. EsMas.com
20. Converted to Judaism
21. Happy Birthday, Connie Chung, Award-Winning Journalist
22. Interview with Croce's Cousin http://www.netporch.com/sa/
23. Jewish Virtual Library
24. "La soprano Natalie Dessay se confie sur... sa conversion au judaïsme, les hommes à barbe et les Bee Gees!" at purepeople.com (15 December 2009), citing the magazine Têtu (French)
25. Shanks, Hershel. "Losing Faith: How Scholarship Affects Scholars". Biblical Archaeology Review, March/April 2007.
26. A Publishers Weekly review of Jacqueline Du Pre: A Biography by Carol Easton states she was "the daughter of anti-Semitic parents who herself converted to Judaism and at age 21 married Jewish pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim."
27. Democratic Convention Notes: Meet Chinese Jewish candidate Hank Eng – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
28. Gensler, Howard (November 27, 2006). "'Borat' to wed Aussie actress Isla Fisher". Retrieved November 29, 2006.
29. Isla Fisher's wife wish – sofeminine.co.uk
30. Luke Ford, XXX-Communicated: A Rebel Without a Shul. iUniverse, Inc., 2004. ISBN 0-595-66441-5
31. Aaron Freeman's website
32. Convert Authors
33. Natan Gamedze's website
34. Compass: Compass: The Black Jew Of Royal Swaziland – Abc Tv
35. Jewish Encyclopedia
36. The movie Shalom y'all
37. Contemporary Jewish Writing in Sweden – Lars Gustafsson Bio
38. http://heebmagazine.com/daryl-hall-music-legend-and-blond-jew-finally-gets-his-due/5053
39. Hart – "Thought there are no Jewish Republicans in show biz? Well, Bush contributors include... host Mary Hart, who’s a convert to Judaism..."
40. Her website
41. Horlen, Joe : Jews In Sports @ Virtual Museum
42. The Big Book of Jewish Sports People by Peter Horvitz page 53
43. IMDB
44. El Mundo
45. 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."
46. Seattle Times
47. judaism+-wikipedia&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=25 Beth Israel
48. "TV baby", New York Post, February 3, 2011. "King and Bash were wed in 2008, when King converted to Judaism before they tied the knot".
49. Klemesrud, Judy (1984-11-03). "Dr. Mathilde Krim: Focusing Attention On AIDS Research". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
50. "The Conversions of Anthony Lake," Moment Magazine, May-June 2008.
51. Bloom, Nate (2006-11-24). "Celebrity Jews". The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
52. Julis Lester's Home Page
53. Baseball Almanac.com
54. O'Toole, Lesley (December 22, 2006). "Ben Stiller : 'Doing comedy is scary'". London: The Independent. Retrieved December 22, 2006.
55. 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."
56. "BBC On this Day"
57. The Independent Feb 7, 2005; online here Findarticles accessed Dec 11, 2006
58. The Nation
60. Lawrence Jeffrey Epstein (1989). A treasury of Jewish anecdotes. p. 5,6. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
61. 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."
62. Shyne To Be Released In April? « 57thave’s Blog
63. http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/20338/edition_id/415/format/html/displaystory.html
64. from biography "Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley" by Jon Krampner, 2006
65. New York Times book review
66. Stilley – "...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.""
67. 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."
68. Profile at Jewishsports.com
69. 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."
70. 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."
71. Jewish Baseball Players
72. Entertainment Weekly