Is Cory Booker Jewish?

Shmuley Boteach wrote a nice op-ed in the Bergen Record about Senator Cory Booker's spirituality. Booker comes off as quite a character.

Booker is a Baptist, but his religious views are broad and pluralistic as described by Dan Gilgoff at US News.

So no, Cory Booker is not a Jew; he is not Jewish. But he is tangled up in Jews, the Bible, and throws around quotations of Hebrew sources, thanks in part to Rabbi Shmuley, according to Shmuley's account of the matter. Here's part of the story from the op-ed.

When he shared with me just a few mornings ago the sad news that his father, Cary, to whom he was particularly devoted, had passed away, Cory expressed his desire to travel together to the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, to pray and light a candle for his father's eternal soul. It was the final days of the campaign and another politician could scarcely have afforded the trip in the middle of the night to the Queens cemetery. But a vigil for his father was the priority and I will never forget watching him recite his father's beloved Psalm 121, slowly and deliberately, enunciating each and every word: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains — whence does my salvation come … from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. The Lord watches over you… He will keep you from all harm… He will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore."

I asked him if it pained him that his father, a warm and gentle man who took great pride in his son's service, had missed seeing him become a senator by just a few days. "I believe he can see me, Shmuley. He sees me even now."

Odd, you say? Hey, it's New Jersey where by state law everybody has to have a shtick.

Is Mike Tyson Jewish?

Yes, Mike Tyson is converting to become a Jew.

The former world champion boxer was the subject of a glowing essay in the New York Times Magazine, Mike Tyson Moves to the Suburbs by Daphne Merkin, who describes in beautiful lyrical fashion the terms, "In which the ex-world champion learns to love the boring life."

Tyson was so impressed with Merkin, he has decided to convert himself to Judaism. "That woman has become my wole model," Tyson said. Merkin returned the compliment saying, "Meeting and interviewing Mike has been the highlight of my life."

Tyson will be undergoing the procedures of conversion this afternoon, Purim 5771. Celebrity Rabbis Arthur Schneier and Shmuley Boteach will officiate at Tyson's circumcision and ritual bath. Evander Holyfield had asked to perform the milah, saying, "It's only fair. It's in the Bible." Holyfield was rebuffed and told that "a foreskin for an ear" was not the actual wording of the biblical verse and anyhow that Holyfield was not Jewish yet. "OK. Never mind," he reportedly said.

Is Jon Gosselin Jewish?

Jon Gosselin says he is half Jew and half Korean, according to one online article. Wikipedia does not corroborate this saying, "Gosselin was born and raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania to a father of French and Welsh descent and a Korean mother."

Jon Gosselin Wants to Find Religion
Justin Carbone

Gosselin to find inner self

Everyone’s favorite reality star Jon Gosselin is at it again. This time, it’s to turn a new leaf and find himself some inner spiritual guidance.

Gosselin, the father of 8 and former star of TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8 claims that the excess of fame have gone to his head, and that he needs to center himself and find his inner being.

He says that he is half Korean and half Jewish and that its time for him to come to terms with his behavior of the past few months.

“I am well aware that my behavior over the past few months has not always reflected my personal and religious values. I further accept that I have allowed myself to become somewhat severed from my own moral anchor and be carried away by the challenges of fame,” he told USMagazine.com. ...

Sex rabbi Shmuley Boteach to Britney Spears in 2007: this racy photo will scar your children

On the eve of Yom Kippur it is inspiring to see how a Hasidic Lubavitch celebrity kosher sex rabbi recently encouraged another celebrity (not Jewish) to repent of her sins.

According to the rabbi, this racy picture of Britney Spears getting out of a car (right) will scar her children for life. He wrote her an open letter to tell her so.

Is there a book in the works on how Shmuley saved Britney?

Note the inspired way that the Sage of Englewood quoted in 2007 from the well known rabbinic Tractate "Life Gets Serious":

Rabbi asks Britney Spears to cover up and spend more time with her boys

American radio TV host Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has sent a letter to pop singer Britney Spears calling her a ‘bad mother’.

Washington, Feb 13: American radio TV host Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has sent a letter to pop singer Britney Spears calling her a ‘bad mother’.

The 40-year-old has imparted some rabbinic lessons to the ‘Toxic’ singer and said that according to rabbis once a person becomes a parent, life gets very serious.

“Allow me to share with you a teaching of the ancient Rabbis. Once you become a parent, Britney, life gets really serious,” Page Six quoted him, as writing to Spears.

Rabbi said that her kids are watching her in a degraded state- drunk and hardly spending time with them, which will permanently scar them.

"We can all pretend that life is one big party devoid of responsibility. And rarely being home, or coming home drunk, or letting your kids see you in a degraded state, will permanently scar your kids,” he said.

The author of the famous ‘Kosher Sex’ added that her two sons will soon start surfing the net and might come across the scandalous photos of their mother.

"Soon your boys will be surfing the internet. They'll see a lot of photos of you in poses that no son should ever see their own mother,” he added.

Rabbi suggested that she ought to spend the maximum time with her little ones and abandon her feral lifestyle.

“Try and be home with your kids. Cover up. Limit the visits to the nightclubs,” he said. (ANI)

[repost from 2007]

Surprise! Rabbi Shmuley Fails to Save Britney

Last week Rabbi Shmuley stuck his two cents in to criticize Britney's parenting. Apparently his advice-at-a-distance approach did not take into account the seriousness of her condition.

Perhaps next time the good Rabbi will exercise more discretion before going public with his "advice" (i.e. his transparent and insensitive grab for PR attention by criticizing a troubled celebrity).

Britney ‘on the edge of a nervous breakdown’
Patrick Foster

Fans and friends of Britney Spears rallied round the pop star last night as fears grew for her mental health.

The 25-year-old’s behaviour has become increasingly erratic, including reports that she had checked into a rehabilitation clinic but left after only 24 hours. In a bizarre sequence of events, Spears was filmed shaving her head in a Los Angeles hair salon on Friday evening before going to a tattoo parlour, where she reportedly had a tattoo of a pair of lips put on to her wrist.

Psychologists said yesterday that the behaviour was worryingly erratic and required attention, while fans of the pop star took to the internet to express their support for her.

Video footage from a Los Angeles television station showed Spears taking the clippers to her hair in full view of the paparazzi gathered outside.

Esther Tognozzi, the salon’s co-owner, told US Weekly that after Spears had cut off her brunette hair extensions she “just looked in the mirror and said with tears in her eyes, ‘Oh, my God, I shaved it all off. My mom is going to be so upset with me’.” JT Tognozzi, her husband and salon co-owner, said: “[Spears] didn’t want her hair. We have it here at the salon and we will probably auction it off for charity.”

Shmuley to Britney: Life's a Joke before you have kids

Going back to yesterday's to do over pink panty pictures - they will scar you for life if you look at them - here is what the Englewooder Rebbe wrote according to page six:

“Allow me to share with you a teaching of the ancient Rabbis. Once you become a parent, Britney, life gets really serious.”

So kids, have your fun now. But later on when you are parents - settle down. Or else you will scar your offspring for life. Ancient Rabbis said so.