NBA Star Amar’e Stoudemire Is Moving to Israel — Because He’s a Hebrew IsraelitePosted in Articles, Media Archive, Religion, United States on 2016-08-07 17:01Z by Steven |
NBA Star Amar’e Stoudemire Is Moving to Israel — Because He’s a Hebrew Israelite
Forward
2016-08-01
Sam Kestenbaum, Staff Writer
This week, basketball star Amar’e Stoudemire ended a celebrated 14-year career with the NBA. The six-time All-Star spent most of his career with the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, before finishing with the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.
Now he’s moving on and up — to Jerusalem. Jews who move to Israel commonly refer to the move as “ascending” to the Holy Land. And like many of them, Stoudemire’s move is at least partly a spiritual journey.
“The Scripture speaks about Jerusalem as a holy place, and I can feel that whenever I’m in the city,” Stoudemire wrote in a farewell note. “My whole journey with reuniting with the Holy Land has always been important,” he added at a press conference.
That “journey” has fascinated, and at times bewildered, some American Jews and Israelis. Stoudemire visited Israel in 2010 to “explore his Hebrew roots” and has visited many times since, even applying for Israeli citizenship. His affinity for Israel prompted a flurry of media attention — was he Jewish? Some mainstream outlets reported then — and some continue to erroneously report — that Stoudemire converted or had a Jewish mother.
But Stoudemire is no Jew, convert or otherwise…
Read the entire article here.