George Allen: Jew, Not a Jew?

During a debate this week with his opponent, Jim Webb, George Allen was asked by reporter Peggy Fox if his mother's family was Jewish, which would make him, according to Jewish law, a Jew, even though he was raised a Christian. Allen reacted with outrage to this question. "To be getting into what religion my mother is, I don't think it's relevant," he fumed. "So I'd like to ask you, why is that relevant? My religion? Jim's religion ..." Of course, religion should have nothing whatsoever to do with a political campaign. As long as someone running for office has made it clear that they are a deeply religious God-fearing Christian (or Jew) and made at least one speech discussing how their religious faith has impacted on their values and demonstrated their opposition to taking religion out of the schools and government, then their religion should not even be raised as an issue.

But while some conservatives accused the reporter of trying to "tar Allen as Jew," others were upset that Allen seemed so angry about being called a Jew, accusing the reporter of "casting aspersions" on his character as if being Jewish were something to be ashamed of. On The Corner John Podhoretz (who happens to be a Jew) wrote, "I really don't want to be on Jewish Patrol here in the Corner, but does anybody agree with me that George Allen's response yesterday to a reporter asking him whether his grandfather Felix had been born Jewish was just...weird?" Jonah Goldberg (also a Jew) agreed that it sounded "odd" and said it "reinforces my growing misgivings about Allen as a politician."

I must admit I was surprised at first that Allen seemed so angry about being asked if he was Jewish. However, as a former Jew who converted to Christianity after seeing The Chronicles of Narnia, I can sympathize with Allen and think he should be cut some slack. It's not easy being a member of the world's most hated minority and it must have been a bit of a shock to suddenly learn the news. Apparently, Allen has tried to keep people from knowing about his Jewish roots until he could come to terms with it himself. For years his mother hid this fact from him no doubt to protect him. She never told him the reason that his grandfather was arrested by the Nazis, a fact that he has mentioned in interviews to explain why he supports the War in Iraq. He probably believed it was because his grandfather was a gypsy or a communist or gay so imagine his shock upon learning that his grandfather was arrested for being Jewish.

Perhaps Allen was upset that finding out he had Jewish ancestry so late in life would invite comparisons with John Kerry and Wesley Clark, who also learned that they had Jewish ancestors, though they didn't seem quite so angry about it. I'm sure he was probably wondering what his friends at the Council of Conservative Citizens would think, since some of them believe that Jews are "the children of Satan" and that they "control the wealth of the world." He probably thinks that his being Jewish is incompatible with his embrace of the Confederacy and that his Jewishness just emphasizes the fact that he grew up in California and not Virginia.

But if Allen had grown up in Virginia he would know that contrary to the stereotype many people have of Virginia as just a redneck state, Jews have long played an important role in Virginia history. Jews were among the first settlers in the Virginia colony. They fought in the revolution, owned slaves (and supported abolition) and even fought in the Confederacy. The first Jew elected to the Senate, Louisiana's Judah Benjamin, became the Confederate Secretary of State and was honored on the Confederate two-dollar bill. Most people would also probably be surprised to learn that Virginia is the 16th most Jewish state in the country and although Northern Virginia may not be considered by some to be part of the "real" Virginia, Falls Church and Fairfax, Virginia, have the third and fourth largest number of Jews as a proportion of the population in the U.S., respectively.

Allen's newfound Jewish heritage might actually be a boon to his campaign and not only in Northern Virginia. The Christian Right has long been suspicious of Allen because he supported including "sexual orientation" the Federal Hate Crimes law until he reversed himself last December and agreed that not liking gay people might not be such a bad thing after all. His support for exceptions to anti-abortion laws for such things as saving the life of the mother and revelations that he had invested in the company that makes RU-486 also gave some Christians pause. But Christians love the Jews because Israel is the key to bringing about the Rapture so this revelation could only help. And people will really believe him when he says that despite his vote on lifting the debt ceiling, he actually does believe in "frugal" government. He doesn't actually have to say that Jews are good with money, but I think everyone will get the idea. However, Allen should be very careful about not appearing "too Jewish," which could turn some voters off. Telling reporters, as Allen did the next day, "I still had a ham sandwich for lunch. And my mother made great pork chops," is a good way to distance oneself from some of the aspects of Jewish culture that might make it difficult to relate to the average voter. The fact that he is only half Jewish will make it easier for some voters to take. Then again, appearing to be a "self-hating Jew" would also be bad.

Saturday Night Live once had a skit with Tom Hanks playing the host of a game show called "Jew, Not a Jew" where contestants had to guess whether celebrities were Jewish. It was inspired by a game Jews actually play in their own homes although apparently it was never played in the Allen household. You would be surprised at how difficult the game can be sometimes. Paul Newman and Cary Grant? Jews! Who knew?

Although the day after the debate Allen issued a statement saying he "embraces" his Jewish heritage, it's going to take a little work to convince people that he really is proud to be a Jew. After he was unfairly accused of being a racist for calling a young Indian Webb campaign worker "Macaca," his campaign held an "Ethnic Rally," in which he embraced people of all races and ethnicities, putting to rest once and for all the idea that Allen is a racist. To show that he is proud of his Jewish heritage, Allen might want to visit the Jewish Confederate Monument in Richmond and pay his respects. One thing his campaign may want to do to help Allen truly embrace his Jewishness is play "Jew, Not a Jew" with him. His campaign manager could make little flash cards with the faces of prominent celebrities and ask Allen, "Jew or not a Jew?" between campaign stops. I think he will be surprised at how few he gets right. Knowing that there are plenty of Jews who don't seem Jewish should be a great help to Allen's self-esteem.

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Jon Swift, George Allen, Virginia, Macaca, Jim Webb, Racism, Confederacy, Religion, Judaism, Anti-Semitism, Politics, Beltway Traffic Jam