Forced to become Jewish?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Kate Capshaw
repete66211 — 19 years ago(May 12, 2006 06:40 AM)
It always makes me suspicious when someone converts religions. Spielberg made her convert to Judaism before marriage so that if they had children the kids would be Jewish (since you can only be Jewish if your mother is as well). I have known a couple of women who have finally relented to conversion because the Jewish parents refused to condone or pay for a wedding in which their offspring marries a non-Jew. Doesn't that seem really backward and selfish?
-
donjohnson2 — 19 years ago(March 08, 2007 03:00 PM)
"Forced," as in"You don't convert and there's NO wedding.as in."NO $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$."
-
Raskel — 18 years ago(August 17, 2007 03:24 AM)
"Spielberg made her convert to Judaism before marriage so that if they had children the kids would be Jewish (since you can only be Jewish if your mother is as well)"
Hmmm you obviously never have bothered to read an interview before you set behind your keyboard. Because if you had you would have known it was her choice and he only started picking up his Jewish roots after she converted.
I won't bother you with facts though since you seem to think unfounded tales are much more satisfying. -
repete66211 — 18 years ago(August 17, 2007 07:07 AM)
You are correct. I know she wasn't forced to convert. She did so of her own free will. I used inaccurate and misleading langauge here (although you should note that I did use a question mark).
However, were Spielberg not Jewish do you think Capshaw would have converted? If he wasn't religious then why did she convert? You know it's not that easy to do. Was it a birthday present or something? Was it done to please his family? I believe what you say about the content of interviews, but I'd take any explanation on their part with a grain of salt. I mean, what else are they going to say? Fluff interviews are all about providing the easiest and most printable feel-good answer you can come up with. My money is on the idea that she felt pressure so she went ahead and did it.
It's only anecdotal evidence, but I know of several women who were given the "convert or the marriage is off" ultimatum by their secular Jewish fiancees and in-laws. I promise you others do as well. (That Edward Burns movie comes to mind as well.) I know this sort of ultimatum isn't unique to the Jewish faith. I'm sure other denominations do it too, but in my personal experience no one strong-arms quite like Jewish families. -
Raskel — 18 years ago(August 17, 2007 08:51 AM)
I'm gonna take this one step at the time LoL
"However, were Spielberg not Jewish do you think Capshaw would have converted?"
Well, that's really asking what came first, the chicken or the egg.
He IS Jewish, where he not have been, there would not have been any reason for her to covert, which is NOT to say that simply because of that she felt compelled or preasured.
JMHO
" Was it a birthday present or something?"
I have no idea, I can't look inside her head LoL
I do recall one interview in which she said she felt as he was running from his past / roots or something, denied it because there were too many unpleasant memories attached to i5b4t, and she felt as if something was missing. SHE started taking up an interest in Judaism and took HIM along on a journey he really did not want to have anything to do with prior to that.
"Fluff interviews are all about providing the easiest and most printable feel-good answer you can come up with. My money is on the idea that she felt pressure so she went ahead and did it"
In the same interview she goes on to say he was utterly surprised , even shocked/stunned when she said she wanted to convert to Judaism and told her several times he would never demand or expect her to do something as like this unless it was what she wanted to do herself To be honest to me that does not sound like a man preasuring his wife to be into anything. I take her word for it that's what happened. If I have to start doubting anything anyone says I will transform into a cynic of the first hour and I have no desire in doing so.
" It's only anecdotal evidence, but I know of several women who were given the "convert or the marriage is off" ultimatum by their secular Jewish fiancees and in-laws. I promise you others do as well. (That Edward Burns movie comes to mind as well.) I know this sort of ultimatum isn't unique to the Jewish faith. I'm sure other denominations do it too, but in my personal experience no one strong-arms quite like Jewish families."
Speaking as a Jew with a girfriend16d0 who is not Jewish; there is no way is hell I would allow any relative of mine to make any kind of demand like this to her. Nor can I think of a relative who would.
The reason is simple; if it does not come from within herself there's no point to it.
You may say this is an excaption but I'm not aware of any stories in which such a demand his been layed down by family.
Long reply, LoL but that's because the idea of forcing a person to convert to a religion they have no affination with sounds alien to me, in addition I don't think it would last. -
repete66211 — 18 years ago(August 17, 2007 09:09 AM)
Well I appreciate your calm, informed response. I have personal experience with the "compelled" conversions. A good friend of mine reluctantly complied with the demands because she loved the guy. It left a bitter taste in my mouth and should not have jumped to the conclusion that Capshaw was in a similar situation as my friend. My OP came across as a statement but I originally posted it as a question. Mea culpa.
That being said, I think it is interesting that someone would in essence abandon their heritage (on the surface any way) for that of the unobserved one of their spouse. She basically made an unsolicited "sacrifice" of sorts. I think it's suspicious whenever someone does that. I think it's fair to disclose that I don't have an issue with a conversion of one religion to another. My issue is with the coersion aspect, which you touched on yourself.
I am pleased to learn that you wish to avoid such requirements of your potential spouse. -
Raskel — 18 years ago(August 17, 2007 10:59 AM)
I'm sorry you had to witness your friend being (more or less) forced into a decicion like that. That can't have been easy on her, or for you. And I really don't have much sympathy for people who force others into a situation like that either (non in fact)
But I'111cm glad we were able to discuss this is a normal fashion.
That often seems very hard on forums.
So thank you to you as well. -
lilkunta3 — 18 years ago(December 09, 2007 06:22 AM)
Kate didnt abandon her heritage 4 the unobserved.
Im not sure what Kate was born as (baptist or xtian or whatever) but she did study judaism b4 converting. She didnt just do it 2 do it. She also brought Steven closer 2 it.
IndiaArie
TESTIMONY VOL 1:LIFE&RELATIONSHIP -
ContinentalOp — 14 years ago(June 19, 2011 05:36 AM)
''Kate didnt abandon her heritage 4 the unobserved. ''
Did she abandon her heritage? Not really. Judaism is not a heritage but a religion. The culture of most European Jews is a mix of German and Slavic with minor qualities from Turkic and Hungarian. Their culture, or heritage, is not the same as that of the old Hebrews or even Semitic Jews that still exist in places like north-African (not really Israel as that is a nation of immigrants).
If you are sick of the ''I love Jesus 100% signature'', copy and paste this into your profile! -
cajayson8301 — 14 years ago(July 23, 2011 04:38 AM)
Judaism is not a heritage but a religion.
It's both.well technically the word JUDAISM itself represents the proper name of the religion. One who practices that faith is obviously deemed a Jew or is Jewish. There's also of course Jewish heritage with many Jews tracing their roots through ancestors originally hailing from Central and Eastern Europe (Ashkernazi Jew), among other places
Urology department. Can you please hold? -
ContinentalOp — 13 years ago(March 05, 2013 02:25 AM)
No, it is just a religion. Israeli and Zionist sponsored race theories do not stand a chance against even pure logic. You obviously acknowledge that the main ancestors (at least) of the Ashkenazi Jews are Eastern European and Central European. That is correct, they are mostly Slavs. But that doesn't mean they are a race as race doesn't exist and they are not really that distinct ethnically from Russians, Poles etc. They are more an identity, caste or class even, than an actual ethnic groups.
This does not mean that ''Jews'' should find kinship with eachother. They should after the Holocaust - which was caused by the idea that Jews were a race to begin with.
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.