Amar'e Stoudemire is Jewish and You Can Too!

I don't mean to be crass, but are you kidding me? The Knicks' newest star, Amar'e Stoudemire, moves to New York from Phoenix and employs the most contrived PR campaign seen in some time. According to Haaretz and The Jersusalem Post Stoudemire has recently revealed himself to be a a Jew, or "Hebrew" as he refers to himself now that he is a member of The Tribe.

The proof? Simple: his mother mentioned that she may have some Jewish roots in her past. First Madeleine Albright, then Michelle Obama's cousin (a whole other story in and of itself), and now a six-foot-eight power forward from Florida.

It remains unclear how long Stoudemire has believed himself to be Jewish. Certainly this information was not pertinent when he played in Arizona, a state where a little over 1.5% of the population also claim the "Hebrew" faith. It also remains unclear which Public Relations firm, if any, is monitoring and controlling Stoudemire's communications from his @Amareisreal Twitter feed, newly featuring a New York skyline as the page's background. Judging by Stoudemire's business dealings in the past, as shown by this highly dubious arrangement, Stoudemire is pulling a Tom Cruise and flying solo.

Pardon the cynicism. If Amar'e Stoudemire wishes to be Jewish, he's more than welcome to embrace what he sees has his heritage. Yet, I can't help but see his embrace of what looks like a tenuous claim on Jewish roots, from a mother who is not exactly mother-of-the-year, as a lame attempt to pander to his new home and the stereotypes therein. One wonders if Stoudemire played for Sixers would he explore a lineage to Ben Franklin or if he went to play for The Jazz would he suddenly reveal a hidden Mormon bloodline. Furthermore, how does Stoudemire reconcile his interest in Judaism with the tattoo he sports of J.C.?

We're told he also has a Start of David tattoo, as well.

Stoudemire's earnest belief that he may be Jewish, and a trip to Israel to study Hebrew-- the language, not the people-- is harmless, to be sure. But it begs some very interesting questions that will not be covered here, specifically: what is a Jew and who decides when someone is Jewish and when are they just a poseur seeking favorable press fanfare? For the purpose of this blog, the questions we will ask are the following:

1. Can Amar'e Stoudemire turn his quest for a spiritual identity from something of a schoolboy's errand into a Public Relations win that enhances his brand in the same way Lou Alcindor took on a larger-than-life persona in his transformation to Kareem Abdul Jabaar?
2. What celebrity models does he have to copy?

To answer the second question, Madonna is surely not one to look to for an archetype. The world sees her embrace of Kaballah studies as nothing more than eccentric. Similarly, Muhammad Ali, perhaps the most famous sports convert in history, was looked on as too zealous to achieve mass acclimation of his devotion to his faith.

Two lesser known sports figures to whom Stoudemire can look for advice in how to truly embrace the Jewish religion while maintaining his superstar persona are Elliott Maddox, an African American former baseball player who converted to Judaism when he married. Another would be Shlomo Veingrad, an NFL player who became an Orthodox devotee. These players embrace of the religion was pious and genuine without any of the fanfare. America loves a loud superstar with a quiet faith in something higher. Of course, the great baseball maestro, Rod Carew would probably be worth seeking out, though he never actually converted.

Shlomo Veingrad: Dallas Cowboy

In answer to the first question, the problem now is that Stoudemire likes the idea of Judaism as a new adventure in his new home in which he hopes he will be a star. But, can he use this interest to move to a persona in which people see his faith as a boon rather than a silly bust. The answer, I believe, is simple: shut up, stupid. If Amar'e Stoudemire is to convince the world he is Jewish, and therefore open himself up to a new, potentially vibrant fanbase, he needs to quit Tweeting about sitting in cafes in Israel with his girlfriend and instead use his social media to discuss his diligent and focused study of Judaism in the fashion of a true convert.

Stoudemire would be best served finding a respected rabbi in the Big Apple and learn about the religion in a way that a non-celebrity convert would: study, practice, ritual, and routine. In short, if Stoudemire keeps his head down and quietly becomes a Jew, the power of his brand will increase exponentially by dint of the simple fact that he is a man in the public eye. Of course, he'd be a fool to not keep the public well apprised of his conversion path, and what better way to do so than Twitter and Facebook? But, a blog about an American black man's path to becoming Jewish would surely have the entire sports world abuzz, not to mention every Jewish basketball fan in the land.

Until Stoudemire shows a true commitment, rather than a "gee whiz, isn't being Jewish awesome!" mentality, no one will take this seriously, though Jews may find it notable. When he does see that transformation, the results could give him a social respect saved for few professional athletes these days. In the meantime, he may want to see a good dermatologist about the small matter of the Jesus tattoo (though he should keep the Star of David).

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