Is Benjamin Millepied Jewish? That seems to be the question of the day. Natalie Portman, who starred in “Black Swan” along with three other Jewish actresses all playing ballerinas (Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey), will marry Benjamin Millepied and have his baby.
Perez Hilton broke the news earlier today that not only is Natalie Portman now engaged to marry her choreographer from “Black Swan,” but that she is also pregnant. Now, Googlers the world over want to know if the Jewish/Israeli actress is marrying within the faith. Turns out that the French Benjamin Millepied is not an MOT.
According to the Israeli online paper Ha’aretz, the 29-year-old Israeli-born actress and Millepied, a well-regarded ballet dancer and choreographer, met during the making of Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller that stars Portman as a ballet dancer. Portman has been nominated for best actress by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild. Millepied played a small on-screen role in the film as a dancer.
UPDATE #1: While Cyberspace is buzzing about whether Natalie Portman's beau is a "Member of the Tribe" or not (ABC News reports his faith is unknown), New York City-based writer Marla Garfield is working the conspiracy theory angle. She wrote on Facebook: "I doubt that Millepied is even that guy's real last name. In French, it means 'a thousand feet,' and the dude plays a dancer in 'Black Swan.' That's just too ridiculous to be real. I bet his last name is Schwartzenbergerfeldowitz or something."
UPDATE #2: On January 29, 2014 JTA.org posted the following news about Benjamin Millepied:
French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, the husband of Jewish actress Natalie Portman, told an Israeli newspaper that he is converting to Judaism.
Millepied told the Hebrew-language Yediot Acharonot in an article published Wednesday that he is “in the middle of the conversion process.” He added that he hopes the process will “come to an end soon and I will become a Jew.”
Becoming Jewish is “very important for me,” Millepied told the newspaper.
The couple is in Israel through March as Portman casts the movie that she is directing based on “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” a book by Israeli author Amos Oz.
The couple will relocate to Paris, where Millepied will work as director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet
Portman said in September in an interview with the French magazine Madame Figaro that she is interested in becoming a French citizen.
“I don’t have the French nationality, but I would be love to get it. But I don’t know if it’s possible because I already have an American and an Israeli passport,” she said.
Portman and Millepied, who have a son named Aleph, were married in a Jewish wedding ceremony last year.
Rabbi for Weddings
According to the Israeli online paper Ha’aretz, the 29-year-old Israeli-born actress and Millepied, a well-regarded ballet dancer and choreographer, met during the making of Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller that stars Portman as a ballet dancer. Portman has been nominated for best actress by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild. Millepied played a small on-screen role in the film as a dancer.
UPDATE #1: While Cyberspace is buzzing about whether Natalie Portman's beau is a "Member of the Tribe" or not (ABC News reports his faith is unknown), New York City-based writer Marla Garfield is working the conspiracy theory angle. She wrote on Facebook: "I doubt that Millepied is even that guy's real last name. In French, it means 'a thousand feet,' and the dude plays a dancer in 'Black Swan.' That's just too ridiculous to be real. I bet his last name is Schwartzenbergerfeldowitz or something."
UPDATE #2: On January 29, 2014 JTA.org posted the following news about Benjamin Millepied:
French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, the husband of Jewish actress Natalie Portman, told an Israeli newspaper that he is converting to Judaism.
Millepied told the Hebrew-language Yediot Acharonot in an article published Wednesday that he is “in the middle of the conversion process.” He added that he hopes the process will “come to an end soon and I will become a Jew.”
Becoming Jewish is “very important for me,” Millepied told the newspaper.
The couple is in Israel through March as Portman casts the movie that she is directing based on “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” a book by Israeli author Amos Oz.
The couple will relocate to Paris, where Millepied will work as director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet
Portman said in September in an interview with the French magazine Madame Figaro that she is interested in becoming a French citizen.
“I don’t have the French nationality, but I would be love to get it. But I don’t know if it’s possible because I already have an American and an Israeli passport,” she said.
Portman and Millepied, who have a son named Aleph, were married in a Jewish wedding ceremony last year.
73 comments:
ABC News has quoted Natalie Portman in an interview she gave to ynetNews.com four years ago. Portman said, "A priority for me is definitely that I'd like to raise my kids Jewish, but the ultimate thing is to have someone who is a good person and who is a partner."
Portman's a self-hater. She says herself she avoids "Jewish roles."
It's no wonder she married a non-Jew.
Portman's a self-hater. She said herself she avoids "Jewish roles."
It's no wonder she's marrying a non-Jew.
I don't think it's fair to say she's a self hater just because she refuses jewish roles. She has played Jewish roles, but she said that she does not like the genre of holocaust movies and she gets asked to do many of those.
When I saw your comment, I was reminded of woody allen's famous quote. He , "Most people think that I'm a self hating Jew. But really I'm just a Jewish man who happens to hate himself!"
Mazel Tov to Natalie and her guy...life is short....be happy with who you are not for other People (haters)!
I've always wondered by famous Jews have a much higher intermarriage rate. Even old-timers like Al Jolson and Groucho Marx married out well before it was in vogue.
I wonder what prompts this departure from normalcy among the famous stars of our people?
Jason, love that when I went to google Benjamin Millipied Jewish your post came up. I'd agree with your take on the "Jewish Roots" thing. I'd guess that there are not so many French men with the name Benjamin who don't come from Jewish families. Keep us posted!
Hopefully they will move to Israel together.
I thought Natalie Portman said in an interview once that she was Orthodox Jewish. Perhaps she believes that she can still have her faith and accept the fact that her husband will have his own religious beliefs.
I am going with Sara's comment. Frenchman named Benjamin. Millipied is most likely a stage name.
a swan has swooned
I would imagine not marrying inside the faith of Judaism is a desire not to have your children turn out completely and totally evil. But that's just a guess.
Benjamin Millepied is Jewish and comes from a Jewish background but he is not practicing.
Many French actors and actresses are Jewish. Michael Vartan,Flora Cross, Catherine Deneuve,Emmanuelle Béart,Mélanie Laurent etc
I feel and hope that your instincts are correct. I don't see Natalie betraying her heritage like that _____ Bar Refaeli (I'm using a _____ instead of a less polite term).
Also, to the poster talking about Isla Fisher, she is a legitimate convert (and a good looking one at that!) Kudos to Cohen on pulling that one off.
Why are Jews so self obsessed with hatred and marrying other Jews?
I just saw the film "Inside a Skinhead" yesterday and tried to figure out what the message was/is.
I mean, there must be something else in your life than your faith.
I'll be sad if he isn't Jewish. I already expect Jewish celebs to intermarry most of the time. Thing about Portman though is I heard her make statements about wanting to have a Jewish family and I respected her for it. I don't know if she is self-hating, but I would definitely see her as less genuine and more flakey.
Natalie Portman is not a self-hater. She's a passionate defender of Israel and speaks Hebrew when being interviewed by the Israeli media. Most importantly Natalie has never hidden her Jewish heritage like many actors have.
Natalie's comment on not wanting to play Jewish roles was misunderstood. She was referring to the Jewish themed movie scripts she was being sent that had the stereotypical sad, depressed Jewish characters.
Even though I don't agree with Natalie's position on dating/marrying non-Jews I understand that most secular Jews were raised by their parents that way. At least she was raised with a strong Jewish identity.
It would be great to see more Jewish celebrities marry within the tribe but at least Natalie's children will be Jewish.
To the commentator who brought up Ivanka Trump;
Your information is wrong. Ivanka did not have an Orthodox conversion or any real Jewish conversion for that matter. Ivanka had a quickie phony "conversion" just to marry Jared Kushner.
Ivanka is definately not living a Jewish lifestyle. she violates the Sabbath, is not kosher and dresses in very revealing clothes. Ivanka has been photographed wearing very mini-skirts, back-baring dresses and tops that show most of her cleavage.
I agree with you that Most "conversions" are a joke and Ivanka's is the biggest joke of all.
"...and a certain scene with Mia Kunis in "Black Swan" which violates Leviticus 18)"
Are you serious??? It's a movie...it's all pretend...it's nonsense like this why despite my great respect for Torah I will never become Orthodox.
And by the way even if her hubby is not Jewish, her kids will be and I am sure she will raise them that way. I am 87.5% Jewish which means my great grandmother on my father's side married and non-Jew, was cast out from her family and yet her child (my grandpa) was raised Jewish and married a Jewish girl (my grandma) and so did my father, and so did I. The result: a Jewish generation with improved genetic diversity, which is a plus.
Nicole: You need to study Lev. 18 more in depth. You are not correct by any reading of the text.
I have no idea where this "she avoids Jewish roles" comes from. She played _Anne Frank_ on Broadway (nicely, I might add). On the Lantzmanometer, that's one step below "Yentl", fer G-d's sake. Anyway, Ben's a very lucky guy, and mazal tov to the happy couple.
Well, even Hindus like to have their children marry within their faith and preferably within their race. This is just a way of keeping their culture/faith alive and blossoming. Nothing wrong with some expresssing the wish that Natalie marry within her faith. This is because both Hindus/jews are generazlly a non-evangelical faiths and dont preach to others to convert.
Natalie Portman has a point. Marry for love and work with your partner to establish a Jewish household. I am Jewish and my girlfriend is Christian. We have spoken about marriage and raising children. She knows I want a Jewish household and children and we are learning how to progress in this manner. I wish them the best and hope they have a wonderful marriage!
To: Anonymous, at 2:41 PM
Your comment: "I am 87.5% Jewish"
You sound like a Nazi doctor... :(
Uh... she avoids Jewish roles because she doesn't want to be typecast. HOWEVER, she HAS played Jews before! "A project has to hold special appeal, like last year's New York, I Love You, in which she played a Hasidic bride..." Do your homework before you make idiotic, inflammatory comments.
The above comment could not be more true: “When your anti-gentile and racist comments are pointed out, you go on the back pedal and say it's in the name of faith and culture preservation.”
Wasps, who were and are still the majority in the US, tried the same “preservation” argument and it was given the axe by the general American community. If groups that make up the majority are expected to be sensitive to the out-group, then it’s only insane, and/or willfully blind to be a member of the minority and think insensitivity, e.g., ethnocentrism, is O.K. If it hurts to be an under-represented minority, think how infuriating it is to be an unrepresented majority.
Many of the American Jews commenting here clearly miss these points. It seems that for some of you being Jewish is all, and being an American is secondary. If this is so, then as an American, I have no faith in your will for our homeland. If that is truly the case, then NO, I DO NOT WANT YOU VOTING or LOBBYING HERE. Go to Israel and vote…at least there your political muscle will be in keeping with the majority, not thwarting it. In a republic, the biggest voices should belong to the masses, not the minority will or special interest.
Open minded Jews, and I’ve known a few, need to hammer down (intellectually) on friends and family members who think being ethnocentric in a mixed nation, in which they are a tiny minority, is O.K. A person or peoples, whoever they are, need to consider thinking and giving equally before asking so cheaply for what they care not to give.
I don’t think Jews want to live in a country that is 98.5% gentile, and perpetuate their own ethnocentrism, only to have it bite them on the ass when the majority reevaluates it’s more tolerant modern push, by taking notes from a healthy percentage of Jews acting ethnocentric and racist. Basically, don’t act like your special by virtue of what family you were born into, because you’re not special or chosen--you are a human, period.
The above comment could not be more true: “When your anti-gentile and racist comments are pointed out, you go on the back pedal and say it's in the name of faith and culture preservation.”
Wasps, who were and are still the majority in the US, tried the same “preservation” argument and it was given the axe by the general American community. If groups that make up the majority are expected to be sensitive to the out-group, then it’s only insane, and/or willfully blind to be a member of the minority and think insensitivity, e.g., ethnocentrism, is O.K. If it hurts to be an under-represented minority, think how infuriating it is to be an unrepresented majority.
Many of the American Jews commenting here clearly miss these points. It seems that for some of you being Jewish is all, and being an American is secondary. If this is so, then as an American, I have no faith in your will for our homeland. If that is truly the case, then NO, I DO NOT WANT YOU VOTING or LOBBYING HERE. Go to Israel and vote…at least there your political muscle will be in keeping with the majority, not thwarting it. In a republic, the biggest voices should belong to the masses, not the minority will or special interest.
Open minded Jews, and I’ve known a few, need to hammer down (intellectually) on friends and family members who think being ethnocentric in a mixed nation, in which they are a tiny minority, is O.K. A person or peoples, whoever they are, need to consider thinking and giving equally before asking so cheaply for what they care not to give.
I don’t think Jews want to live in a country that is 98.5% gentile, and perpetuate their own ethnocentrism, only to have it bite them on the ass when the majority reevaluates it’s more tolerant modern push, by taking notes from a healthy percentage of Jews acting ethnocentric and racist. Basically, don’t act like your special by virtue of what family you were born into, because you’re not special or chosen--you are a human, period.
I'm a Jew first. But as a Jew, I follow the ethics and tenets of our faith. Among them is to be a good and loyal citizen in the country we happen to live in. That's why I consider myself a good American and am proud to live in the good ole USofA. But as a Jew, first, I want to see my people survive. The high rate of intermarriage happening for the first time in our long history threatens our survival. I don't want the Jewish people to become extinct. That's why I, and Jews with a strong Jewish identity, feel pain when we witness so many of our children marrying non-Jews. I hope for our people's sake that Natalie Portman's husband will be a Jew.
“The high rate of intermarriage happening for the first time in our long history threatens our survival.” --SavtaShayna
= Bullshit, Hitler said the same thing was happening to the Germans. This kind of thinking is dangerous, and yes, ETHNOCENTRIC, thus WRONG.
We are in America. Jewish homogeneity is what Israel is for. Intermarriage of Jews in America is not new, in fact, 50% of the Jewish population for the last several generations has been intermarrying. But, so have the English, and Dutch, and Italians, and Irish, and Chinese, and every other homogenized group that comes here—good, this is the American way. I disagree with HYPHENATED AMERICANS, as this attitude is arrogance and self obsession masked as cultural preservation.
Be Warned: Ethnocentrism always leads to disdain by those outside of the self-aggrandizing ethnicity.
One should understand the importance of pluralism, and the dangers of tribalism.
Here’s a good book for anyone interested in critical thinking, and American civil values: The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (A nationally acclaimed historian and essayist)
Be a human, all else is ego driven identity layers, and pointless.
“The high rate of intermarriage happening for the first time in our long history threatens our survival.” --SavtaShayna
= Bullshit, Hitler said the same thing was happening to the Germans. This kind of thinking is dangerous, and yes, ETHNOCENTRIC, thus WRONG.
We are in America. Jewish homogeneity is what Israel is for. Intermarriage of Jews in America is not new, in fact, 50% of the Jewish population for the last several generations has been intermarrying. But, so have the English, and Dutch, and Italians, and Irish, and Chinese, and every other homogenized group that comes here—good, this is the American way. I disagree with HYPHENATED AMERICANS, as this attitude is arrogance and self obsession masked as cultural preservation.
Be Warned: Ethnocentrism always leads to disdain by those outside of the self-aggrandizing ethnicity.
One should understand the importance of pluralism, and the dangers of tribalism.
Here’s a good book for anyone interested in critical thinking, and American civil values: The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (A nationally acclaimed historian and essayist)
How in the world could she lower herself to sleep with a guy with a sausage? yeck. How disgusting.
HATE TO TELL ALL OF YOU................................. WE ARE ALL GOING TO THE SAME PLACE DARLINGS!!!! WHO CARES WHAT WHO IS! I DONT KNOW MANY CATHOLICS WHO SHUT OUT OTHER RELIGIONS FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES. BUT JEWS?? I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ONLY WILL ALLOW THEIR OWN IN THEIR LIFE COMMUNITIES. MY UNCLE MARRIED A JEWISH WOMAN, AMAZING SHE ONLY HAD HIM WIHT JEWISH FRIENDS NEVER ANY OTHERS ALLOWED IN THEIR LIFE! AMAZING! MY UNCLE HAD MARRIED A JEWISH WOMAN AND HAD 2 CHILDREN, WELL HE JUST PASSED AND HIS OWN DAUGHTER DOES NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH US BECAUSE WE ARE NOT JEWISH AND SHE IS ONLY CLOSE WITH HER MOTHERS FAMILY WHO IS JEWISH. AGAIN I WILL ASK, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THAT ODDNESS WHEN AT THE END OF THE DAY WE ARE ALL GOING TO THS SAME PLACE!
She is beautiful, no matter who she marries. http://www.YA-Blog.com
The vast majority of these comments are judgmental and ignorant at best, but generally vitriolic racism. There is nothing with Jews- a sui generis group that contains elements of a unique ethnicity, culture, values, history and religion- wanting to continue to exist. Jewish existence in the diaspora is threatened by assimilation. Intermarriage often results in a lack of continuity and the end of the Jewish heritage. Caring about Jewish survival is neither ethnocentric nor racist. Being a loyal and contributing American does not require betraying your responsibility: on the contrary, the American heritage is one that celebrates every identity that accepts the core principles of our society.
When a Jewish celebrity, a role model and exemplar of the positive values- both Jewish and American- of our society, makes a choice indicating that Jewish identity and continuity do not matter to them, that their sense of responsibility to their ancient heritage is insufficient to inspire them to nurture that heritage then yes, it legitimately concerns and worries those of us who are passionately committed to the American Jewish heritage.
Those of us of the Jewish community in America- a community that has and continues to make significant contributions to American society- who do care about Jewish continuity are motivated by an idea ennunciated by philosopher Emil Fackenheim: do not give posthumous victories. Sixty years ago, six million Jews were murdered. It is neither racist nor ethnocentric nor anything less than affirming of humanity to want to respond to the hatred and evil of the Shoah (Holocaust) than to wish to build, to nurture and to continue. Neither the racism such as that demonstrated in other responses nor the egotism demonstrated by Jews who turn their back on their identity and responsiblity will ultimately prevail. Just as tyranny and oppression always wither and fall and life wins out, so will Judaism, which is a culture and identity that affirms every human being's Godliness and sanctity, continue, for the world still needs to hear this message.
I just hope that someone with the talents and gifts of Ms. Portman will not abandon the heritage that has contributed to her character and enabled her to achieve what she has. The fact that she has chosen to become pregnant before marriage speaks poorly to her awareness of her responsibility as someone whom our society has honored by celebrity.
What an awful disgusting evil racist comment to make "Natalie is a self hater".
Since WHEN do you or anyone else KNOW what roles she turns down? So what if she desires roles based on character vs. your tiny little race based agenda?
Natalie Portman is clearly a bigger human being than you will ever be...She is HUMAN first and foremost!
Why is John Kerry labelled a self-hating Jew? Kerry was born in 1943and it was only in 2003 that a journalist discovered that Kerry's paternal grandparents were born Jewish (Kohn and Löwe). They changed their name to Kerry in 1900 and converted from Judaism to Roman Catholicism in 1901 i.e. 42 years before John Kerry was born! Kerry was born RC and carried a rosary, a prayer book, and a St. Christopher medal when he campaigned for the presidency. Just don't see how someone like that can be called either Jewish or self-hating.
In a perfect world, people would just love each other despite their (mothers) background.
On the other side, I could never ever marry a woman that would even think we could raise are child jewish, christian or whatever story she can come up with.
Wasn't Portman involved in this dress scandal? What did she do when Israel attacked and killed these Turkish ships?....
i am by no means close to them, but am jewish myself so am pretty curious and when i spoke to them i flat out asked if he was jewish. they both got really nervous glancing at each other and tried to change the subject. then he said what does it matter. after a little prodding, they basically stated in so many words that he is not jewish, and that it is a bit of a problem with her family, and she is worried how people in israel will take it. since she is sort of like the flower of israel, she worried some fans will be upset she is settling down with a non-jew, so they are just keeping the whole thing a private affair. i got the impression they will let the cat out of the bag gradually. even i had to admit they make a really sexy couple though, natalie being as pretty as she is and ben with his ice blue eyes. their child should be really beautiful
I am amazed at some of these comments. First of all, the fact that Portman is an "actress" is completely irrelevant. What she does on screen has a direct impact on the youth that are watching as well as whom she inspires. She collects millions for it, and although it may very well be acting to some of you, the morality of some of her films is wrong, and she will one day answer for that to a greater power. As for her Jewishness, if that is what she wants in HER life, to raise HER family that way, then more power to her. I for one believe that Jews should marry Jews, and Christians should marry Christians, not because of separatism, but to keep the values and traditions alive. So those who criticize her, just leave her alone, it is HER life to be a Jew and wat to have a Jewish family. But at the same time, leave the Christians alone too, they have the same rights....
Mazel tov Nati and Ben! Yes, as a jew I'd love to see our faith, our tribe, our culture continue to exist, and therefore I'd like to see Natalie and Ben (..but also my jewish friend Patrick and his wonderful Chinese wife Qing) raise their kids jewish. But I would feel ashamed to accuse them, as love just doesn't follow these thoughts. Also my Catholic colleague and friend was afraid to tell his parents his girlfriend soon to be wife is protetant!
But looking at the different shades of skin of my jewish sisters and brothers, I must recognize, that we all have mixed over the past thousands of years in the diaspora, and we are still there...
And the self-inflicted law, that only the maternal line counts, is not a traditional jewish law, but just a creative answer to mass rapes of jewish women in the middle ages (when the fathers religion was unknown).
Sometimes I wish our today keepers of faith would be as creative as our praised teachers in the middle ages, alot of arrogance towards kids with paternal Jewish backgrounds, that want to be Jewish could be omitted and we would be more open, without beeing proselyting.
So back to Nathalie: I love her acting, her fragile beautiful look, her standing up for my home Israel and Hadassah hospital, and I hope your love will be strong and happy, and all the nasty things written here will not get to her. Self-hating is such a rude expression, and describes a lost state a person might be in going through a phase of self searching, but I don't see any evidence for that in her; and after all - who are we to judge?
Why are Jews so racist? Why so exclusionary? Recently I was at the Keshet charity event in Chicago and the brochure stated that Keshet helps disabled children of all backgrounds, but then a speaker said "please give monry so Keshet can continue helping our Jewish children!". Then a fraternity brother (middle-aged) referenced the Jewish fraternity and said "and we are unappologetically a Jewish only fraternity!" Ummm...racism? Yes. Then Keshet had the disabled kids sing and out of all two hundred or so of the kids, NONE of them were black. Not one. In fact I'd have to say that they all looked somewhat alike. It turned what should have been a festive night into something that just felt odd and wrong. I felt a bit off the entire rest of the evening. It was as though I had witnessed something macabre... If that is how Jews really are, then I would I think they would be best advised to not advertise it. EMAIL: rancidroacher@hotmail.com
"Anonymous said...
I would have never married a non Jew and hope that my kids will marry Jewish too. That is not racist. I take pride in my people, in their history, their values and love our customs and holidays and I want our people to survive and thrive. A racist view would mean that I deny others the right to intermarry, which I don't. If any of my kids will marry Gentiles, I would accept and welcome them into the family. I'd be a tad sad, but I trust that my kids will chose good people to spend their lives with."
HITLER said the same thing about Jews mixing with GERMANS!
Sickening Stockholm syndrome or did he know something about Jews that we are just now reading out in the open in the USA.
REAL American people of Jewish decent could care less of what someone's back ground is...those are REAL JEWS!!!!!!!!!!
RACISM (make NO MISTAKE...THIS is racism regardless of the fake cloak of "religion")of any kind, even "hidden" behind "Religion" is toxic poison that has NO PLACE in Human Spirituality.
"Anonymous said...
How in the world could she lower herself to sleep with a guy with a sausage? yeck. How disgusting.
7:17 AM"
Honey...The GERMANS, SPANISH, ROMANS, Egyptians and GOD only knows how many others have said the same about YOU!
You are sooo sad and pathetic.
You guys are friggin amazing!!!
How many times have I seen Jewish intellectuals decrying White racism and demanding that we all mix and become one nice brown people?
Let me get this straight..... Jews are allowed to be ethnocentric, but Whites aren't?
I am beginning to understand why you people have been kicked out of 70 odd countries.
calm down every body. He is Jewish. I know this exactly as I took singing tuitions in University there and met him very many times in different situations. He is not talking about it much but we all knew and I am sorry but open you eyes immediately and use them for the diract perpose which they are given to you. About that Natalie avoids "Jewish" roles. It's just not too much fun to realise with each part of your body by her kind of acting that not long ago we all were hunted and killed as a bunch of infected animals. She is just normal sensible girl. It's just hard things to do, to refresh this all in each form. Even simple talks about this subject cost my sleep from time to tame. And because she as good as not many were before, she doesn't want to ruin her nerves. She deserves to live long and to experience her grandchildren doesn't she? And if she does this again, she'll sey to the entire world not wbout how noisy we can cry but something completely different. This subject is the most important for the humans rase now. She knows about it exactly and just works on reducing of amount of sides in this script, I am certain. And those, who critisise, have to ask themselves if it's not that Russians predominantely marry Russians, Chinese marry Chinese, Germans marry Germans and why Jewish should necessarily marry whome you like? Why do we not have right to relax at home with husband and not to wait, when once it, the Jewish question. Why should we do this to our parents, grandparents and to ourselves. Oh, please. M. Cotliar
This heated debate on ethnocentrism vs. Judaic survival would not be occuring here if it wasn't for this one particular fact that so very few seem to mention: Natalie Portman is HOT.
I like Jews. But the reality, my friends, is this: Jews like to marry other Jews because they think Jewish "blood" or lineage is of better stock than Gentile. Everyone knows, but does not want to admit, that there is an anti-Gentile strain in Judaism that is certainly less demonic than anti-Semitism, but is very troubling nonetheless. What if USA branded itself a "Christian" country, as many Jews want to brand Israel a "Jewish" state: wouldn't USA Jews be upset at this? Why do Jews demand equality when not in Israel, but declare superiority of Jewishness when in Israel? Why so hypocritical? I ask my friends on the Left to help me understand...
Interesting that she changed her very Jew surname - Herschlag to Portman -
Either way, I like her not - She comes across as condescending, arrogant and a psuedo-intellectual. She may have attended Harvard but she cannot string an articulate sentence together.
At least he's White. Religion = 5000 years old. Judaism = 3000 years old. Whiteness = 100,000 years old. There's no comparable tradition. Judaism is a flash in the pan, and race will be around long after it's gone.
Mazal Tov to Natalie and Benjamin. The most important thing is that they will be good parents, spend quality time with their children and have a happy marriage.
Thankfully the jewish faith is based upon peace and introspection, nonviolence and world peace, as is hinduism... And it hasnt been radicalised by numerous wars with europeans and arabs.
that said, i dont believe that marrying someone of the same faith is true to principles of friendship and openness.
I come from a very philosemitic, although majorly atheistic family, being an atheist myself.
The greatest love of my life is Jewish. A woman I will love above and beyond everything, to my deathbed, no matter if I find love again or not. I wasn't a kid when we met, actually we were both well in our-mid 20's, in college.
She broke my heart, leading me on the bridge of suicide, one of the main reasons invoked by her for our relationship never to materialize, being the fact that I am not Jewish. In the words of Chaplin, I indeed do not have the honor.
I took on a therapy, but I doubt it will do any good, even if I keep it up for the next 27 years, like Woody...
Now, when I read some comments - or hear from close Jewish friends -going on at lenghts about interrmariage causing a nearly renewed-holocaust, I sometimes wonder if those people stating them are truly measuring the consequences of such devastating nonsense. This is idiocy at its most sublime, for I know it not to be racism. Not that blunt narrow-mindeness is any better than the latter.
What kind of perverted logic makes my devoted feelings fall into the abyss of reductio ad Hitlerum????
Feeling pain for one's children marrying outside a religion???
Try losing your job, your friends, and a member of your family out of depression, for they had lost the will to fight cancer, by witnessing the downward spiral my life had taken. And my absolute ineptness to fight for my life back; it took my a burial to do so!!!
Try that, and see how it feels. Try it, and then we'll talk.
To Natalie: Shalom, amie, et longue vie!
Russians marry Russians, Italians Italians and Irish Irish because they're living in ethnically still pretty 'homogenous' countries. Yet they don't exclude the possibility of marrying somebody of a different heritage like you do. If somebody from a tiny minority (like Diaspora Jews but also Russians, Turks etc.) in a multicultural society like the US deliberately seeks only people within that minority it clearly shows he/she has an ethnocentric, suprematist or even racist agenda.
If you like it that way then just emigrate to Israel, which is as 'pure' as it gets and please just bring ALL your likeminded mates with you!
But then don't complain if also other ethnicities just wish to do the same, and we'll all happily live in a 'pure', racially segregated world.
Other ethnicities disappeared in the course of history by 'melting' into new nations (Visigoths, Longobards, Etruscans...) and the world didn't end because of that. It would be the same if you also disappear in the Diaspora by means of intermarriage. If you don't like it, as I said, just go to Israel. You shook the world upside down (and still doing it) to eventually obtain your ethnic homeland, then just be consequent...
I have a sincere question. Why is it that when a Christian says he/she would not marry a Jew and only a Christian they're often considered anti-semtic but when a Jew says the same about only marrying another Jew there is no criticism - it is considered okay? Thanks.
Some of the above comments have claimed that the Jewish community's concern for the prevalence of intermarriage amongst American Jews stems from a desire to preserve ancient Jewish culture and traditions, and that it is therefore not an act of racism or homogeneity. Some have stated that intermarriage is often closely associated with the loss of traditional Jewish custom and that, in this sense, the attempt at keeping marital pairings within the 'tribe' is not dissimilar from other religions, including Hinduism.
I would agree with this were it not for the fact that (Orthodox) Judaism actively resists the inclusion of non-Jews into the faith. It's such a convenient fact to ignore and, coupled with the (absolutely horrific) suffering of Jews during the Nazi regime's holocaust, remains a staunch justification for what would be considered blatant racism were it any other ethnicity. The very fact that I use the word 'ethnicity' without flinching when describing those of Jewish faith says it all really.
I think Jews shoot themselves in the foot; they claim to want their 'people' (read: bloodline - scarily similar to the Nazi eugenics research in the 30s) to survive. Yet by refusing to allow those who aren't BORN Jewish the capacity to become so, you're threatening your own survival to far greater detriment.
I am a non-Jewish female and have dated Jewish men, and I find the faith and its history incredibly interesting. I would be supportive of my children being raised with the inclusion of Jewish customs and awareness of their culture and history, if that was the wish of the person I loved.
But when you create rules that mandate that one person is somehow more blessed or more biologically aligned with a religious ideology because they contain a certain genealogy, you're no longer preserving traditions, you're merely using that as a guise for the quest for purity of race. And I honestly do not think that past persecution of Jews, however awful (and I acknowledge, it has been awful) justifies the practice of the same close-minded, not to mention dangerous, 'closed-community breeding' that (ironically) was practiced by the Germans during the interwar period and WWII. Do Orthodox Jewish people honestly have such little regard for the potential of human beings to believe that a mind fuelled by 'gentile' blood cannot absorb the ideas of, and a passion for, Judaism?
Life is too short to worry about such things. If you find someone with whom you can share life and be happy, go for it! I married my 'Shicksa Goddess' 8 years ago and have had the best years of my life with more to come. We are culturally aware and observant of both of our religious backgrounds and have grown because of it.
Mazal Tov to Natalie & Benjamin.
listen...if you marry for love and comfort...then you will eventualy whipe out your cultural heritage.
For thousand of years people married for creation of life and
preservation of culture and bulogical belinging to a group of people with same heritage. Not only jews. All nations. There wouold be no french, british, german russian nations without
sharing the same bilogical comonality. We all would be just humans if the culture of our ancestors is unknown. Daa. It is proposterous to call Jewish preservation rasist. Rasists and nazists are defined by attacking the 'other' groups of people that are not of their heritage. Jews attack nobody. Jew contribute to human sosciety no lss (if not more) then any other predefined group of people united by their genetic similaries. Jews do not kill anybody, disrepect anybody, or
try to attack anybody. We lived in Europe for 2 thousand years...and never pretended to claim that any of Europian teritory belongs to us. We do not grab what we know was given to us out of hospitality and tolerance (most of the time). And when we were hated, we moved to other countries to survive...and did not try to claim the ownership for the places we had to live in order to survive and continue the human race.
SO, after being whiped out from Europe by most sivilized people on eart, we had no choice but to push our way into the only place that we have the right to call our birthplace...Israel. For the first time we had to learn to fight for our right to our lend in 2 thousand years. Yes, many acuse us
of all kind of things. It is insane to even presume that we can be idfentifed with nazies or rasists...because we do not HATE, we do not sream hate, we respect. It is my right as human being to be proud of my cultural background
and pass it on to my children. I do not even believe in God...never saw one and i am sure if one would exist, holocoust would not happened. Does not matter. I am an American first of all and a jew becaus of by genetic background (to the best of my knowledge). I want my kids to be proud of the thier Jewish history, achievments of Jewish people and continue to contibute to the Jewish genetic and cultural pool. Very simple. we jews are not better then the rest of people. We are not different then the rest of people. We simply proud of what we have accomplished (like a kid in the shool that trying to get an A for work he is done).
Henry Winkler had no problem marrying a Jewish Woman. With all that fame he remembered that shared cultural,religous, and historical experiences make for a couple who understand each other the second they meet.
"As for his Jewish identity, Winkler and his parents are examples of Jewish survival and success, and Winkler said that he presents that to audiences simply by presenting himself."
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Another couple Jewish boys that America turned into "happen to be Jews" Not that they aint proud but their is a lot more to pride then just being born to a particular people or religon.
Benjamin millepied is his real name and he doesn't deserve any of your insulting and hateful comments.
I see why she didn't marry a jew now. No point stirring all this heinous superiority complex in your own home.
Feel sorry for you people
Reading your comments, no wonder you people got persecuted from the beginning of times
With all due respect, this is why I don't take you seriously. Let's look at Vaykira 18 where homosexuality is talked about: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination." The converse applies: women shall not lie with each other as with men. That means that (for a lack of a better explanation) even pretend oral sex between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis was wrong.
Off subject but relevant now that Anonymous asks: John Kerry is a Self-Hating Jew (even if he was then unintentionally) because he supports a party of, with few exceptions, Anti-Israel and Anti-Jewish values: abortion, same-sex marriage, class warfare, etc.
Oh! They do look great together and to think that they will pick that country for their wedding.
moving to israel
Wow...that was so well said it gave me goosebumps. So sad that your words will not penetrate any of them. Religion is the silliest thing in the world and this religion takes the cake. A god would never choose one race over another...man does that, and man created your silly torah to help uplift a repressed culture. Your traditions are archaic and ridiculous. Who cares if natalie married a jew or not. He is a human being and she obviously loves him. I cannot believe we are not more evolved than this in our thinking
I wonder is her children will marry Jewish....Not! Of course they will NOT. Another one bites the dust!
It would be wonderful if Gentiles would stop marrying Jews. After seeing what happened to Billy Joel's ex-wife and the child they produced > a gorgon.
I know Portman got a nose job. Perhaps she does not want to look too Jewish. Anyway in terms of looks and acting ability she is highly over rated. Of course, it helps being Jewsih in Hollywood.
Oh... i just dont believe that in the curent century there is still a discrimination
" I don't see Natalie betraying her heritage like that _____ Bar Refaeli"
Never knew a day would come when i would have to defend bar refaeli, but here it is. How is BR betraying her heritage? -Because she dated Leo?? You got to be kidding?!
If anything she does a great job showing this beautiful modern side of Israel and what being fully jewish means!
Catherine Denueve and Benjamin Millepied are both Baptized Catholic. Benjamin is a common name between Christians and Jews, like many common names between Muslims and Jews, but who care and what's a big deal? As long they believe and warship the same God.
Hope they stay married for many many years to come and wish them endless happiness.
People should just not marry outside their faith.and then expect their partner to convert! As a Christian, I wouldn't.People should be proud enough to keep their own faith.
As a proud Christian I'm always struck by people who convert anyway? If I thought of dating and possibly marrying a jewish girl, I not only wouldn't convert, but would never expect her to either.It makes sense to stay with your own faith.Period!
I don't understand why she converted anyway?I'm Christian and would not consider it.You can love and marry whomever you choose, why one would loose their faith is beyond me!
I hear ya! Thanks for posting.
Post a Comment