As if you needed a reason to vote W outta the White House, it turns out the Democratic candidate is one of ours. Digging through the Czech branch of John Kerry’s family tree, a staff member found that Kerry’s grandfather, Fritz Kohn, was born Jewish in the tiny village of Horni Benesov, then called Bennisch, on the Polish border. Fritz became Frederick Kere the Catholic after moving to the United States at the turn of the century.
“The repudiation of Jewish roots was common practice in the late 19th and early 20th century, according to Sarah Stein, an assistant history professor and specialist in modern European Jewish history at the University of Washington. ‘Converting from Judaism often created more business and social opportunities in those days,’ says Stein.”
Well, now it comes full circle, don’t it, Johnny? You’re gonna need every Jewish vote you can get in November…We look forward to seeing you at High Holiday services.