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This article endeavours to list some notable people who have converted, or are believed to have converted, to Judaism. Their notability is based either on outside endeavors for otherwise famous people, or on circumstances which would make their conversion itself to be notable -- such as professional clergy from other religions. The article does not differentiate between the different branches of Judaism. See also Who is a Jew? on issues related to the acceptance of conversions throughout the Jewish community.

(A number of prominent figures, such as Madonna, have recently become followers of "new age" version of Kabbalah, derived from the body of Jewish mystical teaching also called Kabbalah, but do not consider themselves – and are not considered – Jewish.)

List of converts to Judaism from Christianity
Although some people notable for arts or sciences have happened to convert to Judaism, there is a small group of people who are notable because they have converted to Judaism: professional clergy from other religions. In some cases conversion meant persecution or even death. In other cases conversion simply meant a change in career.

Christian Proselyte Communities

 * Abayudaya
 * Bnei Menashe
 * Bene Ephraim Claim to be Jews who converted to Christianity, then converted back to Judaism
 * B'nai Moshe (Inca Jews)
 * San Nicandro Jews
 * Subbotniks
 * Veracruz Jews

Former Christian clergy and Christian theologians

 * Abraham the Monk converted to Judaism in the 600's
 * Bishop Bodo, confessor to Louis the Pious
 * Obadiah the Proselyte (musician) or Obadiah the Proselyte (priest) (né Johannes), priest and composer
 * Robert Reddinge English preaching friar, of the Dominican order; converted to Judaism about 1275
 * Nicolas Antoine
 * Aleksei (former archpriest)
 * Abba Sabra, former Archbishop of Ethiopian Christianity
 * Abba Saga, son of the Ethiopian king Zara Yaqob, and a monk of Ethiopian Christianity.
 * Juan Carrasco (former Augustin friar)
 * Johann Peter Spaeth, German theologian "Johann Peter Spaeth (about 1642-1701), author of an attack on Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-politicus, finally became a Jewish convert, called himself "Moses Germanus," and was even circumcised a few years before his death in 1697"
 * Andrew/Andreas, the Archbishop of Bari, a city in Southern Italy, declared himself a Jew upon a journey to Constantinople in 1066 and subsequentally fled to Egypt.
 * Wecelin, a cleric who worked for Duke Conrad of Carinthia, the nephew of Emperor Conrad II, accepted Judaism sometime about 1005. There is written evidence that Wecelin published a brief tract against Christianity. Wecelin, who may have fled to Egypt, is only one of many 11th century converts described in the Cairo Genizah.
 * Cornelio Da Montalcino, (a Franciscan friar who had embraced Judaism, and was burned alive on the Campo dei Fiori.)
 * Dionis (former priest)
 * Diego de Assumpcao, 16th to 17th century Fransiscan friar.

Former Christian clergy and Christian theologians (1970s to present)

 * Asher Wade an ex-Methodist pastor; he converted after studying the history of the holocaust in 1978 to Orthodox Judaism. Official Website
 * Shlomo Ben Avraham "Ole" Brunell, former Lutheran minister from Finland and Australia. Along with him, his wife Ruth (formerly Runa), two adult daughters, two teenage daughters, and a former son-in-law also converted to Orthodox Judaism. Official book
 * Geza Vermes, expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and former Catholic priest, he reverted to Judaism.
 * JoAnn Fay, a nun converted to Orthodox Judaism in 1980.
 * John David Scalamonti, a former Roman Catholic priest, he converted in 1972 to Orthodox Judaism Official book at Amazon.comOfficial book at Barnes and Noble
 * John Hove, a former Lutheran pastor, he converted to Orthodox Judaism in 1988.
 * Yaakov Parisi, Former Christian Minister from Oklahoma (who was born Roman Catholic).
 * Sheldon Christopher Smith, a former Pentecostal Pastor converted to Judaism in 1987
 * Thomas Roper, an ex-Baptist minister, he converted to Orthodox Judaism.
 * Gavriel Sanders former Pentecostal minister and missionary in Israel, he converted to Orthodox Judaism. He served on staff with Jews for Judaism before moving to the East Coast.
 * Tonica Marlow, a former female evangelical minister and daughter of a Pentecostal preacher. She converted to Orthodox Judaism.Official book
 * Aharón Calderón, a former monk of a Catholic monastery in South America, he converted to Orthodox Judaism.
 * Armando Quiros, a former catholic priest, he converted to Orthodox Judaism. Official book
 * Julie Galambush, a former American Baptist Minister, she converted to Judaism.
 * Michael Flanagan, a former Baptist minister, his mother-in-law, wife and their two adult sons, grandchildren, daughter-in-law also converted to Orthodox Judaism.
 * Ahuva Gray served as a Christian minister in the African American community both in Chicago and Los Angeles for fourteen years. She left that world in 1996 to fulfill her spiritual yearnings and become an Orthodox Jew.Official Website Official book
 * Nobutaka Hattori, a former Protestant Minister of Japan, he converted to Orthodox Judaism.
 * Carlos Samuel Salas, a former Methodist minister, he converted to Orthodox Judaism.
 * David N. Weiss Former Presbyterian lay minister David Weiss (born Jewish) returned to Judaism and is now a successful writer living in Los Angeles.
 * Abraham Carmel, a former Anglican and Roman Catholic priest, he converted to Orthodox Judaism.Official book
 * Mariano Otero, a former South Florida-based former Pentecostal minister is now a counter-missionary
 * Timothy Olivieri Former Catholic Deacon to Reform Judaism
 * Jack Saunders, a former minister
 * Carole Le Faivre-Rochester, a former Domican nun, she converted to Judaism in 1989
 * William G. Dever, a former evangelical minister, he converted to Judaism and became a world-renowned Biblical scholar
 * Yaakov Ephraim Parisi, former Pentecostal minister
 * Ary'el Tsion, formerly known as Bert Woudwijk, a Messianic pastor from Holland
 * Leon Fundo, former Seventh Day Adventist preacher
 * Moriya Webster, former Worldwide Church of God pastor
 * Dov Heller, former Minister and missionary
 * Benjamin Klugger, former Pentecostal missionary, now Orthodox Jew and head of counter-missionary organization
 * Paul Tan, a former evangelical minister in Singapore, is moving towards Judaism with members of his congregation
 * Julius Ciss, former messianic Jewish missionary
 * Hector Flores, a former evangelical minister, converted with 100 members of his Houston church
 * George Belloni, former editor of Messianic Times, returned to Judaism
 * Samuel Golding, former Christian minister
 * Kenneth Cox, former Catholic Priest
 * Skipp Porteous, former Pentecostal minister
 * Penina Taylor, a former messianic Jewish leader
 * Shmuel Yakobi, a former Indian preacher
 * Barrie Wilson, biblical scholar, author and educator
 * Lawrence Hamilton, former Lutheran minister
 * Celia Futch-Rogow, former Methodist minister
 * Efraim Uba, was raised Catholic, later became a Messianic cleric in Nigeria, and then later left that Christian sect to convert to Judaism.

Of Jewish descent
This section is for people who had Jewish ancestry though not matrilineally as is required by Jewish law to be considered Jewish, and so converted to Judaism, to be recognized as Jews.
 * Reuben Greenberg, police chief of Charleston, South Carolina.

Other Christians who converted to Judaism

 * Abraham ben Abraham Potacki, Polish count, the famed "Ger Tzedek." (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Moses ben Abraham
 * Moses ben Avraham Avinu
 * Aquila of Sinope, Bible translator
 * Tom Arnold, actor
 * Rafael Cansinos Assens, was a Spanish poet, essayist, literary critic and translator
 * Abraham of Augsburg
 * Carroll Baker, an American Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and entrepreneur
 * Elizabeth Banks, an American Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and entrepreneur
 * Steve Bedwell, a comedian and a comedy writer in Melbourne
 * Polly Bergen, an American Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and entrepreneur
 * Dany Boon, French comedian
 * Ralph Michael Brekan, international pop artist
 * Elizabeth Brewster, Canadian poet
 * May Britt, actress
 * Geraldine Brooks ,a Pulitzer Prize-winner, Australian-American journalist and author.
 * Campbell Brown, an American television news reporter, currently an anchor and political pundit for CNN and a former co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today. (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Drew Bundini Brown, assistant trainer of former heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali
 * Sarah Brown, actress
 * Eddie Butler, Israeli singer
 * Yisrael Campbell, comedian (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Kate Capshaw, actress (ex-Methodist)
 * Nell Carter, singer and actress
 * Cristian Castro, a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer.
 * Elizabeth Jane Caulfield, was a linguist and musician
 * Connie Chung, an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for several U.S. television news networks, including NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC
 * Warder Cresson, was a politician
 * Jim Croce, singer/songwriter
 * William Holmes Crosby, Jr., considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of modern hematology. He published more than 450 peer-reviewed papers in the field, as well as those of oncology, gastroenterology, iron metabolism, nutrition and general medical practice. In addition he was an inventor and published translator of poetry.
 * Sammy Davis, Jr., entertainer [[Image:Sammy Davis 1956.jpg|thumb|right|120px|Sammy Davis, Jr., entertainer who converted during recovery from an automobile accident]]
 * William G. Dever, archaeologist.
 * Jacqueline du Pré, musician
 * Patricia Duff, a political activist and a United States Democratic Party fundraiser
 * Hank Eng, New York born Chinese-American.  He is a candidate for Colorado's 6th District in the U.S House of Representatives in the 2008 race.
 * Miss Elizabeth, also known as Elizabeth Ann Hulette, was a U.S. professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame during the late-1980s and early-1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
 * Isla Fisher, model and actress (ex-Methodist)
 * Luke Ford, journalist.
 * Aaron Freeman, journalist and comedian (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Soleil Moon Frye, American actress, director and screenwriter. Frye is best known for her childhood role as the title character in Punky Brewster, a television sitcom.
 * Capers Funnye (ex-Methodist)
 * Lord George Gordon, nobleman and politician
 * Carolivia Herron, author (ex-Baptist)
 * Natan Gamedze, former Protestant Christian, linguist and a Swazi royal, now a black Haredi rabbi.
 * Sacha Gironde, French philosopher and cognitive scientist.
 * Lars Gustafsson, served as a professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas
 * Mary Hart (* 1950) American television personality, long-time host of the entertainment program Entertainment Tonight
 * Carolivia Herron, writer of children's and adult literature.
 * Monica Horan, actress
 * Joel Horlen
 * Carolyn Jones, actress
 * Thomas Jones (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Yitzchak Jordan, rapper converted to Orthodox Judaism, (ex-Baptist)
 * Jon Juaristi, Spanish writer
 * Semei Kakungulu
 * Felicity Kendal, actress
 * Cameron Kerry, politician, brother of John Kerry (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Jamaica Kincaid, author
 * John King, an American journalist and, beginning on January 18, 2009, the anchor of CNN's still-unnamed Sunday midday newsblock (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Mathilde Krim, Ph.D. is most famous for her role as the founding Chairman of amfAR, a well-known association for AIDS research.
 * Lenny Kuhr, a Dutch singer-songwriter
 * Anthony Lake, American diplomat, political figure, and academic. He has been a foreign policy advisor to many Democratic U.S. presidents and presidential candidates, and served as National Security Advisor under U.S. President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997.
 * Dr. Laura, Radio Personality
 * Nahida Lazarus, a German author, essayist, scholar, and literary critic
 * John Lehr, an American film and television actor and comedian
 * Julius Lester, son of a Methodist minister and a children's author (ex-Methodist)
 * Elliott Maddox, a former right-handed Major League Baseball American player from 1970 to 1980 for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.
 * Richard Marceau, Canadian politician
 * Anne Meara (* 1929) American comedienne and actress, partner and wife of Jerry Stiller (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Adah Isaacs Menken, stage actress
 * Marilyn Monroe, actress (ex-Christian Scientist)
 * Santa Montefiore, novelist
 * Tommy Motolla
 * Françoise Mouly is a Paris-born French artist and designer best known for her work with RAW, a showcase publication for cutting edge comic art, and as art editor of The New Yorker, a position she has held since 1993.
 * Michael Netzer, an American artist best known for his comic book work for industry leaders DC Comics and Marvel Comics
 * Jeff Newman (baseball) ‎
 * Martha Nussbaum, is an American philosopher with a particular interest in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, political philosophy and ethics. She has been a professor at Harvard and Brown. She is currently a professor at University of Chicago
 * Bob Nystrom, former NHL player
 * Rebecca Pidgeon, a Scottish-American actress, singer and songwriter
 * * Lorna Patterson, an American film, stage and television actress.
 * Moses Prado, was the professor of the classic languages at the University of Marburg
 * Roger Rees, actor
 * Mary Doria Russell, American author. (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Jackie Sandler, an American actress
 * Jean-Paul Satre, philosopher
 * Norma Shearer, actress
 * Shyne, a Belizean–American rapper
 * Karol Sidon, a Czech Orthodox Rabbi, writer and playwright
 * Daniel Silva, the best-selling American author of ten thriller and espionage novels
 * Dubrovin Stanislav
 * Kim Stanley (February 11, 1925 – August 20, 2001) from biography "Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley" by Jon Krampner, 2006
 * Venetia Stanley, socialite
 * Joseph Abraham Steblicki (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Margo Stilley American film actress
 * Annette Taddeo, businesswoman and is the Democratic candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 18th Congressional District of Florida
 * Elizabeth Taylor, actress (ex-Christian Scientist)
 * Karen Tintori, an American author of fiction and nonfiction (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Andre Bernard Tippett, a former American football linebacker who played for the New England Patriots of the NFL. Currently he is the Patriots' Executive Director of Community Affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. (ex-Baptist)
 * Jacob Tirado
 * Ivanka Trump
 * Bob Tufts
 * Ike Turner, was an American musician, bandleader, talent scout, and record producer, and the son of a Baptist minister
 * Chris Van Allsburg, children's writer
 * Conrad Veidt, German actor
 * Grace Lee Whitney, Actress (ex-Methodist)
 * Mare Winningham, actress-singer (ex-Roman Catholic)
 * Jackie Wilson, was an American singer. Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group, The Dominoes, after going solo in 1957 he went on to record over fifty hit singles over a repertoire that included R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening before lapsing into a coma following a collapse on stage during a 1975 benefit concert. By the time of his death in 1984, he had become one of the most influential soul artists of his generation.
 * Steve Yeager
 * Catherine Zelazowska, Polish martyr
 * Nikki Ziering, model

From Atheism or Agnosticism

 * Christian B. Anfinsen, Nobel prize-winning chemist (Orthodox Judaism)
 * Will Herberg, known as a social philosopher and sociologist of religion, as well as a Jewish theologian, he is also former atheist and Marxist of Jewish ancestry who was raised atheist
 * Benny Lévy - Philosopher and last personal secretary of Jean-Paul Sartre
 * Suzy Menkes, fashion journalist
 * Hilary Putnam - Philosopher raised in a Jewish-atheist home
 * Eliyahu Rips - he is a member of the Department of Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Rips received the Erdős prize from the Israel Mathematical Society in 1979 and was a sectional speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1994. He embraced Orthodox Judaism.
 * Mary Doria Russell
 * Mare Winningham

From Black Hebrew Israelitism

 * Eddie Butler, Israeli singer converted to Orthodox Judaism

From Buddhism

 * Yitzhak Fanger, a former Secular Jew, who was also a Buddhist Priest and Monk underwent the act of repentance and is now a Haredi rabbi.

From Islam

 * Reza Jabari - Iranian pilot.
 * Avraham Sinai, former Lebanese Shiite, now an orthodox Jew

From Paganism

 * Aquila of Sinope (Acylas), from Greek paganism
 * Bithiah
 * Bulan, king of the Khazars, from Khazar paganism
 * Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses
 * Makeda, queen of Sheba
 * Dhu Nuwas, king of Yemen
 * Obadiah the prophet
 * Sh'maya, Sage and President of the Sanhedrin
 * Avtalyon, Sage and Vice-President of the Sanhedrin
 * Onkelos, Hebrew scholar and translator
 * Ruth, great-grandmother of King David.
 * Helena, queen of Adiabene.
 * Izates bar Monobaz, king of Adiabene.
 * Symacho, wife of Izates bar Monobaz.
 * Monobaz II, king of Adiabene.
 * Khazars, a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia (historical Khazaria), many of whom converted to Judaism en masse in the 8th and 9th Centuries CE.
 * Puah
 * Shiphrah
 * Obadiah
 * Osenath
 * Zipporah
 * Yael
 * Flavia Domitilla
 * Titus Flavius Clemens (consul), great-nephew of the Roman Emperor Vespasian
 * Fulvia (wife of Saturninus), wife of Emperor Tiberius' close friend, Saturninus.
 * Tub'a Abu Kariba As'ad, was the Himyarite king of Yemen. He ruled Yemen from 390-420 CE.
 * Paulina Beturia
 * Nero

From Samaritanism

 * Sofi Tzadka

From Shinto

 * Setzuso Kotsuji, son of a Shinto priest, and a professor in Japan

Undetermined former religion

 * Joseph Bánóczi
 * Salem Shaloam David
 * József Eisenhoffer
 * Jamaica Kincaid, author
 * Dara Torres, an American swimmer. She is the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympics: 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008. She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 50 meter freestyle, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 freestyle relay and won the silver medal in all three of these events.
 * Desmond Wilcox
 * Andre Williams

Converts who later left the faith or were expelled

 * Polemon II, king of Cilicia converted to marry the Jewish princess Berenice; later relapsed.
 * Uriel da Costa, philosopher shunned for heresy.