Ex-NBA star and Orthodox convert Amar'e Stoudemire celebrates Passover
“I mean, there’s so many d’var Torahs you can do for Pesach, bro,” he said. He recited the story of Moses and said how he could never see himself as being capable of doing what the Biblical hero did.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: APRIL 1, 2021 12:41IT WILL be a strange sight for Jerusalem hoops fans to see former player Amar’e Stoudemire donning the yellow-and-blue jersey of arch-rival Maccabi Tel Aviv.(photo credit: MACCABI TEL AVIV/COURTESY)
Amar'e Stoudemire, most famously known for being a well-known NBA athlete, has a new goal of being "committed to living the rest of his life as an Orthodox Jew," according to a report by GQ.The athlete had been studying the Jewish faith for years, covering topics such as Sabbath restrictions, praying, keeping kosher and also studying Talmud and the Hebrew language. And because he has started to observe Shabbat, Stoudemire turns off his phone during much of the weekends. GQ also reports that he does all this while being a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets. Stoudemire had recently been preparing for the Passover holiday and then attended his rabbi's Seder. “I mean, there’s so many d’var Torahs you can do for Pesach, bro,” he said. Stoudemire also recited the story of Moses and how he could never see himself as being capable of doing the things the Biblical hero did. “I think the notion of just leaving Mitzrayim speaks to me,” Stoudemire also said, using the Hebrew and Biblical word for Egypt. “It allows you to understand, like, whenever you decide to change as a person and become a better person, it’s OK to change and it’s OK not to look back. And if you embrace that change and move forward, then you go to your promised land.”Stoudemire's interest in Judaism goes back many years, since the early 2000s where he started to read the Bible. From there he visited Jerusalem to broaden his knowledge of the Torah. After playing for the Miami Heat, Stoudemire moved to Israel to play for Hapoel Jerusalem in 2016, giving him more opportunity to practice Judaism.
