Senator Allen Discovers Jewish Roots
from BabagaNewz Magazine, Kislev 5767 / December 2006

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Senator George Allen (R-VA) glared at the debate moderator, who had just asked him if his mother was Jewish. Her question drew howls of disapproval from Allen’s supporters in the audience. The senator dodged the unusual inquiry, saying it was irrelevant to the important issues facing Virginians in the 2006 election. Allen’s ambiguous response to the “Jewish” question, however, attracted widespread publicity. Public curiosity about his religious heritage quickly intensified not only because political analysts considered Allen a potential presidential candidate in 2008, but also because he has allied himself with Christian fundamentalists throughout his career. Furthermore, Senator Allen aggravated the situation by responding to the question as if it were an accusation, scolding the reporter for “making aspersions about [slandering] people because of their religious beliefs.”

ETTY ALLEN’S STORY

Etty Allen, the senator’s mother, was born Henrietta Lumbroso, and raised by Jewish parents in Tunisia. Her family traces its history to Portugal, where antisemitism during the 15th century forced them to observe Jewish rituals in secret. The Lumbrosos eventually fled Portugal for Livorno, Italy, a city that welcomed Jewish merchants. There, Etty’s relatives reclaimed Judaism before moving to Tunisia. In fact, in the mid-18th century, one of her Tunisian ancestors, Rabbi Isaac Lumbroso, wrote a commentary on the Talmud.

Etty’s father, Felix, therefore, inherited a measure of communal respect, but it was his successful business that brought unwanted attention from the Nazis, who arrested him when they invaded Tunisia during World War II. Witnessing that trauma frightened the young girl and strongly influenced her decision to hide her Jewish background, even though she had immigrated to America. “What they put my father through. I always was fearful,” she told reporters. “I didn’t want my children to have to go through that fear all the time.” In addition, Etty was motivated by fear that her future husband’s parents would not accept her if they knew she was Jewish and that her religion might hurt her husband’s career as a football coach.

WHY CELEBRATE JEWISH HERITAGE?

Etty Allen hid her Judaism, and even when Senator Allen learned of his Jewish ancestry, he denied it to reporters for fear that it would hinder his political career. However, Jews today can certainly aspire to the highest offices and most public positions in America, including both politics and sports. In fact, many Jewish public figures are not only openly Jewish, but maintain that Judaism has inspired their positive contributions to America. For instance, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has the well-known words from the Torah, tzedek tzedek tirdof (justice, justice you shall pursue) hanging on the wall of her chambers as a constant reminder of what she is bound to do as a Jew and as a judge.

Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown learned the importance of keeping a hopeful attitude during the game from his Jewish heritage and, specifically, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which teaches that a person can always have a fresh start. Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii credits the Jewish value of helping the poor for her administration’s plan to build affordable housing for the homeless. These individuals—and many others like them—celebrate their Jewish heritage and the contributions that Judaism continues to make to American society. Rather than consider his Jewish heritage an “aspersion” (slander), Senator Allen would benefit from searching within his family’s history for the values and community connections that would certainly enrich his contributions to American society.