Chelsea Clinton Wedding Update: Will The Bride Convert?

As Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky's big day nears, more questions have been added to the list of wheres, whens, whats and hows...namely: will Chelsea convert to Judaism? David Gibson of Politics Daily writes:

Chelsea, 30, is the daughter of a social justice Methodist (Hillary) and a Bible-quoting Southern Baptist (Bill), and Mezvinsky, 32, was raised in Conservative Judaism, a major Jewish movement that discourages intermarriage and forbids rabbis to officiate at -- or even attend -- interfaith weddings in which the non-Jewish spouse does not convert.

No details on how the couple will navigate these religious shoals have leaked out, just a few tantalizing hints -- such as Chelsea's attendance with Marc at Yom Kippur services last September at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, the flagship institute for Conservative Judaism.

Wondering minds also want to know who will officiate at the ceremony: a rabbi or a minister? How will the kids be raised? Does Chelsea make a mean brisket? (Okay, that last one was all us.)

The Jewish Week columnist Julie Wiener explained, "There is less of a stigma attached to intermarriage and more and more you are hearing people talking about intermarriage as an opportunity rather than necessarily a problem. This isn't the first high-profile intermarriage in politics or Hollywood."

Comments

[ghee99]

04:01 AM on 07/21/2010

this is a slightly sexist headline, to say the least

i dont see anyone asking if the groom will convert to christianity

i wonder why?

a woman is expected to convert, why not a man

whats up with the double-standard?

[thomas paine]

10:06 PM on 07/21/2010

Couldn't agree more.

[Sherian]

09:21 PM on 07/29/2010

How true you are....why can't 2 people that are going to marry just keep their own religion. The Trump girl converted and I thought that was just stupid.....there are dozens of religions in this world not just the Jewish religion. We all can't be alike, how boring that would be...then there would be no Huffington.

[michelv]

01:11 AM on 07/21/2010

All jokes aside, she seems like a very decent person, and I hope she will find happiness in her marriage.

[michelv]

01:10 AM on 07/21/2010

>>> Mezvinsky, 32, was raised in Conservative Judaism, a major Jewish movement that discourages intermarriage

Exceptions are always made when the other family is rich/powerful enough.

[ghee99]

04:01 AM on 07/21/2010

yeah, and i also notice no ones asking if he'll convert to christianity?

hmmmm, i wonder why

could it be sexism?

[Sherian]

09:23 PM on 07/29/2010

How true your statement is.....You can always allow for exceptions when money and power are involved.

[michelv]

01:08 AM on 07/21/2010

Maybe she won't have to convert if Hillary pulls a Madeleine Albright at the last moment.

[dylansfan]

06:37 PM on 08/01/2010

Now that's funny :)

[verizon]

11:01 PM on 07/20/2010

Good luck to her and her husband, they deserve (She) deserves a great life so Congrats to them.

[godwithin]

09:04 AM on 07/20/2010

If she needs fully considers the consequences http://www.nocirc.org/

[timetocookdinner]

08:30 PM on 07/19/2010

If you've ever known someone (or been someone) who converted to Judaism, it is pretty intense. Where most Christian conversions happen in one baptism or confirmation service, converting to Judaism can take months of keeping all the laws of the Torah.
Unless she does this their marriage will not be recognized by the people in his synagogue/family/community.
It's none of my business and I don't care either way, but I am curious how that will all play out. Oh, and if she doesn't convert, their children will not be considered Jewish by his community either.

[godwithin]

08:56 AM on 07/20/2010

"Unless she does this their marriage will not be recognized by the people in his synagogue/family/community. "? some one died and made them god?

[Sherian]

09:25 PM on 07/29/2010

My first chuckle of the day..........yes they made themselves God. Guess that means that all the people that aren't Jewish don't count.

[dylansfan]

06:39 PM on 08/01/2010

Faved!

[michelv]

01:05 AM on 07/21/2010

Among some communities, converts are never considered full-fledged Jews, and worse, if the convert is the woman, the children of that marriage are also considered "iffy."

[Tulka2]

12:23 AM on 07/19/2010

Funny picture considering your headline. I get it. She's well on her way.

[thomas paine]

04:58 PM on 07/18/2010

I suggest a compromise solution - atheism.

[Tulka2]

12:30 AM on 07/19/2010

Hard to celebrate a negative. Not that i don't wish you well. Buddhists think the idea of God speculative and unimportant to human happiness. In the day to day, it frees a person up to participate in every happy, human ceremony because there's no conflict of loyalties. When in Rome.

[godwithin]

12:55 PM on 07/18/2010

Convert from human to what? If she is compassionate, well & whole, no conversion needed, If she weren't, only more love needed. Love is not the monopoly of one religious group, love is compassionate conduct from the heart & soul. "I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts" (Jeremiah 31)

[Steve Blackmore]

08:10 PM on 07/17/2010

I heard Marc Mezvinsky was going to convert to christianity instead, but Larry David accidentally stopped the baptism so he ultimately changed his mind.

[dylansfan]

06:43 PM on 08/01/2010

Funny

[been2there]

04:42 PM on 07/16/2010

Leave them alone to work out their differences in decent privacy.

[LRanger2]

10:26 AM on 07/16/2010

Will she have pancakes or waffles for breakfast - Inquiring minds wanna know...

[allskeptics]

03:05 PM on 07/18/2010

yes, we can't sleep thinking about it
waffles or pancakes, unemployment or wars, religion or reality shows
decisions, decisions, decisions

[unique]

02:36 PM on 07/20/2010

THEY WILL HAVE LOX, EGGS AND ONIONS, ON A BAGEL FOR BREAKFAST.

[Susan Katz Miller]

09:03 AM on 07/16/2010

A letter to Chelsea, from my perspective as an interfaith child: http://onbeingboth.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/will-chelsea-clinton-convert-why-do-you-ask/

[greysells2]

08:39 AM on 07/16/2010

The more interfaith, interracial and inrercultural marriages the better for all of us. Although it may cuase some problems in the short tern for the couple, in the long term it will promote social cohesion in society.