Sen. Kerry Finds Grandfather Was Jewish

NY Times ^ | 2/3/03

[areafiftyone]

BOSTON (AP) -- A geneologist researched Sen. John Kerry's roots and found out information Kerry himself didn't know, including that his grandfather, who committed suicide in 1921, was born Jewish.

For years, the Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential hopeful sought the true story of his paternal grandfather, Frederick A. Kerry. He searched the Internet and asked cousins, but he was only able to learn fragments of the family's history.

Felix Gundacker, an Austrian genealogy specialist hired by The Boston Globe, located birth records located that show that Frederick A. Kerry was born Fritz Kohn, in 1873 in the town of Bennisch in what was then the Austrian empire, now part of the Czech Republic.

Gundacker said he is ``1,000 percent certain'' that Kerry was born to a Jewish family. The birth of a son to Benedikt Kohn, a ``master brewer,'' and his wife, Mathilde, was listed in church records on an addendum page listing Jewish families.

``This is incredible stuff,'' Kerry said in a story published in Sunday's Globe. ``I think it is more than interesting; it is a revelation.''

The record in Bennisch notes that Kohn changed his name to Frederick Kerry on March 17, 1902. The document does not mention a baptism, but the family says Frederick Kerry was a Roman Catholic, as is his grandson.

Frederick Kerry emigrated to the U.S. in 1905, eventually settling in Boston and becoming a shoe merchant. On Nov. 21, 1921, he walked into the Copley Plaza Hotel, went into a washroom and shot himself in the head.

``How many times have I walked into that hotel ...'' an emotional Kerry told the Globe, his voice trailing off. He had known his grandfather killed himself but not the details.

The suicide made front-page news in several Boston newspapers, which speculated it may have stemmed from health or financial difficulties.

``Oh, God, that's awful,'' Kerry said when shown a copy of a 1921 Globe article. He recalled that his own father, diplomat Richard Kerry, ``was sort of painfully remote and shut off and angry'' about the loss of his father.

Numerous publications have incorrectly stated that Kerry is Irish-American; there's a county in Ireland called Kerry. But Kerry said he has always been quick to correct any such misstatement.

On his mother's side, the senator is related to the Forbes and Winthrop families, two of New England's most prominent clans.

[AppyPappy]

Can he get me a part in a movie now?

[Miss Marple]

I wonder what Joe Lieberman thinks.

I wonder what Al Sharpton will say.

I wonder what Rat voters will do.

Heheheh.

[Cacophonous]

It would have been too much of a stretch to claim his ancestory is African. And anyway, we've already had our first African-American President.

[katnip]

Poor Joe Lieberman.... he doesn't have a chance now against Kerry.

[wideawake]

Time to do that Madeleine Albright dance . . .

[boomop1]

At his Baptism he had a black God Father.

[Types_with_Fist]

"See! You don't have to vote for the Jewish guy. Vote for me, and you can have me and as much Jewish as you need!"

[Tijeras_Slim]

I wonder what the 56 other Varieties are....

[areafiftyone]

Maybe but he can definitely get you a bottle of ketchup. I guess Lieberman will be upset that he's not the one and only Jewish candidate for president. Poor Sharpton - he's surrounded now - what's he going to do next.

[Howlin]

Is this a fad now?

[malakhi]

Gundacker said he is ``1,000 percent certain'' that Kerry was born to a Jewish family.

Since this Kerry's paternal grandfather, then Gundacker is 1,000% wrong. Kerry wouldn't be considered Jewish even by Reform Jewish standards (which accept patrilineal descent, but only if the person is raised Jewish).

[areafiftyone]

I THOUGHT HIS ANCESTORS WERE CLYDESDALES!

[TankerKC]

At his Baptism he had a black God Father.

...and a gay pastor.

[TN4Liberty]

How convenient. I guess he needed some Heinz money to track this down.

How many people know so little about their GRANDFATHER that the hire a geneologist to track him down? And how many people, once they learn about their ancestry, alert the press?

This sounds so like an Algore move.

[malakhi]

Ping to my #12.

[Howlin]

I just found out I'm Elizabeth Taylor!

[anniegetyourgun]

ROFL!

[JulieRNR21]

Reminds me of Hillary's 'discovery' of a Jewish Step-Grandfather when she was NY candidate!

The most interesting news is that his grandfather shot himself in the Copley Plaza Hotel probably due to being in debt......JFKerry doesn't have that problem due to Heinz57 millions!

[Allan]

Would it have made the news if they had discovered his grandfather was Norwegian??