Arizona’s All-American QB Josh Selmon, has announced his conversion to Judaism and the changing of his last name from Selmon to Zelman.
“I had been struggling with this all season,” says Selmon, sorry Zelman. “I had been missing class, going to Temple, talking with a Rabbi. I couldn’t tell anyone because I didn’t know how they would react. But this is load off my mind, and hopefully will help me focus on the game against USC this week.”
The Chabbat Society (Arizona Jewish Students) has welcomed Selmon with open arms. They held a BBQ to celebrate (pictured).
“We are so glad to have him here,” says David Stein. “We are so lucky to have a great Jewish athlete here at UofA! Go ‘Cats!”
A little bit of research revealed that Josh’s grandfather changed his name from Zelman to Selmon in order to ease the
immigration process to Texas. Once there, he renounced his faith and converted to Christianity to help with business.
“I have Jewish blood in my veins,” says Selmon. “It’s time to let it flow proudly. I can finally say that I am a man.”
Justin Abdullah had no comment on the situation, and some are speculating that it could drive a wedge between the two.
November 8, 2006 at 11:38 am
The current way of celebrating one’s becoming a Bar Mitzvah did not exist in the time of the Bible, Mishnah or Talmud. This ceremonial observation developed in medieval times.
The current practice is that on a Shabbat shortly after his 13th birthday, a boy may recite the blessings for the Torah reading, read from the Torah (five books of Moses) and Haftara (Selections from the books of the Prophets), and give a d’var Torah, a discussion of that week’s Torah portion. One may also lead part or all of the morning prayer services. Calling the boy to say the Torah blessings is called an aliyah (Hebrew: עֲלִיָּה, from the verb alàh, עָלָה, meaning, “to rise, to ascend; to go up”). Precisely what the Bar Mitzvah should lead during the service varies from one congregation to another, and is not fixed by Jewish law. The Sephardic Jews tend to bring the boy into adulthood a little later than Ashkenazi Jews, waiting until after their 14th birthday. Notwithstanding the celebrations, however, males become entirely culpable and responsible for following Jewish law once they reach the age of 13, and have matured physically to the stage where two pubic hairs have grown.[1]
Sometimes the celebration is during another service that includes reading from the Torah, such as a Monday or Thursday morning service, a Shabbat afternoon service, or a morning service on Rosh Chodesh, the new moon. The service is often followed by a celebratory meal with family, friends, and members of the community. In the modern day, the celebration is sometimes delayed for reasons such as availability of a Shabbat during which no other celebration has been scheduled, or the desire to permit family to travel to the event, however this does not delay the onset of rights and responsibilities of being a Jewish adult, which comes about strictly by virtue of age.
Many Jewish boys do not have a Bar Mitzvah celebration, perhaps because the family is too poor or do not belong to a Synagogue or Shul (a Jewish worship house), or perhaps because they are hidden Jews in the diaspora. In this case the 13th birthday can be considered the child’s coming of age. Not having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration does not make the child becoming an adult any less of a Jew. Although some people wish to be “Bar Mitzvahed” as an expression of their faith, this has no religious significance. (“Bar Mitzvahed” is an incorrect use of the term as a participle. The proper way to say it is “to become a Bar Mitzvah”.)