Paul Ryan Is Part-Jewish — But Some Jews Wish He Wasn’t

Paul Ryan Image by Getty Images

By Alyssa Fisher August 1, 2018

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a practicing Catholic, recently learned he’s 3% Jewish — to the chagrin of much of the tribe.

His family history — which includes the revelation that he’s 3% Ashkenazi Jewish, with eastern European roots — was revealed during the filming of an upcoming season of PBS’s “Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr,” the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Gates, the show’s host and a professor at Harvard University, said his research took him all the way back to Ryan’s 10th great-grandfather, who was born in Germany in 1531. He told reporters that Ryan was surprised, but proud of his previously unknown heritage.

Twitter was buzzing with hot takes.

I’m sorry but no, we don’t want him. “House Speaker Paul Ryan Discovers Ashkenazi Jewish Heritage On ‘Finding Your Roots’ – TCA” https://t.co/vfR1SAbSEX via @deadline

— Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) August 1, 2018

As if the Jewish people haven’t suffered enough. https://t.co/73N6BOl5o9

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) August 1, 2018

3% Jewish 97%asshole https://t.co/Rg5PJAcVKa

— Dennis Wilson (@Dsw1957Dennis) August 1, 2018

Paul Ryan:
Part Jewish? Skeptical.
Part gefilte fish? More likely. https://t.co/xTW04K2fE4

— hil.i.am (@hilaryluros) August 1, 2018

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected]

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