Gwyneth Paltrow is planning to raise her children as Jewish.
Despite “not believing” in religion, the Country Strong actress who has daughter Apple, seven, and five-year-old son Moses with her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin recently discovered her family come from a long line of influential East European rabbis and it has made her reconsider her approach to parenting.
Speaking about her decision in front of guests at a London event hosted by Jewish charity the Community Security Trust, Gwyneth whose late father was Jewish film producer Bruce Paltrow admitted appearing on ancestry show Who Do You Think You Are? convinced her to raise her brood in the faith.
She recently said of being brought up as both Jewish and Christian: “It was such a nice way to grow up. I don’t believe in religion. I believe in spirituality. Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world.”
However, a genealogy expert has explained that as the religion passes down through the matriarchal line, Gwyneth and her offspring could not be considered true Jews because her mother Blythe Danner is a Christian.
“Miss Paltrow may just want to follow traditions that she did as a child, like observing the Sabbath, keeping a kosher home and celebrating holidays,” he said.