Senator ‘embraces’ his Jewish roots

new york (jta) | U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) has acknowledged that he has Jewish roots.

"I embrace and take great pride in every aspect of my diverse heritage, including my Lumbroso family line's Jewish heritage, which I learned about from a recent magazine article and my mother confirmed," Allen said in a statement on his Web site on Tuesday, Sept. 19. "I was raised as a Christian and my mother was raised as a Christian."

The statement was released after Allen berated a reporter for asking him if he was Jewish. The Virginia Republican, in an unexpectedly tight race this year against James Webb, was asked in a debate Monday, Sept. 18 about a story in the Forward that reported that Allen's mother was descended from a prominent Sephardic family.

His supporters booed the reporter, Peggy Fox of WUSA-TV, and he said he was "glad" they had done so. He accused Fox of "casting aspersions" and said he upheld freedom of religion.