John Kerry’s Jewish Brother

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John Kerry’s Jewish Brother
»» posted Friday, February 13 @ 10:58:15 CST

Cam Kerry and his Detroit in-laws get up close and personal about the Democratic frontrunner.

SHARON LUCKERMAN
Staff Writer

When Cameron Kerry fell in love with Oak Park native Kathy Weinman, he chose to convert from Catholicism to Judaism.

Little did he know that he already had a strong Jewish connection. His father’s parents were Jewish — a fact uncovered last year when the Boston Globe hired a genealogist to check into the family roots of his brother, John Kerry, the Democratic presidential frontrunner thought by many to be of Irish background.




Cam Kerry


Kathy Weinman, the candidate’s sister-in-law, says she has a ringside seat to history.


Joe and Anne Weinman of Farmington Hills, with Sen. John Kerry, their son-in-law’s brother.



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The Kerry family was traced back to a small town in the Austrian empire, now part of the Czech Republic. There, the paper discovered that before immigrating to America, the Kerrys changed their name from Kohn and converted from Judaism to Catholicism.

“It was mind-blowing,” says Cam Kerry about first learning his grandparents’ true history from the newspaper story. Also surprising to him was the number of Jews in his synagogue who came up to him with similar stories.

“It’s an American story, “ he says.

It also could be a powerful Jewish story if John Kerry wins the White House. He would be the first president of the United States with Jewish roots.

“If my zaydie (grandfather) could see this election,” says Anne Weinman, Cam’s Farmington Hills mother-in-law, who with her husband, Joe, originally emigrated from Eastern Europe.

“Joe, and I are first-generation Americans and it was inconceivable back then that we could be connected to the president of the United States.”

Cam’s wife, Kathy Weinman, adds, “We have to pinch ourselves once in a while. It’s amazing to have a ringside seat to history in the making.”

She and their two daughters, ages 13 and 17, also have participated in this history. They were in New Hampshire during the primary. Her daughters campaigned for their uncle, ...............