Is Marrying Jewish Becoming A Requirement For Gentile Political Families?

Just in case you were worried that high-power political families want nothing to do with Jews, I thought I’d let you know that Vice President Joe Biden’s daughter is apparently marrying a Jewish doctor.

Ashley Biden is engaged to Dr. Howard Krein, a Philadelphia otolaryntologist. Laura Goldman, who has a blog called “Naked Philadelphian,” also blogs for the Forward and is, apparently, one of Krein’s patients, writes: “Employees of Jefferson Hospital told me that Howard is proud of being Jewish, so expect some Jewish elements at the wedding.”

According to JTA, Krein will actually be the Bidens’ second Jewish child-in-law: Beau Biden’s wife, Hallie, is also Jewish.

This comes, of course, on the heels of Chelsea Clinton’s marriage to Marc Mezvinsky and Lauren Bush (niece of W, granddaughter of H.W.)’s to David Lauren.

I know they’re a little young still, but I certainly hope Malia and Sasha Obama are planning to marry Jews. Maybe if their dad arranges something for them, he'll have a better shot at winning the Jewish vote in '12.

On a tangentially related note, the Chicago Sun Times had a profile this week about Amy Rule, the wife of Mayor (and former Obama Chief of Staff) Rahm Emanuel.

Raised Episcopal (in a Republican family, no less), Rule converted to Judaism (and presumably Democrat-ism) shortly before marrying Emanuel. According to friends quoted in the article, “she took the process extremely seriously.” Rule has been active in several Jewish organizations, including the Foundation for Jewish Culture and the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, which the Emanuel kids attended the last time they lived in Chicago. The family belongs to Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation, which is Modern Orthodox.

The kids  (son Zacharia is just a year older than Malia Obama; the two daughters are Ilana, born in ’08, and Leah, born in ‘00) now don't go to Jewish day school, but to the University of Chicago Lab School, no doubt proving that Netanyhua was correct when he famously decreed Emanuel to be a “self-hating Jew.”

Just kidding, folks.

Do you like "In the Mix"? Like it on Facebook! And follow Julie Wiener on Twitter!