Amar'e Stoudemire's Transformation: Learning Torah, Wearing Tzitzit, and Eating Only Kosher

American basketball star Amar'e Stoudemire arrived in Israel directly from Miami, and playing alongside the members of the 'Hapoel Jerusalem' team is just the 'external' reason for it.

The deeper and more important reason for him is the spirituality stemming from a deep connection to Judaism, which has recently become the center of his life. His goal in coming to Israel was to expose his wife and four children to the Jewish-Israeli way of life, which he aspires to live by.

In recent years, Stoudemire has been committed to following a Jewish lifestyle, including wearing tzitzit, eating kosher food, and learning Torah. Interestingly, his entire family is following his path, and after a tour of the country, they chose to settle in the 'Talbiya' neighborhood in Jerusalem, close to religious and cultural institutions.

Stoudemire with one of the lecturers at 'Aish HaTorah', where he recently began his studies. Instagram Screenshot

"Stoudemire loves Israel very much, and his family also connected well to the atmosphere here," one of his associates told 'Yedioth Ahronoth'. According to him, the family's connection to Judaism eases their adaptation process to the country, and the trend seems to be that they will stay here for a long time.

And what about basketball? His associates also say that despite his impressive professional achievements so far, he is a humble person who did not come to be 'the star' or to stand out excessively, but his goal is to integrate as an integral part of the team and to feel personally included. "He is an amazing person; everyone loves him," one of the players on the team says. "He cares a lot about the team's success, and he always pushes and wants to help. He doesn’t have an ounce of stardust, and it’s not at all obvious for someone who comes from his background to behave as he does."