A spokeswoman for Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Tuesday responded to jokes on social media that he could be considered the first Jewish speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after the discovery through an episode of PBS’ “Finding Your Roots” that he has Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors.
“Breaking,” AshLee Strong, Ryan’s press secretary, quipped on Twitter about her boss, who is a practicing Catholic.
Breaking https://t.co/hIeSxNB1nL
— AshLee Strong (@AshLeeStrong) July 31, 2018
Twitter was set alight after the AV Club reported that Ryan will find out he is 3 percent Ashkenazi Jew in an upcoming episode of the popular program. The show delves into the family trees of famous guests invited on the series.
But the genealogical discovery has very little religious significance since a person is usually only considered Jewish if they are born to a Jewish mother or they formally convert to Judaism.
