Amar’e Stoudemire is Jewish?

And here I thought Amar’e Stoudemire left Phoenix for big money in the Big Apple. Maybe he just wanted to get closer to his roots:

U.S. basketball star Amar’e Stoudemire is apparently on his way to Israel for a voyage of discovery after learning he has Jewish roots.

“On the flight to Israel. This is going to be a great trip,” announced the power forward, who plays in the NBA for the New York Knicks, via the micro-blogging site Twitter.

According to an Army Radio report, Stoudemire plans to spend time in Israel learning Hebrew, having recently learned he has a Jewish mother.

“The holy land. Learn about it,” he wrote, adding “ze ha’halom sheli” – Hebrew for “this is my dream.”

A Jewish mother—how many mothers does he have? Anyway, if that’s blood, Stoudemire is a Jew. Mazel Tov.

I just checked Twitter, and it looks like Stoudemire is enjoying his time in Jerusalem. Who wouldn’t? And it appears he’s starting to blend in with the locals:

Jerusalem is a beautiful city, I’m at a cafe eating a late lunch. I’m learning Hebrew by the min. Keep up !! Shalom.

Jordan Farmar and Omri Casspi, it looks like the tribe in growing in the NBA.