Editing Rod Carew (section)

===Confusion over conversion to Judaism===
There is no evidence that Carew ever formally converted to Judaism, although he wore a [[chai (symbol)|chai]] necklace during his playing days. His first wife, Marilynn Levy, is Jewish,<ref name="Total Baseball"/> and he was a member of Temple Beth Shalom in [[Santa Ana, California]]. Their three daughters, Charryse, Stephanie, and Michelle,<ref name=anglicanandjew>{{cite news|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/rod-carew/|title=Rod Carew|first=Joseph|last=Wancho|website=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=October 19, 2020}}</ref> were raised in the Jewish tradition and had their [[bat mitzvah]]s there. When one daughter, Michelle, died of leukemia at age 18, services were held at Beth Shalom,<ref>Reyes, David. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-04-20-sp-60673-story.html "Friends and Family Say Last Goodbye to Michelle Carew"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. April 20, 1996.</ref> and she was buried in the family plot at the United Hebrew Brotherhood Cemetery in [[Richfield, Minnesota]], a suburb of [[Minneapolis]], where Rod Carew played for the [[Minnesota Twins]].<ref>Reyes, David. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-04-22-sp-61415-story.html "Hundreds of Minnesotans Attend Funeral for Michelle Carew"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. April 20, 1996.</ref> Carew, however, still identified as [[Episcopalian]] during their relationship.<ref name=anglicanandjew />

A 2007 ''[[Salon.com|Salon]]'' article named Carew one of the 18 best Jewish ballplayers of all time; the article clarified that Carew was not Jewish but commended him for raising his children in the faith and for marrying Levy in spite of death threats he received.<ref name=Salon>{{cite web|last=Keri|first=Jonah|title=The 18 best Jewish ballplayers of all time|url=http://www.salon.com/2007/09/01/jewish_baseball/|work=[[Salon (website)|Salon.com]]|date=September 2007|access-date=August 28, 2013}}</ref> Carew and Levy, who began their relationship in 1968, were married in 1970 and divorced in 2000.<ref name=anglicanandjew />

Another source propagating the story is "[[The Chanukah Song]]", written and performed by [[Adam Sandler]] in 1994. The tune (which quickly became a holiday perennial) lists famous Jews of the 20th century: "...[[O. J. Simpson]]... not a Jew! But guess who is: Hall of Famer Rod Carew! He converted!" Carew later wrote Sandler and explained the situation, adding that he thought the song was "pretty funny". (Sandler dropped Carew from later versions of the song, but [[Neil Diamond]] mentions the ballplayer in his rendition, recorded in 2009.)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mallenbaum |first=Carly |title=Adam Sandler's 'Chanukah Song': Are all of those celebs in the song actually Jewish? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/11/29/adam-sandler-chanukah-lyrics/2133567002/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>