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SpanishFormer neo-Nazi who inspired skinhead in 'American History X' turns to God after learning he's Jewish through DNA test
Image credit: the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute YouTube screenshot
A former neo-Nazi who inspired Edward Norton's character in "American History X" has recently revealed that he is of Jewish descent. After finding out the truth about his ancestry, Frank Meeink, 48, decided to turn his life around, according to the New York Post.
Meeink — who found out he was Jewish through a DNA test — was previously the figurehead of a violent far-right group in the early 1990s, even going so far as to torture those he perceived as enemies to ignite the flames of a race war.
The former neo-Nazi was a devout anti-Semite and sported a swastika tattoo on his neck. He claimed that the "Zionist occupation government" run by the Jews was the "root of all evil."
But now — after all the years of hatred toward those who were not like him — Meeink revealed that he is Jewish. He was motivated to take a DNA test after a friend mentioned that he "looked Jewish."
“I just wanted to see if it was true, I wanted to see if it was real,” Meeink said. “I found out by a beautiful gift from God that I was Jewish through DNA.”
The Jewish Chronicle reported that Meeink discovered he was 2.4% Ashkenazi Jew on his mother's side. And he characterized the discovery as a "beautiful gift from God."
He also credited his Jewish faith with helping him get through some of the darkest periods in his life, including the death of his 19-year-old son, the ultimate breakdown of his marriage, and the eventual loss of his mother to a fentanyl overdose, per the report.
While receiving care in Los Angeles for alcohol and drug abuse in 2019, Meeink said he met his sponsor, who he affectionately refers to as his "recovery rabbi." And it was this rabbi who helped him find his faith.
“The thing I loved about Judaism is that it says, ‘Love the Lord your God,’ and that you don’t need to force your God on nobody else. I want to try and build this relationship with God,” Meeink said.
Reports mentioned that Meeink still continues to call his "recovery rabbi" every morning at 8:00 a.m. and says his faith has provided him with "humbleness" and "humility" and the desire to stand up for others, according to the Jewish Chronicle.