Harry Potter had Jewish classmates, says author
In response to a Twitter question, J.K. Rowling reveals character of Anthony Goldstein from first Harry Potter book was Jewish.
J.K. Rowling confirmed Wednesday that the student body of Hogwarts, the school for wizards in her immensely popular "Harry Potter" book series, included Jewish youngsters.
Responding to a Jewish fan on Twitter, who asked if there were any Jews at Hogwarts, Rowling wrote: "Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw, Jewish wizard".
She added: "To everyone asking whether their religion/belief/non-belief system is represented at Hogwarts: the only people I never imagined there are Wiccans." Rowling said the Wiccan religion did not seem compatible with the type of magic portrayed in the novels.
Anthony Goldstein first appeared as a character in the fifth Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."
According to Harry Potter wiki, Goldstein, who was brought up as a Jew, was Harry Potter's classmate at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was sorted into the Ravenclaw house and later joined Dumbledore's Army, a student organisation founded by Harry Potter.
The "Harry Potter" author also responded to one fan on twitter who asked: "Do you think there are a lot of LGBT students in modern age Hogwarts?". She replied: "It's safe to assume that Hogwarts had a variety of people and I like to think it's a safe place for LGBT students.
Rowling has said in the past that "The Potter books in general are a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry."
