In a reality television landscape plagued by controversial flagship series and even more controversial stars (ahem, Ramona Singer), ABC’s first-ever edition of The Golden Bachelor is a rare bright spot. Wholesome in its depiction of hopeless romantics finding love in their sunset years, the debut season of The Bachelor spinoff arrived in 2023, introducing fans to 72-year-old widower Gerry Turner.

Premiering in September, 2023, The Golden Bachelor has seen Turner court some 22 contestants, each aged 60 years or over. In the six episodes that have aired, audiences have learned a lot about reality TV’s oldest bachelor, including the loss of his wife after 40 years of marriage, his hometown of Indiana, his daughters and granddaughters, and his previous work as a restaurateur.

As Turner’s quest for love on The Golden Bachelor continues to heat up, attention has turned to even more details about the contestant’s background, including his religion. So, is The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner Jewish?

Is The Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner Jewish?

Gerry Turner’s religious beliefs, or his alignment to the Jewish faith has not yet been revealed. The subject of Turner’s religion has not been discussed on The Golden Bachelor, however Dreshare reports that he is of the Christian faith. Questions around Turner’s religion first arose during an episode in which he went on a one-on-one date with 64-year-old contestant, Leslie Fhima.

During the ATV-riding date, Fhima prominently displayed a Star of David necklace, though the topic of her religion did not come up. An episode of The Golden Bachelor also saw Fhima and fellow contestants Ellen, Susan and Theresa doing water aerobics while singing “Hava Nagila,” a popular Jewish folk song.

While Turner and Fhima’s religions have not been officially named, the concept of late-in-life romance is important in the Jewish community, according to Jewish matchmaker, Judith Gottesman. In an interview with Forward discussing the first season of The Golden Bachelor, Gottesman said that Judaism has a “very specific idea” that you should have romantic love in your life and that people of the faith can “find love at any age.”

The broader Bachelor universe has featured Jewish contestants in the past, Jason Alabaster and Ariel Frenkel becoming serious frontrunners for the final rose during their appearances in season 19 and 27, respectively. The dating show further explored Frenkel’s faith during her hometown visit with then-Bachelor Zach Shallcross, where the pair visited a Jewish deli and shared a serving of gefilte fish.

The final episode of the first season of The Golden Bachelor will air on Nov. 30, 2023.  

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