If confirmed to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland will be the fourth Jew to sit on the bench, with Elana Kegan, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The rest of the justices are Catholic.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Garland was born to a Jewish mother and a Protestant father, but was raised according to the Jewish faith.
“My family deserves much of the credit for the path that led me here. My grandparents left the Pale of Settlement at the border of western Russia and eastern Europe in the early 1900s, fleeing anti-Semitism and hoping to make a better life for their children in America,” Garland said during his nomination acceptance.
NPR reports there hasn’t been a Protestant on the bench since 2010; meanwhile, heavy.com reports Merrick Garland Jew quickly trended after President Barack Obama made his nomination.
Obama initially considered nominating Garland in 2010, but Kegan was eventually confirmed to the seat.
Social media erupted with discussions about Garland’s faith after the nomination.
“‘merrick garland jew’ is the top ‘Merrick Garland’ related search result on Twitter. Seriously that’s what ppl want to know about this guy?” tweeted Andrew Noeyes.
Tweeted Reyhan Harmanci: “Love that the first thing that Twitter told me about Merrick Garland is that he’s a Jew.”
“Merrick Garland is a Harvard Law-educated Jew. So much for more diversity on the court,” posted Naomi Jagoda.
