But he never led me to believe he had a passionate feeling about Israel. Whatever made him become the person he became happened after college. There was no indication that he was capable of doing anything fanatic. He was a good person to spend time with. Although Goodman is reportedly an observant Jew, his aunt, Marlene Schapiro, said she does not remember him as being particularly religious while living in Baltimore.
Blood is blood.
Jewish community leaders reacted to Goodman's release and return to Baltimore with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. Robert O. Freedman, president of Baltimore Hebrew University, said he believes Goodman was freed to balance the release of Palestinian political prisoners in the aftermath of last month's assassination attempt of a Hamas leader in Jordan. If he recognized the gravity of what he did, it would be one thing. But this guy takes pride in it. Baltimore Jewish Times writer Alan H. Feiler contributed to this story.