Karlie Kloss has opened up about converting to Judaism following her marriage to venture capitalist Josh Kushner, saying the process has made her “stronger”.
The model married the 34-year-old in upstate New York in October 2018 in a small Jewish ceremony. The wedding came just three months after they announced their engagement.
Speaking about her decision to convert to the Jewish faith for her husband, Kloss told British Vogue: “Changing part of who you are for someone else can be seen as weak.
“But you know what? Actually, if you’ve been through what I’ve experienced, it requires you to be anything but weak.”
The Project Runway host added that concerting to Judaism has required her to “be stronger and self-loving and resilient”.
“I really did not take this lightly,” the 26-year-old continued.
The star, who celebrated her marriage to Kushner with a celebrity-filled party in Wyoming with the likes of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry last month, said that she didn’t change her faith solely because of her love for Kushner.
“This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman,” she added.
“It was only after many years of studying and talking with my family and friends and soul searching that I made the decision to fully embrace Judaism in my life and start planning for a future with the man I chose to marry.”
Since converting faith, the model – who boasts over 8.2m Instagram follower – says she has particularly learned to embrace Shabbat which is Judaism’s day of rest.
“I think we all have a tendency to just keep going,” Kloss said of the demands of daily life.
“Some people find grounding through meditation. Some find it through exercise. And to each their own, but for me, Shabbat has brought so much meaning into my life. It helps me reconnect to the actual world.”
During the interview, the New York University student also said that her feminist beliefs resulted in her making the decision to step down as one of lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret’s famous Angel models.
“The reason I decided to stop working with Victoria’s Secret was I didn’t feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world about what it means to be beautiful,” she told the publication.
“I think that was a pivotal moment in me stepping into my power as a feminist, being able to make my own choices and my own narrative, whether through the companies I choose to work with, or through the image I put out to the world.”
The star also added that the increased attention surrounding her relationship with her sister-in-law Ivanka Trump – who is married to Joshua’s brother, Jared – has been “hard”.
“But I choose to focus on the values that I share with my husband, and those are the same liberal values that I was raised with and that have guided me throughout my life.”
The full interview can be seen in the August issue of British Vogue, available on newsstands and digital download on Friday 5 July 2019.
