JK Rowling says there were Jewish wizards at Hogwarts but she 'never imagined' Wiccans there

A scene from 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.' in an image courtesy of Warner Bros. Handout/Reuters

Turns out, Hogwarts is home to witches and wizards of almost all religions - except Wicca, that is.

JK Rowling, the author of the best-selling book series "Harry Potter," has confirmed during a Twitter question-and-answer session on Tuesday that Hogwarts had Jewish students.

Ben Roffman, the Jewish fan who threw the question, tweeted that his wife teased him that there were no Jews in the wizarding school, hence she was the only one qualified to be "magical" in the family.

In reply, Rowling posted, "Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw, Jewish wizard."

Goldstein was among the original 40 students that Rowling created for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," the first book in the series.

The popular novelist also clarified that there are other Jewish students in Hogwarts aside from Goldstein.

Rowling went on to say that Wicca, the pagan witchcraft religion, is the only religion not represented in the "Harry Potter" books.

The author posted on Twitter, "To everyone asking whether their religion/belief/non-belief system is represented at Hogwarts: the only people I never imagined there are Wiccans."

Rowling explained that she did not see how Wiccan practitioners can fit with the witches and wizards in her series.

The novelist tweeted, "[It's] a different concept of magic to the one laid out in the books, so I don't really see how they can co-exist."

As of late, Rowling has been frequenting the Harry Potter world. She has just finished the film script for the Harry Potter spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' She has also been writing new content for Pottermore, an interactive website dedicated to the Harry Potter series.

News
Dozens of Scottish church leaders warn against legalising assisted suicide
Dozens of Scottish church leaders warn against legalising assisted suicide

Pastors and Christian leaders across Scotland have signed an open letter to MSPs urging them to vote against a draft bill that seeks to legalise assisted suicide. 

Sequel to hit Christian movie 'I Can Only Imagine' gets new release date
Sequel to hit Christian movie 'I Can Only Imagine' gets new release date

The release date for the faith-based film “I Can Only Imagine 2,” the sequel to the 2018 box office hit, is moving from March 20, 2026, to Feb. 20, 2026, Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company have announced.

First Minister John Swinney among MSPs to vote against Scottish assisted dying bill
First Minister John Swinney among MSPs to vote against Scottish assisted dying bill

Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has confirmed he will vote against the controversial Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, ahead of its pivotal Stage 1 vote set for Tuesday evening. 

Suicide is a sin - why can't we say so?
Suicide is a sin - why can't we say so?

It might just be me, but amongst all the myriad and somewhat valid objections raised, including by Christians, to "Assisted Dying" (read "Doctors Killing Patients" or "Doctors Helping Patients to Kill Themselves"), I haven't really seen the most important, indeed the all-decisive, one.