Stoudemire was raised Baptist. Through his mother, he is associated with the Black Hebrew Israelites. In a 2010 interview, he said, "I have been aware since my youth that I am a Hebrew through my mother, and that is something that has played a subtle but important role in my development." Asked if there was a chance he was Jewish, he said "I think through history, I think we all are". He visited Israel that year, saying he intended "to get a better understanding of heritage." He returned for the 2013 Maccabiah Games as assistant coach of the Canadian basketball team; while there he met with Israeli president Shimon Peres, who urged him to join the Israel national basketball team. In April 2018, he reportedly began converting to Judaism. In January 2019, he was granted residency in Israel. In March 2019, he received Israeli citizenship, and adopted the name Jehoshaphat. He formally converted to Judaism with a Rabbinical court on August 26, 2020.