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Boca Raton, FL - Obama told a crowd at a local synagogue, to ignore false Internet-fueled rumors that he’s Muslim - he is Christian - and other attacks that question his allegiance to Israel and Jewish causes.

“Part of, I think, the tradition of the Jewish people is to judge me by what I say and what I’ve done,” he said. “Don’t judge me because I’ve got a funny name, don’t judge me because I’m African-American.” Obama faced tough and skeptical questioning from the crowd.

One man told Obama that his friend said he would vote for him only if he changed his name to Barry. When Obama was a child, his family called him Barry, but he began using his formal given name later in life.

Obama responded that his dad was from Kenya. “Barack,” he said, “means the same as baruch [a Hebrew word] - it means one who’s blessed.”

At another point, Obama got hit with a question about his associating with some people who don’t support Israel and he was asked directly to name Jewish friends who are not politicians. Obama gamely named a few but defended his association with people with whom he disagreed.

“We gotta be careful about guilt by association,” he insisted.

Brief interviews with audience members following his remarks suggest Obama continues to face an uphill battle in the Jewish community.

“He’s a very articulate person,” said Simon Mizrachi of Boca Raton. “But I’m voting for McCain

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