article_snippet.sent: Also known as Azzam the American, Gadahn was born in 1978.
article_snippet.sent: Gadahn parents changed His parents name from Pearlman to Gadahn after His parents marriage.
article_snippet.sent: Gadahn grew up on a farm in rural California and at age 18 moved in with Gadahn paternal grandparents, who were Jewish.
article_snippet.sent: Gadahn converted to Islam in 1995 and left the United States for Pakistan three years later.
article_snippet.sent: Gadahn father said Gadahn last contacted the family in 2002.
article_snippet.sent: Gadahn, who'd just just turned 20, had taken flights from the United States to London, then on to Karachi and Peshawar.
article_snippet.sent: The former operative planned to take Gadahn to a pizzeria after Gadahn landed, before accompanying Gadahn by bus to al Qaeda's encampments in Afghanistan.
article_snippet.sent: But Gadahn told Gadahn Gadahn'd been longing for some Afghan food, so Gadahn went to an Afghan restaurant instead before setting out on the road.
article_snippet.sent: In the years after 9/11, Gadahn rose through the ranks in the tribal areas of Pakistan, becoming Gadahn chief official English-language propagandist.
article_snippet.sent: At first Gadahn was disguised.
article_snippet.sent: Sometimes Gadahn spoke in English, but in other videos Gadahn spoke in Arabic.
article_snippet.sent: Gadahn was married to a Muslim woman from Afghanistan and reportedly had at least one child.
highlights_snippet.sent: Adam Gadahn was raised in California and said Adam Gadahn was of Jewish ancestry .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Adam Gadahn converted to Islam in 1995, left U.S. in 1998 and joined al Qaeda, becoming a spokesman .