- From Larry David to Seth Rogen, there are plenty of famously Jewish people in the celebrity realm.
- But there are also numerous celebrities you probably didn’t realise have Jewish connections as well.
- Some celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow, converted to Judaism, while others, like Jack Black, were born to Jewish roots but no longer practice.
While legends like Larry David, Seth Rogen, and Sacha Baron Cohen have incorporated their Jewish identities into their work, others are more low-key about their Jewish connections.
Stars like Jack Black, Winona Ryder, Zac Efron, and Maya Rudolph are just a few of the celebrities born to Jewish parents, although some of them no longer practice Judaism. Other celebrities, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, converted to Judaism later in life.
Ahead of the first night of Hanukkah, here are 15 celebrities you might not know are Jewish.
Born to a father of Syrian-Jewish descent and a Canadian-Jewish mother, Paula Abdul grew up in a practicing Jewish family, but perhaps due to her aspirations of professional dancing and singing – and her time as a Lakers Girl – she didn’t have time to complete Hebrew school or have a bat mitzvah.
Despite this, Abdul is an observant Jew and dreamt for years of visiting Israel. In 2013, at 51 years old, she finally made a religious pilgrimage to Israel and even completed her bat mitzvah.
“Beyond being Jewish, I’ve always found myself to be very much in tune with spirituality,” Abdul told The Associated Press. “I feel very grateful coming to Israel now, where as a woman I know who I am a lot more than even 10 years ago.”
Abdul described the visit as “the most magnificent trip I’ve ever taken.”
Read the article by in Business Insider Australia.