Birth Name: Edgar Steven Davids

Place of Birth: Paramaribo, Suriname

Date of Birth: 13 March 1973

Ethnicity: Afro-Surinamese, possibly a Jewish grandparent

Edgar Davids is a Dutch former professional footballer and manager. He was capped 74 times by the Netherlands at the international level.

Edgar was born in Suriname. His family moved to the Netherlands when he was an infant.

Edgar is of Afro-Surinamese background. He is said to have a Jewish grandparent, although it is not clear if this has been verified.

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Birth Name: Bernard Richard Goldberg

Place of Birth: New York City, New York

Date of Birth: May 31, 1945

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Bernie Goldberg is an American writer, journalist, and political pundit. He is a commentator for Fox News.

Source: http://bernardgoldberg.com

Birth Name: Christopher Eric Hitchens

Date of Birth: 13 April, 1949

Place of Birth: Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, U.K.

Date of Death: 15 December, 2011

Place of Death: Houston, Texas

Ethnicity:
*English, some Welsh (father)
*English, Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)

Christopher Hitchens was a British author, literary critic, and journalist. He was also an American citizen. Christopher was known for his controversial political stances, and for his criticism of religion. His brother is author and journalist Peter Hitchens.

Christopher’s father, Eric Ernest Hitchens, was of English, and some Welsh, ancestry. Christopher’s mother, Yvonne Jean (Hickman), was of English and Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and was born into the Jewish religion. Christopher’s mother did not disclose the fact that she was Jewish to her children.

Christopher’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to Isaac Hitchens, who was born, c. 1768, in Devizes, Wiltshire, England.

Christopher’s paternal grandparents were Alfred Ernest Hitchens (the son of James Hitchens and Mary Susan Tarrant) and Elizabeth Marianne Gardner (the daughter of Ishmael Somers Gardner and Elizabeth Ann Rule). Christopher’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was Welsh, born in Rhymney, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Christopher’s maternal grandfather was Lionel Frederick William Hickman (the son of Reginald Francis Hickman and Eleanor Jane Harbud). Christopher’s grandfather Lionel converted to Judaism when marrying Christopher’s maternal grandmother.

Christopher’s maternal grandmother was Dorothy Levin/Lynn (the daughter of Lionel Eustace Levin and Rachel Blumenthal). Christopher’s great-grandfather Lionel Levin was born to a Jewish family (of Polish Jewish, German Jewish, Austrian Jewish, and Czech Jewish descent). Lionel was the son of Joseph Levin and Bertha Barnett (whose own father was a Rabbi). Christopher’s great-grandmother Rachel Blumenthal was the daughter of Nathaniel Blumenthal, a Jewish immigrant from Kempen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and of Sarah Elizabeth Suffolk.

Christopher’s matrilineal great-great-grandmother Sarah Elizabeth Suffolk was born to an English Christian family, the daughter of John Suffolk and Elizabeth Faulkner. Sarah Elizabeth Suffolk converted to Judaism when marrying Christopher’s great-great-grandfather, Nathaniel Blumenthal. As such, Christopher Hitchens was considered Jewish through matrilineal descent (a topic he had written about).

Source: Genealogy of Christopher Hitchens – http://www.geni.com

Date of Birth: December 22, 1922

Place of Birth: Lynn, Massachusetts

Date of Death: September 9, 1999

Place of Death: Laguna Beach, California

Ethnicity: Lithuanian Jewish

Ruth Roman was an American actress. She was the daughter of Lithuanian-Jewish parents, Mary Pauline (Gold) and Abraham Roman (also known as Anthony K. Roman).

Ruth’s paternal grandparents were Charles Roman and Mary.

Ruth’s maternal grandparents were Jake Gold and Esther Bycofsky.

Sources: Marriage record of Ruth’s parents – https://familysearch.org

Ruth Roman on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Birth Name: Philip S. Goldberg

Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Date of Birth: August 1, 1956

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Philip Goldberg is a senior United States diplomat and government official. He is the United States Ambassador to the Philippines. Philip is the son of Edna (Cohen) and Morton William Goldberg.

Philip’s paternal grandparents were Charles Goldberg (the son of Max Goldberg and Silvia G. Rubenstein) and Anna L. Karesky (the daughter of Louis Karesky and Bertha Rosenstein). Charles and Anna were Russian Jewish immigrants.

Philip’s maternal grandparents were Hyman J. Cohen and Lillian “Annie” Lodgen. Hyman was a Latvian Jewish immigrant, from Riga. Lillian was a Russian Jewish immigrant.

Source: Marriage record of Philip’s paternal grandparents, Charles Goldberg and Anna L. Karesky – https://familysearch.org

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Date of Birth: February 21, 1958

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Jake Steinfeld is an American fitness specialist and entrepreneur in the fitness training industry. His father was Herbert Melvin Steinfeld. He is the uncle of actress, model, and singer Hailee Steinfeld. He is married to Tracey Morrison.

Jake’s paternal grandparents were Samuel “Sam” Steinfeld and Bessie Zelensky (the daughter of Hyman Zelensky and Sarah). Samuel was a Romanian Jewish immigrant. Bessie was a Russian Jewish immigrant.

Source: Genealogy of Jake Steinfeld (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.geni.com

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Birth Name: Harvey Robert Levin

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth: September 2, 1950

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Harvey Levin is an American television producer, lawyer, legal analyst, and celebrity reporter. He is the founder of website TMZ and the host of the television series of the same name.

Birth Name: Michael A. Schwartz

Place of Birth: San Francisco, California

Date of Birth: April 4, 1970

Ethnicity:
*Filipino (mother)
*German or German Jewish (father)

Mix Master Mike is an American turntablist, hip hop DJ, and producer. He is well known as being the DJ for the rap group Beastie Boys. His mother is Filipino. His father is said to be of German or German Jewish descent.

Growing up in San Francisco, he met his then-rival DJ Qbert, and the two formed a DJ crew that dominated the world DJ competitions in the early 1990s. Interestingly, his DJ crew, The Invisibl Skratch Piklz, are all of Bay Area Filipino descent. While the Beastie Boys all have/had Jewish ancestry.

Source: Jewish Community of Solano County by By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen, Rachel Rae Moncharsh-Lessem and Shoshana Deutscher-Nurik

Birth Name: Alain Macklovitch

Place of Birth: Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Date of Birth: March 30, 1982

Ethnicity: Russian Jewish, Moroccan Jewish

A-Trak is a Canadian hip hop and electro DJ, turntablist, record producer, and music label executive. He won the world DMC championship at the age of fifteen, and has gained mainstream fame as Kanye West’s tour DJ. Since then, he has produced music for various rap and dance artists, and formed the group Duck Source with fellow DJ/producer Armand Van Helden.

His father is of Russian Jewish descent and his mother is of Moroccan Jewish ancestry.

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Birth Name: Karina Smirnova

Place of Birth: Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Date of Birth: January 2, 1978

Ethnicity: Greek, Russian, Jewish

Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian-born American professional ballroom dancer. She is known for appearing in a multitude of Dancing with the Stars seasons.

Karina was born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, and moved to the United States in 1993. She has said that her father is Greek and her mother is Russian.

In 2009, OK! Magazine wrote that Karina is “half Jewish” and “considers herself a Christian”.

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Birth Name: Ian Howard Kessner

Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Date of Birth: August 26, 1969

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Ian Kessner is a Canadian film writer, producer, and director. He is the son of Rhona Joy (Vosko) and Norman Kessner. He is married to actress Bar Paly.

Ian’s paternal grandparents were Abraham Jacob “Abe” Kessner (the son of Isaac Kastner) and Tobie Fine (the daughter of Wolfe Fine and Esther Ashkenazy). Esther was the daughter of Moshe Ashkenazy.

Ian’s maternal grandparents were Irving Vosko and Elaine Levoy.

Source: Genealogy of Ian Kessner – http://www.geni.com

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Birth Name: Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov

Date of Birth: 22 April, 1870

Place of Birth: Simbirsk, Russian Empire

Date of Death: 21 January, 1924

Place of Death: Gorki, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

Ethnicity:
*Russian, with possible Chuvash and Kalmyk (father)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (maternal grandfather)
*German, Swedish (maternal grandmother)

Vladimir Lenin was a Russian communist revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He was Premier of the Soviet Union from 30 December, 1922 to 21 January, 1924, and Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Russian SFSR, from 8 November, 1917 to 21 January, 1924.

He was the son of Maria Alexandrovna (Blank) and Ilya Nikolayevich Ulyanov, a public figure in education.

Lenin’s father was born in Astrakhan, Russia, of Russian, and possibly Chuvash and Kalmyk, descent, and was of the Russian Orthodox religion. Lenin’s mother was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Lenin’s maternal grandfather was born Jewish, and converted to Christianity. Lenin’s maternal grandmother was a Lutheran, of half German and half Swedish descent, and Lenin’s mother was also raised Lutheran. Lenin himself was baptized Russian Orthodox.

Lenin’s paternal grandparents were Nikolay Vasilyevich Ulyanin/Ulyanov (the son of Vasily Nikitich Ulyanin and Anna Semyonovna) and Anna Alexeyevna Smirnova (the daughter of Aleksey Lukyanovich Smirnov and Alexandra Ulyanova). Lenin’s paternal grandfather Nikolay was a former serf. Lenin’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to Andrew Ulyanin, from the village Eropkin, which was located in present-day Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, an area inhabited by the Chuvashes, a Turkic ethnic group. Lenin’s father was committed to building a primary school in Simbirsk, for Chuvash-speaking children, and possibly spoke the language himself. These factors makes it possible that Lenin’s grandfather had Chuvash ancestry. Some sources have stated that he also had Mordvinian and/or Tatar ancestry. Lenin’s paternal grandmother Anna possibly had Kalmyk ancestry. The Kalmyks are a Mongolian ethnic group in Russia. However, it is not clear if it has been verified that Lenin’s father had ancestry other than Russian.

Lenin’s maternal grandparents were Srul (or Israel) Moishevich Blank (the son of Moshko/Moshe Itskovich Blank and Mariam Froimovich) and Anna Ivanovna Grosschopff (the daughter of Johann Gottlieb Grosschopff and Anna Beata Östedt). Lenin’s maternal grandfather Srul was born in Starokostiantyniv, Ukraine, to a Jewish family; he converted to Orthodox Christianity, and was baptized as Aleksandr Dmitrievich Blank. Lenin’s maternal grandmother Anna was born in Saint Petersburg, to a German father, who was born in Lübeck, Germany, and to a Swedish mother, who was born in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sources: Genealogy of Vladimir Lenin – http://www.geni.com

http://www.istpravda.com.ua
https://books.google.se

Photo By L. Léonidov [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Birth Name: Samuel Benjamin Harris

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: April 9, 1967

Ethnicity:
*English, at least 1/128 Scots-Irish (Northern Irish) (father)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)

Sam Harris is an American neuroscientist, author, and philosopher.

Sam is the son of actor Berkeley Harris (Elliott Berkeley Harris, Jr.) and producer Susan Harris (born Susan Spivak). His father was a Quaker. His mother was Jewish. Sam had a secular upbringing, and is a prominent atheist.

Sam’s paternal grandparents were Elliott Berkeley Harris, Sr. (the son of Lewis Henry Harris and Gertrude Elizabeth Brown) and Rebecca Wilson Land (the daughter of Willian Raines Land, Sr. and Mary Gregory LeGrande). It is likely that most of Sam’s father’s ancestry was English. Only one of Sam’s paternal ancestors can be traced back beyond the United States, his paternal second great-grandmother, Abigail Blackburn, who was born in Loughgall, Northern Ireland. The surname “LeGrande” is French, which might indicate some French ancestry.

Sam’s maternal grandparents were Benjamin D. Spivak and Bertha M. Schneider (the daughter of Samuel Schneider and Anna Bradman). Samuel was born in Russia. Anna was born in Warsaw, Poland.

Sources: Genealogy of Sam Harris (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Sam Harris (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com

http://www.tabletmag.com

Birth Name: Raymond Joseph Teller

Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Date of Birth: February 14, 1948

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*English (mother)

Teller is an American magician, illusionist, actor, comedian, writer, and director. He forms the magician duo Penn & Teller, together with Penn Jillette.

Teller is the son of Irene B. (Derrickson) and Joseph “Joe” Teller (born Israel Max Teller). Teller’s father was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian Jewish parents, and grew up in Philadelphia. Teller’s mother was born in Pennsylvania, and had English ancestry.

On season 4, episode 7, of the documentary television series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, that aired on May 15, 2006, Penn stated: “His (Teller’s) mother’s side had some Cuban and his father’s side was Russian Jew(ish) who never even mentioned their history ’til Teller was fifty years old.”

There appears to be no Cuban ancestry on Teller’s mother’s side. It is not clear if Penn was kidding or speaking seriously.

Teller’s paternal grandparents were Joseph Teller and Esther Levin/Levine. Joseph and Esther were Russian Jewish immigrants.

Teller’s maternal grandparents were James Herschel Derrickson (the son of James W. Derrickson and Clementine Ann Aydelott) and Beatrice B. Baker. Teller’s grandfather James was born in Delaware. Teller’s grandmother Beatrice was born in Pennsylvania.

Sources: Teller’s father on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Teller’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Teller’s mother on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Teller’s mother on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

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Birth Name: Blake Rabin

Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia

Date of Birth: July 31, 1996

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Hispanic

Blake Michael is an American actor, singer, musician, and model. His father is of Russian Jewish descent. It appears that his mother is of Hispanic/part Hispanic ancestry.

Blake was raised Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.

Blake’s paternal grandfather was named Benjamin Hyman Rabinovich/Rabin (the son of Samuel Rabinovich and Minnie Shafran). Benjamin was born in Illinois, to Russian Jewish parents.

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Birth Name: Karina Smirnova

Place of Birth: Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Date of Birth: January 2, 1978

Ethnicity: Greek, Russian, Jewish

Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian-born American professional ballroom dancer. She is known for appearing in a multitude of Dancing with the Stars seasons.

Karina was born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, and moved to the United States in 1993. She has said that her father is Greek and her mother is Russian.

In 2009, OK! Magazine wrote that Karina is “half Jewish” and “considers herself a Christian”.

Photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Blake Rabin

Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia

Date of Birth: July 31, 1996

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish-Hispanic

Blake Michael is an American actor, singer, musician, and model. His father is of Russian Jewish descent. It appears that his mother is of Hispanic/part Hispanic ancestry.

Blake was raised Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.

On his father’s side, Blake is the grandson of Benjamin Hyman Rabinovich/Rabin (the son of Samuel Rabinovich and Minnie Shafran) and Marcia. Benjamin was born in Illinois, to Russian Jewish parents.

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Birth Name: Jacqueline Samantha Titone

Place of Birth: Coral Springs, Florida

Date of Birth: September 24, 1974

Ethnicity: Italian (converted to Judaism)

Jackie Sandler is an American actress and model. She is married to actor and comedian Adam Sandler.

Jackie is of Italian descent.

Jackie converted to Judaism before marrying Adam.

Jackie’s maternal grandparents are Mario Edward Impellizeri (the son of Gaspare J. Impellizzeri and Lillian Adragna) and Monica LoPinto (the daughter of Benjamin LoPinto and Concetta/Elizabeth Priolo). Mario was born in New York, to Italian parents. Monica’s ancestry is also Italian.

Sources: Jackie’s maternal grandfather, Mario Edward Impellizeri, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Jackie’s maternal grandfather, Mario Edward Impellizeri – http://www.nytimes.com

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Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, New York

Date of Birth: October 25, 1970

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Adam Pascal is an American actor, singer, and musician. His parents were both Jewish.

Adam’s paternal grandfather was Otto William Pascal (the son of Solomon Pascal and Tillie Schindler). Solomon and Tillie were Romanian Jewish immigrants.

Adam’s maternal grandparents were Philip Frishman (the son of Abraham/William Howard Frishman and Anna/Annie Schreiber) and Lily Lieberman (the daughter of Sol Lokiec/Lieberman and Yetta Semiatitski). Abraham was a Russian Jewish immigrant, born in Rictrokov, to Jacob Frishman and Jennie Markowitz. Anna was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, born in Galicia, to Wolf Schreiber and Sarah Meyer. Sol and Yetta were Polish Jewish immigrants. Sol was the son of Berol/Baer Dov Lokiec/Lieberman and Brina/Brannah Feigenbaum.

Sources: Adam’s paternal grandfather, Otto William Pascal, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Adam’s maternal grandfather, Philip Frishman, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Adam’s maternal grandmother, Lily Lieberman, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

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Place of Birth: Livingston, New Jersey

Date of Birth: June 12, 1985

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Joshua Kushner is an American businessperson and investor. He is the son of Seryl (Stadtmauer) and Charles Kushner, a real estate developer. He is the brother of Jared Kushner, who is also a businessperson and investor.

Joshua was raised in a Jewish family.

Joshua’s paternal grandparents were Joseph Kushner (born Joseph Berkowitz, the son of Moshe Berkowitz and Chana Slonimski) and Reichel “Rae” Kushner (the daughter of Nachum Kushner and Hinda). Joseph and Reichel were Jewish immigrants. Joseph was born in Poland or Belarus. Reichel was born in Navahrudak, Hrodna Province, Belarus.

Joshua’s maternal grandparents were Morris/Moishe Raphael ben Yehoshua Stadtmauer (the son of Oscar Yehoshua Stadtmauer and Sophie Wolf) and Marilyn Felsen (the daughter of Julius Felsen and Anat/Annette). Morris was born in New York, to Polish Jewish parents. Marilyn was born in New York, also of Polish Jewish descent.

Sources: Genealogy of Joshua Kushner – http://www.geni.com

Joshua’s maternal grandfather, Moishe/Morris Raphael ben Yehoshua Stadtmauer, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Joshua’s maternal great-grandmother, Anat/Annette Felsen – http://query.nytimes.com