Happy 75th, Elvis: Yes, “The King” Was Jewish
Even though much of the world, today, is focused on this afternoon’s detention hearing in Detroit, featuring Northwest Flight 253 Islamic terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, that hearing will be a quick formality at which nothing of note will happen. And, since it’s Friday, I’m taking a brief break (not completely) from the Islamic terrorism and hard political stuff.
Elvis Wearing Jewish “Chai” (”Life”) Necklace)
After all, today would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th Birthday. And much of Las Vegas and the rest of the strange but campy Elvis-lovin’ world is celebrating. That gives me this chance to repeat something I like to brag about as a proud Jewish American. While he was outwardly a practicing Christian, under Jewish law, “The King” was a Jew and he knew it. Yup, I’m sure that’ll give a huge heart attack to many in the White supremacist crowd. But he was one of us, not one of you. He even did what people stereotypically claim Jews do: Elvis got a nose job (for the record, no-one in my family has had this procedure).
Below is an excerpt of a Jewish Week article on Elvis Jewish heritage, which was reposted on Jeff Swope’s my space page. The original, to which I used to link, is no longer online. Elvis knew of his Jewish heritage, but his parents told him to keep it quiet. He donated lots of money to Jewish charities and put a Jewish Star/Star of David on his mother’s original tombstone. He carried a yarmulke and often wore a “Chai” (”life”) necklace, which is a Jewish good luck charm and symbolizes the tree of life and the number 18, which is a good number in Judaism. (Full details at ElvisPresleyNews.com).
This is news to me. What did his nose look like before he had surgery?? My uncle moonlighted on Elvis's Hawaiian movies and thought that he was a very nice, friendly guy.
Posted by: KS | Monday, January 11, 2010 at 05:30 PM
Wow! Your uncle got to be around Elvis? That is very, very cool.
Posted by: Nora | Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:05 PM