She Was A Jew? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elizabeth Taylor

Taylor - 1932 to 2011 - had a brief part as a young girl in the horrid orphanage where Jane Eyre grew up. The film starred Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles. Liz Taylor had a very eventful life, marrying eight times, winning two Academy Awards for Best Actress, in "Butterfield 8" {1960] and "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" {1966}.

In 1999 she was awarded the DBE by Queen Elizabeth II. She made eleven films with her two-time husband, Richard Burton, and was known for actively supporting causes such as AIDS awareness and Judaism.

At her conversion she was given the Hebrew name 'Elisheba Rashel'.

Answer: Simone Signoret

Despite many offers from Hollywood, Simone remained in France for most of her career. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1921, Simone fled with her family back to France before the war and managed to hide her Jewish background while France was under German occupation.

She starred in "Diabolique" in 1955, "Is Paris Burning?" in 1966 and "Ship of Fools" in 1965. She won many awards and made at least fifty films from 1942 to the 1960s. Simone was married twice, the second time to Yves Montand, a union that lasted 34 years. Simone died in 1985.

Her autobiography is entitled "Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be".

Answer: Amy Winehouse

Sadly, this multi talented girl died at the age of 27 of 'alcohol poisoning'. She won five Grammys and her 2006 album "Back To Black" was a best seller in the early 21st century. Amy was influenced by girl groups of the 1960s, R&B and jazz. Unfortunately, she suffered from an addiction to alcohol and often ruined her own stage appearances by forgetting lyrics or being unable to complete her performance because of unsteadiness. "Time Magazine" voted her "Rehab" best song of the year in 2007. Amy was known for her generosity and aid to charities.

After her death, her parents set up the "Amy Winehouse Foundation" for support and understanding of vulnerable young adults with addictions. The family decided to 'sit Shiva' for two days. This is a traditional practice of mourning among some Jews, the length of time depending on their own beliefs.

Answer: Frida Kahlo

Born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon in 1907, she developed polio at age six, which left her legs weakened. Frida was also severely injured in a traffic accident as a teenager, which left her with several added health problems. Her marriage with Diego Rivera was volatile as both had affairs, Diego becoming jealous only when Frida's affairs were with other men.
Frida's father was a Hungarian of Jewish descent, and she grew up in 'the blue house' which was dedicated as a museum after her death. Both she and Rivera were active Communists and had befriended Leon Trotsky, who was their guest when he fled to Mexico. Frida also identified strongly with the Mexican Revolution.
Frida's art fused Mexican and Amerind culture as well as surrealism. She died in 1954, and has been honored on a 500 peso note, a postage stamp, and in literature. One of her first paintings, "The Frame", was bought by the Louvre in 1939. Frida died in 1954 after developing a pulmonary embolism; her leg had been amputated below the knee when gangrene set in.

Answer: Ayn Rand

Best known for her novels "The Fountainhead" (1943) and "Atlas Shrugged" {1957}, Rand created her own philosophy of 'objectivism' and wrote many books on the subject. She was influenced by the writings of Aristotle, Plato, Nietzsche, Rostand and Schiller. Rand was an active anti-Communist as well as an atheist.

She was married to Frank O'Connor for fifty years (1929 to 1979), and died 5 years later in 1982. Rand summed up her philosophy as "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." She was an ardent supporter of laissez-faire capitalism.

However, she herself ended up living on social security.

Answer: Connie Chung

Connie has worked for CBS, NBC, went back to CBS, and then moved to ABC. She was also a judge in the Miss Universe 2011 contest. Although most of her interviews went well, she was often criticized when her questioning seemed too abrupt, inappropriate or insensitive. Connie married talkshow host Maury Povich in 1984; in 2006 they co-hosted a show on MSNBC called "Weekends with Maury and Connie" which lasted only about five months.

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

Norma Jean Mortenson was her first legal name, then her last name was changed to Baker by her mother. Marilyn later married James Dougherty {1942-46}, Joe DiMaggio {1954-54}, and last, Arthur Miller {1956-61}. Marilyn spent most of her childhood in foster homes, and when she finally had a father figure in her life he reportedly molested her.

She starred with Jane Russell in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1953, and quickly rose to fame with other films: "The Seven year Itch" {1955}, "Bus Stop" {1956} and the classic comedy "Some Like It Hot" along with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.

She was baptised and raised a Pentecostal Christian, but remained a Jew from her conversion to her death in 1962.

Answer: True

Mary Jane West was born in 1893 to a mother of partial Jewish descent. Known for her innuendos and quick wit, Mae West became a sex symbol, and wrote many plays that were considered quite controversial, as they dealt with sex, gay sex and open relationships.

The plays did quite well at the box office in spite of protests. Her 1928 play "Diamond Lil" was a big hit on Broadway. Mae also starred in many films, the 1933 "She Done Him Wrong", "I'm No Angel" and 1940's "My Little Chickadee" with W.C.Fields, among others. Mae even cut some rock and roll albums, as she apparently had no fear of trying new avenues for her talent. Mae's autobiography was entitled "Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It".

She died in 1980

Answer: False

She was forty at the time, and the oldest woman to enter that sport. Born in 1967 in Beverly Hills, CA., the statuesque Dara has worked as a reporter and model. In the 2007 US Nationals she broke her own 26 year old record in the women's 50 meter freestyle.

She has won twelve Olympic medals, four of each, in her career. Dara Torres was elected into the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame in 2009.

Answer: Jill St. John

Born into a Jewish family, Jill Arlyn Oppenheim's mother changed her last name to St. John when Jill was eleven. Jill attended the famous Hollywood Professional School, which has a most impressive list of alumni, especially in the world of acting and entertainment.
Jill had a very successful radio, television and film career. She is probably best remembered for her role as Tiffany Case, one of the "Bond girls" from the film "Diamonds Are Forever", opposite Sean Connery. After three failed marriages, she wed Robert Wagner in 1990, and has made four films with him. Jill also wrote a cookbook in 1987.
(Around the middle of the 20th century it was fairly common in the English-speaking countries for Jews to discard linguistically German names for English names).