It’s spring and you know what that means? It’s the time of the season for loving—and there’s a lot of interfaith love to talk about. I recently discovered the power couple that is Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr. and Jewish actress and singer Nicolette Robinson. And that started me thinking about high-profile people in Jewish interfaith relationships.
We’ve been reporting on Jewish interfaith celebrity couples for years, and it’s high time we shared a top 10 list of some of our favorites. Many celebrity couples have chosen to be with someone of a different faith, and we love to follow their relationships. Read on to see who made the cut and email us at editor@18doors.org to offer suggestions for next time.
Jewish actress Mila Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher are sort of Hollywood sweethearts, in our opinion. They met on the set of That 70s Show in the late 1990s and were engaged in 2014. Now they’re parents to two sweet kids. Ashton regularly features Mila on his personal Instagram page, and captioned one of his posts, “Night out with the wife.” Have you seen the adorable photos of them when they were co-stars? *Swoon*
Jewish Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who isn’t Jewish, have been through a lot together. The couple was outspoken and honest about their difficulties having children. Priscilla said on the Today Show: “There are really dark moments where you think you’re alone. And [then] we realized that we weren’t and that there were other people traveling along the same road with you.” After facing three miscarriages, they now have two precious little girls to keep their hands full.
Journalist Tamron Hall and Jewish music executive Steven Greener welcomed their first baby just over two years ago. These two smart cookies are undoubtedly raising baby Moses with a wealth of knowledge, love and fun. Hear Tamron gush about how she and Steven met, and welcoming their baby. P.S. She uses “#Mosesparents” on an Insta photo with her husband; how cute are they?
Jess Salomon and Eman El-Husseini, known collectively as “The El-Salomons” on Instagram, aren’t just married—they also perform comedy together and create hilarious illustrations with their friend, Jesse. The Jewish-Palestinian couple met in Montreal, fell in love and moved to New York. Together, they’re destigmatizing Jewish and Palestinian relationships through art, humor and most of all, love. If you haven’t heard of them, check out this story to learn more!
These college sweethearts (who met on day one at UPenn)—writer, director and actor Elizabeth Banks and sportswriter and producer Max Handelman—are raising a Jewish family. Elizabeth is a great example of someone who didn’t convert but she practices Judaism and is creating a Jewish home with her husband. Elizabeth told Porter Magazine in 2019, “Twenty seven years. It’s the thing I’m most proud of,” she beams. “I do think people grow together or they grow apart. We definitely grew together.”
New York City natives Amanda Peet and David Benioff lead a busy life going back and forth between the East and West coasts. Amanda, who is from an interfaith family—the daughter of a Quaker father and a Jewish mother—is known for her roles in various TV shows and films. She married her Jewish husband, David, a writer for Game of Thrones, in a Jewish ceremony held at the Quaker school she attended for her primary and secondary education. Together they’re raising three children. Peet told Variety when she was filming The Betty Broderick Story, “Luckily, I have a very supportive husband, unlike Betty Broderick. He became a very full-on parent during this period of time. Since he had just come off nine years on Game of Thrones, I think we both felt it was my turn!”
Jewish singing legend, actor, writer, director and producer Barbra Streisand, and writer, director and producer James Brolin have been married since 1998. The two are a charming pair—and they only got closer during the pandemic! When Barbra found out that she was going to become a grandmother in 2018, James said: “I love that she is into it. I mean, it’s like a very typical Jewish grandmother who is saturated by this event. It’s awesome.”
Award-winning and singer songwriter Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore and who was raised in a Jewish and Catholic family, fell for Motocross racer Carey Hart and the two faced a rough few years in their relationship. Pink writes: “People laugh at us because we’re either fighting or laughing. They roll their eyes when we talk about therapy. But I’ll tell you what. It’s worth it. All of it.” Pink and Carey are raising two kids and we really hope at least one of them ends up with a voice like hers. Mother-son duo, anyone?
Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. and Waitress actor Nicolette Robinson aren’t just known for their stellar individual performances, but also for their own rendition of Ma’oz Tzur. Robinson, who was raised in an interfaith family celebrating Christian and Jewish holidays, married Leslie in 2012 under a chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) and the pair welcomed their second baby. Odom Jr. was also nominated for an Oscar and performed at the awards show.
We’ve saved the longest married couple for last: M*A*S*H actor Alan Alda, and musician, photographer and writer Arlene Alda have been married for more than six decades. Arlene, a talented clarinet player, was born and raised in a Jewish family in the Bronx. She describes meeting Alan at a party in Manhattan, and more, in her 1981 interview with The New York Times. She finishes: “And I know it’s probably a cliché, but we are best friends,” she added. “I can’t imagine having a husband who wasn’t my best friend.”
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