The actor known for wearing the "Stark Arc Reactor" was spotted wearing a Hebrew necklace during a Baseball Game.
Three-time Golden Globe Award-winning actor Robert Downey Jr. posted a photo on his Instagram account and people began to speculate whether he is Jewish. He was wearing a Hebrew "Chai" necklace.
Downey Jr.'s Jewish Family Background
According to The Jerusalem Post, Downey Jr. has identified himself as "a Jewish Buddhist and was raised by a Jewish father." He self-identifies himself as a "Jubu" or a "Jewish Buddhist."
Susan, Downey's wife, is Jewish and the couple named their son Avri, a nickname of Avraham, a Jewish name.
According to Downey Jr.'s profile on IMDB, his father Robert Downey Sr. had a Lithuanian Jewish and Hungarian Jewish ascent. This means that the award-winning actor may have grown up in a Jewish environment.
In a report via Hungary Today, the Hollywood actor's ancestors, with the likes of his great-great-grandfather Jacob Stern and his great-great-grandmother Eleonora Deutschländer are Hungarians and are buried in a Jewish cemetery there. This was announced by the Hungarian Hollywood Council.
The great-great-grandparents met in a town in Tata, Hungary. Their marriage ended with the great-great-grandfather's death. The wife lost her second husband, got remarried again, and their descendants eventually migrated to New York.
Also Read: Jewish Refugees And Some Holocaust Survivors Hope To Rebuild Life In Israel
List of Jewish Actors, Actresses, and Celebrities
Downey is not the only celebrity who has Jewish descent. There are a couple of actors and actresses who are either Jewish, has Jewish descent, and even practicing Judaism.
According to a list given by Insider, some of the actors, actresses, and celebrities are familiar names. The list has the following names: Paula Abdul, Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Daniel Radcliffe, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford, Zac Efron, and many more.
Downey is best known for his role as Tony Stark in "Iron Man" and him being the titular character in "Sherlock Holmes."
The Hebrew Meaning of The Necklace
The Hollywood actor was seen wearing a Hebrew 'Chai' necklace and many have been wanting to know what the necklace means and is all about.
"Chai" in Hebrew means "Life, Living or Alive." In a blog on Israel-Catalog.com, "Chai" is often used as a symbol and carries significance in the Jewish culture. A verse in the Bible describes this word. Leviticus 18:5 is well-known for using the word "Chai." The verse, according to the English Standard Version but with Hebrew annotation added, says:
"You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, 'he shall live by them'(VeChai Bahem): I am the Lord."
More than just a symbol, the word "chai" also carries a numerical symbol the Jewish culture.
According to the Gimatria, a calculation of the numerical values of a word, "Chai" is the number 18, and the number serves as a source of significance in terms of giving in multiples of 18, such as 18, 36, and 54, when giving donations or giving gifts in weddings. "Giving Chai" is their way of saying "giving life" and others would say in giving "good luck or fortune."
Downey Jr. is one of the many people who wear or have already worn a Chai necklace, not only to show their Jewish heritage but also to symbolize their faith in God and their beliefs in life.
Also Read: CofE Apologizes To Jews For Laws Expelling Them Centuries Ago
