Liz Taylor z”l

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What? Yeah. Actress Liz Taylor, who recently passed away at age 79, was a yid. She was born a Christian Scientist but converted to Judaism after marrying Jewish film producer Michael Todd (nee Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen), her third husband. Todd died in a plane crash just over a year after they were married and Taylor’s conversion ceremony took place a year later.

Two months later, Elisheba Rachel got married to Todd’s best friend, Jewish crooner Eddie Fisher. They divorced in 1964 and that was it for Liz and Jewish husbands. After Fisher, she married actor Richard Burton (twice), US Senator John Warner, and handyman Larry Fortensky. None were Jews but she was a follower of the Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles. More impressive even was this anecdote reported by the Forward:

In 1977, JTA reported that Taylor had offered herself as a hostage for the Air France hijack victims being held captive by terrorists at Entebbe, Uganda, before Israelis rescued them. That offer, made personally to Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz, was graciously declined, but Dinitz told Taylor, “The Jewish people will always remember it.”

Indeed we will.

As to the funeral, TMZ reports that it will be presided over by A-List celebrity Rabbi Jerry Cutler at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, CA:

Cutler has presided over the funeral services for Milton Berle, Shelley Winters, Walter Matthau, Red Buttons and Jan Murray… We’re told Cutler had met Taylor through Jon Voight … and Taylor’s family specifically requested Rabbi Cutler to do her funeral.

Rest in Peace Liz, and when you get to Kabballah Center heaven, say hi to Marilyn and Sammy.