The Jewish World of Elvis Presley

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Neighbors: Elvis sits beside the young David and Debbie Fruchter. Image by Courtesy of Harold Fruchter

At one point, Elvis worked off-and-on for Rabbi Fruchter as a “Shabbos Goy;” he would perform certain types of work that religious law prohibits Jews from doing on the Sabbath, like turning lights on and off.According to the biography “ Elvis and Gladys” written by Elaine Dundy, a journalist and author, the connection came from his maternal side. The book — described as a “ definitive” biography of the icon —recounted Elvis’ early life and his relationship with his mother Gladys, and also dove into her family origins. There is evidence that Elvis’ Jewish lineage meant more to him than just a symbol on a headstone. He gave generously over the years to a variety of Jewish organizations, including the Memphis Jewish Community Center, a donation honored with a plaque that hangs in Graceland today. Elvis’ personal library included several books on Judaism and Jewish history. An entire book on the topic, “The Jewish World of Elvis Presley,” was published last year. I spoke to the daughter of this rabbi. Her mother, the rabbi's wife, and Presley's mother, Gladys, were close friends. Gladys, her mother told her, never said a word about any Jewish ancestor. Her mother said that if Gladys had any knowledge of any Jewish ancestor, the mother was sure Gladys wouldn't have hesitated to mention it.

But her husband was far from convinced. “Dad was so upset by that,” Harold Fruchter remembered. “He said, ‘How could you think that Elvis’s music was anything like great cantorial music?’” Parker worked as a "consultant" for Hilton Hotels for a number of years after Presley's death, [64] with some believing he was working to pay off debts owed to the casino from his gambling during Presley's performances there. [64] Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. By 1984, with his gambling debts reportedly rising again, he was evicted. [64] On the surface, however, relations between the two were as good as ever, with Parker helping the Hilton to organize another fan convention event in August 1987 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. [64] As Presley's fame grew, people became interested in Parker as well. For a time, Parker lied about his childhood, claiming he was born in Huntington, West Virginia in the early 1900s—attempting to pass off his Dutch accent as a Southern accent. He claimed he had run away from home at an early age to join a circus owned by an uncle, then served in the U.S. Army prior to his involvement as a music manager. The truth about his early years was revealed in 1960 when one of Parker's sisters, Nel Dankers-van Kuijk, living in the Netherlands, recognized him in photographs standing next to Presley. [65] Presley's father, Vernon, was of German,[9] Scottish and English origins.[10] Presley's mother, Gladys, was of Scots-Irish with some French Norman ancestry.[11] His mother, Gladys, and the rest of the family, apparently believed that her great-great-grandmother, Morning Dove White, was Cherokee;[12][13] this was confirmed by Elvis's granddaughter Riley Keough in 2017.[14][15] Elaine Dundy, in her biography, supports the belief.[16] Gladys was regarded by relatives and friends as the dominant member of the small family. a b c Jobe Pierce, Patricia (1994). The Ultimate Elvis. Simon & Schuster Ltd. ISBN 978-0-671-87022-5.

But amidst all the artifacts inside the Elvis Presley Museum, there’s something else that one wouldn’t expect to find – a gold menorah with nine Hanukkah candles. Elvis’ paternal line is very different. According to Elvis Australia, the singer descended from a German vine dresser named Johannes Valentin Bressler who moved to New York in 1710. As time went on, the family’s last name evolved from Bressler to Presley. Burdine’s great-granddaughter was Gladys Love Smith, who married Vernon Presley in 1933. Two years later, Gladys gave birth to Elvis in Tupelo, Mississippi. The family moved to Memphis when Elvis was 13. Whether Elvis being Jewish gets you all shook up or not, the easiest answer as to why he is so perennially popular 45 years after his death can be summed up by Lopes Dias: “He was probably the greatest entertainer of all time”.

This edit request to Elvis Presley has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request. Parker served two years in the 64th Coast Artillery at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and shortly afterward reenlisted at Fort Barrancas, Florida. [4] Although he had served honorably for a time, he went AWOL in Florida and was charged with desertion. He was punished with solitary confinement, from which he emerged with a psychosis that led him to spend two months in a mental hospital. [4] His condition caused him to be discharged from the army. Beiffus described this dramatic event, noting that fans and mourners attending the 2018 Elvis Week would be among the first in decades to encounter the grave marker, which was last seen in 1977. Apparently, it was then that Elvis’s father, Vernon, who was open about his antisemitic views, decided to place the marble stone with the Star of David in storage. He had removed the remains of both his wife and son from Forest Hill Cemetery because of what he said was evidence of grave robbing.This impressive monument belies rumors, circulating over the past few years, that Elvis may actually have been halachically Jewish through his maternal great-great grandmother. That thought troubles the current generation of Fruchters. Copen says he’s honored that so many people have the chance to see a family heirloom, which he believes sends an important message of tolerance that Elvis embraced. In May 1929, Parker returned to the U.S. and found work with carnivals owing to his experience in the Netherlands. [4] He enlisted in the United States Army a few months later, taking the name Tom Parker from the name of the officer who interviewed him to disguise the fact that he was an illegal alien. He completed basic training at Fort McPherson in Georgia. [4]