Lea Michele may have some roots in the Jews from her father’s side of the family, but she was raised in a Catholic environment, so she is a Christian just like her mother.
The Glee actor is set to be cast on the broadway show, Funny Girl, which is set to start on September 6, replacing Beanie Feldstein, who will be playing till July 31.
Let us learn more about the new Funny Girl cast, her religion, her family history, and her parents.
Is Funny Girl Lea Michele Jewish?
According to Wikipedia, Lea Michele is not Jewish and follows Christianity as she grew up with her mom in the U.S. She started going to church with her mother at a young age and adopted her faith when she was a child.
Lea’s full name is Lea Michele Sarfati, but she started going by her middle name from a young age and used only her middle name for her professional career as well.
She is best known for her role in Glee as Rachel Berry, where she showcased her talent in singing and acting. Her character greatly impacted the audience and opened many doors for the young actress.
Funny Girl Broadway announced that she would be replacing Beanie Feldstein from September 6 on their official Twitter page.
The question about her religion arose since criticism regarding the actors of the play not being Jewish has arisen in the past, and most of the actors in the play have been Jewish in the past.
The Glee Star’s Family History and Greek Roots
Lea Michele has roots in different parts of the world, with her mother being an Italian American with ancestry in Rome and Naples. On the other hand, her father has Greek roots since he is a Sephardic Jew with ancestors in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Her father is a part of the descendants of Jews who were exiled from Iberia in the 15th century after the Alhambra Decree in Spain in 1492.
After their expulsion, they traveled from the Iberian peninsula to America and Western Asia. The Sephardic Jewish identity is passed down from the mother to their children matrilineally, so it is not passed down to Lea from her father, who is a Jew.
Where Are Lea Michele’s Parents From?
Lea Michele was born to her parents, her mother, Edith Thomasina, and her father, Mark David Sarfati, in New York. Her mother originally came from Italy and is an Italian American, while her father is a Hispanic Jew from Greece.
Edith Thomasina is a retired nurse, and her father is a real estate agent and a former delicatessen owner. Despite being a Jew, her father attends church with her and her mother.
Her parents raised her in the Bronx in New York for the first four years of her life and later moved to the suburban area of New Jersey. Later they moved into an apartment in Manhattan, where she found her love for Broadway.
Her Greek roots from her father’s side of the family have played a significant role in her getting the new role in the Broadway show, Funny Girl.