Of course Patinkin had a bar mitzvah, however, years later when he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was quoted saying the feeling of the latter was "better".
Mandy Patinkin (right) said getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was "better" than his bar mitzvah (Image: Getty)Getty Images
Patinkin describes himself as "Jewish with a dash of Buddhist". Patinkin once told Canadian Radio station Q that he was a "JewBu".
Over the years, he has been involved in a lot of different Jewish activities. Often in his concert performances, he sings in Yiddish and can be heard singing in Yiddish on his album Mamaloshen. He has written introductions for two Jewish culture books, The Jewish American Family Album and Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Holiday Cookbook: A Jewish Family's Celebrations, which was written by his mother.
Patinkin married to Kathryn Grody, 78, in 1980 and they had a traditional Jewish wedding.
Throughout his long acting career, he has been in countless stage and screen performances but is probably best known for his role as Saul Berenson in the hit show Homeland. The series centres around a hostage who was being held by Islamic extremists and has since been returned to his home in the US. Berenson is a veteran CIA agent — and Jewish.
In real life, Patinkin is known for his left-wing views both in the US and in Israel.
Mandy Patinkin married Kathryn Grody in 1980 (Image: Getty)Getty Images for Audi
During the 2024 US election, he appeared in an advert for the Jewish Democratic Council of America encouraging Jews to vote for Biden. As for Israel, he delivered the opening speech at the 2012 Annual Convention of the Israeli Left. It was there he spoke about a visit he made to the West Bank with the activist group Breaking the Silene and spoke out against Israeli settlements and IDF actions in Hebron.
His wife, Kathryn Grody, 78, is also Jewish and the couple have two sons Isaac Patinkin and Gideon Grody-Patinkin. Like her husband, Grody also spoke recently about Benjamin Netanyahu and said how his post-October 7 policies are "the worst thing for Jewish people".
Patinkin, who is Jewish, said in an interview with the New York Times last weekend that Netanyahu is the "most dangerous thing" for Jews around the world due to his "right wing" government and the negative impact on Jewish lives that years of war have caused.
In the interview with the New York Times, Patinkin said: “They are endangering not only the State of Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but they are endangering the Jewish population all over the world. To watch what is happening, for the Jewish people to allow this to happen to children and civilians of all ages in Gaza, for whatever reason, is unconscionable and unthinkable,” said Patinkin.
“And I ask you, Jews, everywhere, all over the world, to spend some time alone and think, Is this acceptable and sustainable? How could it be done to you and your ancestors, and you turn around and you do it to someone else?”
Patinkin’s comments drew criticism from
