The Jewish World of Elvis Presley

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All this talk now about Elvis being Jewish — that’s really disturbing,” Judy Fruchter said. “Because if he was Jewish, my father was making him desecrate Shabbat. He’s probably turning in his grave.” Throughout his life, Elvis was surrounded by, and good friends with, many Jewish people. Memphis in the 1950s was heavily populated by Jewish-owned businesses, featuring shops with names such as B. Lowenstein and Brothers, A. Schwab’s, Julius Lewis, and Goldsmith’s, as well as Ruben Cherry’s record store and Lansky Brothers Clothiers. Presley established close relationships with Cherry and Bernard Lansky, the latter going on to make many of Elvis’s clothes. What prompted Elvis to include the Star of David on his mother’s headstone? Marchese isn’t exactly sure, or even when Elvis learned of his mother’s Jewish heritage. But she says “the Jewish faith gave him comfort when he was seeking answers” to help him deal with her passing. 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. If there is one regret that Geller has about his time with Elvis it's that he wasn't able to wrap teffilin with him.

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?’” It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis Presley records have been sold worldwide. From his early sessions at Sun Records to the end of his career and beyond, Elvis albums and singles enjoyed strong sales across every format–vinyl, cassette, CD and digital. In America alone, Elvis has had 150 different albums and singles that have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with more certifications expected as research into his past record sales continues and as current sales go on. It is estimated that 40% of Elvis Presley records have been sold outside the United States.

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There are guitars, childhood photographs, old record albums, performance costumes and other memorabilia from Elvis’ illustrious career. Beau Bridges in the TV film Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story (1993), alongside Rob Youngblood.

Van der Steen, Paul (September 14, 2020). "Staatloos na het dienen in vreemde krijgsdienst". Trouw.nl. Trouw . Retrieved August 19, 2023.

Gladys Presley’s grave marker, now on display at Graceland. It was designed by her famous son to honor the family’s Jewish heritage. (Dan Fellner) This portrait of Gladys Presley hangs on the wall inside the Graceland mansion in Memphis. (Dan Fellner) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Gladys Presley’s grave marker, now on display at Graceland. It was designed by her famous son to honor the family’s Jewish heritage, a Graceland archivist says. (Dan Fellner via JTA)