Abigail Breslin
Breslin in 2011, photo by PR Photos
Birth Name: Abigail Kathleen Breslin
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 14, 1996
Ethnicity: Irish, as well as English, German, one quarter Ashkenazi Jewish
Abigail Breslin is an American actress and singer. Her roles include Little Miss Sunshine, Definitely, Maybe, Nim’s Island, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, My Sister’s Keeper, Scream Queens, Stillwater, and the Zombieland films.
Abigail is the first person born in the 1990s to have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (for Little Miss Sunshine, 2006).
Abigail is the daughter of Kim and Michael Breslin. Her father was of half Irish and half Austrian Jewish descent. Abigail’s mother has Irish, English, and German ancestry. Her brother is actor Spencer Breslin. Abigail is married to investor Ira Kunyansky. Ira is of Ukrainian Jewish origin.
Abigail’s paternal grandfather was named Charles Patrick Breslin. Charles was Irish.
Abigail’s paternal grandmother was named Shirley Seidel (the daughter of Meyer Seidel and Rosie/Rose). Shirley was born in New York, to Austrian Jewish parents. Meyer was the son of Abraham Seidel and Sarah Cohen.
Abigail’s maternal grandfather was Lawrence Alfred Walsh (the son of Lawrence A. Walsh and Mildred H. Duffy). Abigail’s grandfather Lawrence was born in New Jersey. Mildred was the daughter of Joseph Duffy and Maud, who was Irish.
Abigail’s maternal grandmother was Catherine/Barbara L. Strickler/Stricker (the daughter of Edward Bernard Stricker and Margaret LoVille Safford/Stafford). Catherine was born in Washington. Edward was born in Washington, to German parents, George Arnold Stricker and Elizabeth Elise Steingrover. Margaret was the daughter of Sanford Duane Safford and Maud Lillian Combs.
Sources: Death record of Abigail’s paternal great-grandfather, Meyer Seidel – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Abigail Breslin (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Obituary of Abigail’s maternal grandmother, Catherine/Barbara L. (Strickler/Stricker) Walsh Blecker – http://www.spokesman.com
>Catherine/Barbara L. Strickler/Stricker
>Edward Bernard Stricker
>Margaret LoVille Safford/Stafford).
>Edward was born in Washington, to German parents, George Arnold Stricker and Elizabeth Elise Steingrover. Margaret was the daughter of Sanford Duane Safford and Maud Lillian Combs.
Thought I should point out, “Jew or not Jew” added Abigail Breslin less than 24 hours ago :) http://www.jewornotjew.com/profile.jsp?ID=2418
Kudos to bearboy for sticking to his cause.
I apologize to the New York Post. You were right. I was wrong.
Technically they were still wrong, as they got the percentage incorrect.
I think it’s close enough, and it’s not something a newspaper would deem as an error if they’re, say, issuing a correction.
Maybe her father identifies as Jewish.
You’re correct, I agree. They wouldn’t print a retraction or correction, and it’s possible her father identifies that way. I’m just saying in purely technical terms, their assertion was incorrect. It’s absolutely trivial, I just felt like being a stickler.
If I said 50+50=99 you’d call me wrong, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t say “close, good effort”, you’d tell me I was wrong. Even though I had the answer 99% correct.
Most likely, what happened was that Breslin described herself to the interviewer as “half Jewish”.
That is the most plausible scenario. Which means it wasn’t their fault for being wrong.
A family tree on ancestry.com states that Breslin’s paternal grandparents were Charles Patrick Breslin (born in Ireland) and Shirley Seidel (born in New York in the 1920s, to Austrian Jewish parents, Meyer Seidel and Rosie). Shirley re-married to Michael Paccione. Michael died in 2001 and Shirley died in 2016.
I just couldn’t confirm if it’s true, though.
So if you’re right she is a quarter Ashkenazi?
If the tree is right, then she is.
You will never doubt bearboy’s Jew detector again! He was right. Abigail is a Jew!
Thanks @ashash, I must say this a moment I will forever take pride in!
I meant to write forever forget, and will take pride in
Abigail wished one her grandmothers, Shirley, a happy birthday on September 11, 2013.
https://twitter.com/yoabbaabba/status/377922302320836608
Does the family tree mention anything about a birth date for the Shirley Seidel in question?
Abigail’s grandmother Shirley was indeed born on September 11.
Thank you, passingtime85.
Ashash.
She’s not a Jew or rather we don’t know if she is, religiously or even culturally. The most we know is that she is of Jewish descent, ethnically.
Passigntime85: “Ashash.
She’s not a Jew or rather we don’t know if she is, religiously or even culturally. The most we know is that she is of Jewish descent, ethnically.”
Bearboy/Jackson9: “She is having herself a happy Passover though…. SMILEY FACE”
https://twitter.com/yoabbaabba/status/1120840759307988993
@bearboy
why are you a wannabe Jew?
@andrew, why would anyone be a wannabe Jew? If they want to be Jewish they convert to Judaism, which most countries allowed last time I checked. and thank you @passingtime for confirming her paternal grandmother… Much appreciated!
No problem. Helping trace lineage, ancestry, etc. is what we’re all here for right?
Shirley died in late Jan 2016. According to Abi’s instagram she was out partying with her friends and complaining about snow at that time. Either she wasn’t particularly fond of that grandmother or it ain’t her.
Mind reaching out to the person who made this tree and ask for their sources?
I don’t have a link to that tree (nor an ancestry.com subscription). Maybe follers could.