Mandy Patinkin

Patinkin in 2007, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Mandel Bruce Patinkin

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Date of Birth: November 30, 1952

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Mandy Patinkin is an American actor, tenor, and singer. He has starred in the films The Princess Bride and Ragtime, and the series Homeland, as well as many stage roles. He is the son of Doris “Doralee” Patinkin (born Doris Lee Sinton), who wrote Grandma Doralee Patinkin’s Jewish Family Cookbook, and Lester Don Patinkin, who operated Chicago-area metal factories. His parents were both Jewish. Their families were from Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Mandy was raised in Conservative Judaism. He has also been credited by his full name Mandel Bruce Patinkin, and as Mardy Marterson.

Mandy is married to actress and writer Kathryn Grody, with whom he has two children. Kathryn is also Jewish.

Mandy’s cousins include Mark Patinkin, an author and columnist for The Providence Journal; Sheldon Patinkin, a founder of The Second City, who works at Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department, and Bonnie Miller Rubin, a Chicago Tribune reporter.

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2021) stated that Mandy’s genetic ancestry is:

*100% Ashkenazi Jewish

Mandy’s paternal grandfather was Max/Mendel Patinkin/Patinke (the son of Rav/Rubin Leibel/Leib/Louis Dombrover/Patinkin/Patinka and Goldye/Goldiel Burstein). Max was born in Sokoly, now Poland. Many members of his family, who lived in the town of Bransk, were killed in the Holocaust.

Mandy’s paternal grandmother was Celia/Cecelia Pirekovitch/Pinkovitz/Pinkovitch (the daughter of Moishe/Morris Elie Pinkowitz and Dena/Dinah Rivka Patinka). Celia was born in the Russian Empire. Moishe was the son of Shmuel Pinkovitch.

Mandy’s maternal grandfather was Fred Elliot Snitovsky/Sinton (the son of Kalman/Karl Snitovsky and Celia Schwartz). Fred was born in Illinois, to parents from the Russian Empire. Kalman was the son of Mordukh-Yankel Snitovsky and Ester Goldberg/Vyshengrad. The family lived in Drahichyn, then in Pruzhany, Belarus.

Mandy’s maternal grandmother was Ida B. Scudder (the daughter of Moishe/Moshe/Morris Chaim Scudder and Ethel Diamant). Ida was born in Liepaja, Latvia. Moishe was the son of Yechiel Skuder, who was from Vilkomir, Kovno, Lithuania, and of Sheina. Ethel’s mother’s maiden name was Edelman.

Sources: https://www.thejc.com

Genealogy of Mandy Patinkin – http://www.geni.com

Mandy’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Mandy’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org